THE TOP STORIES LAST WEEK
VOTING AND GUN REFORM Earl Crittenden Jr.,
Another week, another heartbreaking mass shooting. Nine months ago, the Parkland tragedy understandably produced a national tweet, talk show and CNN town hall dust-up that had citizens vowing vengeance with tone-deaf politicians at the voting booth. Fresh off the heels of the midterm election, however, we can see where Florida voters seeking reasonable gun reform turned out — and it wasn't in Broward County (home of Parkland). Sadly, the self-serving Tallahassee legislators who think that rural gun polices should apply to all of Florida will no doubt be wise to the fact that the outrage alone apparently lasts only so long. Voting matters.
APPLAUD RECORD NUMBERS Glenton Gilzean Jr.,
After nearly two years of discussion and anticipation, the midterm elections are finally behind us. Before we collectively jump into talk of the 2020 presidential campaign, I would just like to recognize the record number of voters who cast ballots on Tuesday. The easy action would have been to sit at home and assume that your single vote did not have an impact, but I assure you that it did. Every vote was an indication that as Americans, we care about the future of our country, and democracy is a value that we hold dear. Republican, Democrat or independent, we are all Americans and with every election, we once again prove that we live in the greatest and most free country on Earth.
SUBDIVISIONS AND BEARS Jane Healy,
Is it really any surprise that there are now nuisance bear reports in Oviedo, in the eastern portion of Seminole County? Through October there were 47 complaints this year — more than triple that of two years ago. Oviedo is a growing area, so there are more residents to complain. But the bears aren't invading the subdivisions. The subdivisions have invaded the habitat of the bears, just as happened on the westside. Both border on the Wekiva and St. Johns river basins, a prime bear corridor. Bears need a large space to roam, and that doesn't change when homes are built. The city of Oviedo is resisting bear-proof trash cans, but it's the only way to go.
CANDIDATES SHOULD RESPOND Phil Hissom,
It was disappointing to see how many candidates refused to answer the questions on Vote411.org. This invaluable resource from the League of Women Voters provides answers to important questions that it asks each candidate. As an independent voter, the substance of these answers is one of my main tools for making a decision. This year many candidates, almost all Republican, simply refused to answer. The LWV has been providing nonpartisan voter guides for nearly 100 years. To not participate is a failed opportunity and disrespectful to this historic organization. It does make it easy for me — no answer means no vote, plain and simple.
PERSONAL CHALLENGE Joel C. Hunter,
The biggest story of the elections is that there is no big story in the elections. Except for personal losses, the political landscape stays pretty much the same on a state and national level. The close races affirm the even divide that will ward off any radical change for better or worse. The stock markets love the stability, but any significant improvements for social problems will have to come from local communities taking care of their own rather than big government help. Overall, that's a good thing — and a personal challenge for us all.
CELEBRATING 61 YEARS Belinda Ortiz Kirkegard,
Kissimmee created its Ruby Award to celebrate companies that have been in business for over 40 years (ruby anniversary year). This week the commission recognized Roy's Safe and Lock Inc. for its 61 years of service. Not only is the length of time impressive; this company has had three generations of family members work in the shop and learn the locksmith trade — a trade that is almost extinct. Congratulations to Roy's Safe and Lock Inc.
MAKE TIME TO VOTE J. Matthew Knight, physician,
According to a new Harris poll, 54 percent of voters believe that Election Day should be a national holiday. Proponents say there's not enough time to vote, explaining why only half of us (or fewer) cast a ballot. This is ridiculous. Most states provide no-excuse early voting, for an average of 22 days before Election Day. All states offer absentee ballots. The 10 federal holidays already on our calendar are enjoyable, but according to Rasmussen, they cost taxpayers $500 million each in pay and lost productivity. We don't need another day off to exercise our right to vote in America.
ENJOY BRIEF RESPITE Shelley W. Lauten,
The election is over… and so begins our brief respite from political ads where we can once again focus on which car insurance company provides the best rates and what new gadget is a must-have for the holidays. Enjoy this time while you can … because now that midterm ballots have been cast, 2020 is just around the corner. Let's all take a deep breath and enjoy the holiday season, politics-free, attackad-free and election-free for as long as we can.
VOTE ALWAYS COUNTS Khalid Muneer,
We are so blessed to be living in a country where we are able to vote freely and go to the polling station without the problems voters in other counties face.With energized bases on both sides, midterm voter turnout broke records. It's extremely exciting to see so many voters engage in our democracy. Regardless of whether your candidates won or lost, always know that your vote counts. The House turned blue, and the Senate, red. As we enter the transition phase, I am thankful to hear many of our leaders at the highest levels call for bipartisan efforts to work together to end this terrible divide in our society. This is how our community should operate — it's time to make America one again. It's time to make Americans respectful of each other again.
REVERSE DISCOURAGING TREND Pamela Nabors,
Some trends are fun, like emojis on Instagram. Others need attention, like the alarming number of millennial-aged men choosing not to work. A recent Bloomberg study revealed a lagging number of 25- to 34-year-old males in the current U.S. labor force — 500,000. This discouraging trend needs solutions to reverse it. Possible causes could be the prospect of lower wages than pre-recession, no credentials to enter a career, or just a choice to stay home? Whatever the reason, there could be long-term negative impacts. How do we create engaging career and skills training targeted at these guys?
LATINAS WIN SEATS
María T. Padilla,
Big election day for Latinas, two of whom won a seat on the Orange County Commission, making for three Latinas, or half the commission. Maribel Gómez Cordero (District 4) and Mayra Uribe (District 3) will join Emily Bonilla (District 5) on the dais, which now is also Democrat. Ironically, the failed Orange County redistricting suit of several years ago centered on the seat that Cordero will now occupy. Another Latina winner is Johanna López, a former Teacher of the Year who goes to the Orange County School Board. The wave, if indeed there was one, appeared to be female and brown.
MILITARY AND ORLANDO Ed Schons,
Many communities that host important military commands lament “Change of Command” ceremonies because they signal loss of a talented military executive. In recent years, Central Florida has had the good fortune to have outstanding commanding officers at the Naval Air Warfare Training Systems Division transition from that position to retirement and choose Orlando as home. It happened again last week when Capt. Timothy Hill became the new commander of this important technology center and Capt. Erik Etz confirmed he and his family will stay here…adding another seasoned tech leader to our growing bank of talent. Welcome ashore, Capt. Etz.
HALEY HELPS OTHERS Michael Slaymaker,
And a child will lead us. At the Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day breakfast on Friday, the Youth in Philanthropy Award was given to Haley “Bugz” Ebbert. In 2009, Haley was 6 years old and learned that she had cancer. She fought cancer for several years and went into remission in 2011. During Haley's treatments, she encountered many children who did not have the type of support system that she did. She created a nonprofit organization affectionately named Hugz from Bugz. Haley's nonprofit has generated over $400,000 and provided direct assistance to over 300 families. Congrats and thank you, Haley.