Looking ahead to this week

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, member, U.S. House of Representatives

After adding over $1 trillion to the deficit by giving massive handouts to giant corporations and the ultra wealthy, the Trump administration is now asking Congress to cut billions of dollars from the Children’s Health Insurance Program. It’s deeply shameful, but barely surprising. Putting the wish lists of Wall Street and wealthy Republican donors ahead of health care for children is a violation of basic fairness and fundamental American values. I’ll fight it every step of the way.

George Moraitis, chairman, Broward Republican Executive Committee

We are honored to have Gov. Rick Scott, Speaker Richard Corcoran, Congressman Ron DeSantis and Commissioner Adam Putnam in Broward County for the annual Lincoln Day Dinner on May 18. This November is an important election year for Florida as the governor and the entire state cabinet will be voted on, in addition to a U.S. Senate race. Lincoln Day is named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president of the United States who kept our nation together during the Civil War and who played a large part in ending slavery in the United States.

Steven Geller, member, Broward County Commission

I am worried by the uncertainty of Trump’s withdrawing from the Iran deal without a clear plan for what happens next. If our European allies don’t follow U.S. sanctions, will Trump sanction them? Russia and China were signatories to the deal. How will Trump enforce sanctions against them? If Iran tries to ship oil to Russia or China, will the U.S. try a naval blockade of Iran, risking war? What do American commitments mean if they’re only good for the length of an existing presidency? What is the next plan? This sounds like shooting from the hip. “Fire!…Ready…Aim…”

James Donnelly, chairman, Broward Workshop

This is the time of year high school and college students are looking for summer internships. There are incredibly talented students who can add value to your company while you provide them an opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute. We have more students than companies willing to provide internships. You can go to www.browardintern.com to post your internships and there are hundreds of students registered and available. Broward College has created a “how-to” guide for employers that you can find on its website. We have both high-school and college interns, and we feel we receive more than we give.

Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser

Do you need to restock your hurricane supplies? With hurricane season rapidly approaching, the State of Florida will waive the sales tax on many hurricane preparedness supplies purchased between June 1June 7. As a result of a very active 2017 hurricane season, the sales tax holiday on specific items is twice as long as last year. The exempted items include: certain flashlights, radios, waterproof sheeting, ground anchor systems, gas tanks, batteries, coolers, portable generators and reusable ice.

Tom Shea, president, Right Management

The digital cloud revolutionized data storage and access. Similarly, the gig economy is altering the modern-day workforce. Once reliant on uploading information thru CD/DVD drives, many workplaces now exclusively store and share data from a network cloud. The workplace is evolving again with the emergence of the “human cloud.” With the Miami-Broward-Palm Beach region a consistently top ranking metropolitan area for startups, the human cloud could be a particularly valuable asset, allowing employers to increase efficiency and reduce downtime, by selecting particularly skilled workers for distinct tasks. Knowing your skills and keeping them polished proves just as important as ever!

Howard Simon, executive director, ACLU of Florida

If the Constitution Revision Commission cons Florida voters into approving a package of unrelated bundled proposals (mandatory civics education, term limits for school board members and an expansion of charter schools hidden by deceptive language) the slide toward the take-over of public education by profit-making corporations will explode. Putting aside the manipulation of forcing a vote on a package of unrelated proposals, the key provision eliminates the authority of local school boards to supervise schools that are established within a school district. Corporate lobbyists could get approval from Tallahassee politicians for charter schools and impose them on local school districts.

Michael Udine, member, Broward County Commission

As we approach graduation day, we get a glimpse into the bright future of our children as they become young adults. Good habits are instilled by parents, teachers, and mentors from an early age. The kindergartner who is taught to be accountable for their homework and prepared for class will eventually turn into a young adult that holds themselves to high standards. The elementary age student who is encouraged to ask questions will transform into the adult who seeks innovative solutions to existing problems. All these steps along the way give our children a solid foundation to thrive as adults.