Appointment of justices
Chris Carmody,
On Tuesday morning, Ron DeSantis will be formally sworn in as the 46th governor of the state of Florida. It's a big deal. There is, though, perhaps a much bigger event taking place in Tallahassee — the appointment of three new Florida Supreme Court justices. With the terms of justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and R. Fred Lewis ending Jan. 8, the new Governor will select three from the list of 11 nominated. Consider this: With most of the nominees in their 40s and the mandatory retirement age of judges moved from 70 to 75 (Amendment 6 on your recent ballot), these picks could serve for 30-plus years. Yeah, this decision is pretty important. Congrats to Gov.-elect DeSantis and Godspeed in making these three crucial decisions for our judiciary.
Proud of UCF streak
Lee Constantine,
My heart pumps black and gold. As student-body president, seven years as an administrator and 18 years representing the institution in the legislature, my life has revolved around UCF. In my office, hundreds of interns have been educated and received job offers. As a legislator, I sponsored the medical school, football-stadium financing, the I-4 Partnership, funding for numerous buildings and the legislative bluff to force USF to play us. I even attended the first rain-soaked football game at St. Leo. Although it may be over, we should be proud of the UCF streak. Its significance will continue to echo in the halls of the NCAA cartel. The Streak has transformed the dialogue on the national championship and guarantees its expansion within a few years. Go Knights, charge on!
River Cross, environment
Jane Healy, former
Could any local environmental issue be more important this year than what happens with the proposed River Cross development? The Seminole County Commission resoundingly rejected this boondoggle mega-development last year. Yet the developers — led by lobbyist Chris Dorworth — stubbornly persist. The commission opposed this incursion into its east-side rural area for good reason — it cares about the treasured Econlockhatchee River and its wildlife, which could be fatally harmed if River Cross is approved. Yet Dorworth won't give up, going to federal court and probably the Legislature to get his way. The lawsuit is bunk and any sympathetic legislator doesn't care a hoot about Florida treasures.
Labels are fading
Joel C. Hunter,
The Thursday Sentinel's front page juxtaposition of two headline stories — one about the newest Republicans/Democrat stalemate and the other about religion's changing forms — is a glimpse of our future. Old forms of party affiliation or institutional baggage are not working for the "let's just keep it personal and practical" generations to come. Even older generations don't need the same corporate identity anymore if it just promises more procedures and hierarchies to bog down what actually will help people. People will still identify with movements that have value to others, but less and less with labels that have outlasted their effectiveness.
Human-trafficking awareness
Anna McPherson, past president, Junior League of Greater Orlando: January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The Junior Leagues of Orlando, Tampa and Daytona Beach want your help to raise awareness coast-to-coast by following along in our social-media awareness campaign featuring community leaders along the I-4 corridor who are taking a stand against human trafficking. Statistics rank Florida as the thirdhighest human-trafficking destination in the United States with half of all trafficking victims under the age of 18. Want to see how to help? Find out more at www.jlgo.org or check out the hashtag #jlflcoast2coast.
Evaluating Magic
Joseph F. Pennisi,
The Magic “just weren't good enough out there”. That's the assessment of center Nikola Vucevic after a recent loss. It's a reality that applies to more than one contest. Struggling a few games below .500, the team is once again going nowhere. Even if they manage to make the playoffs, they're surely first-round fodder. The team is on their fifth coach in the past five years and their second front office. Attention must turn to the players and who among them should be here moving forward. That process must start now with the NBA trade deadline just a month away.
Rent continues to rise
Rick Singh,
Homeownership is still the American dream, but in Central Florida it may be even farther away as rent prices continue to rise faster than in any major city in the country, and saving money to purchase a home becomes a budget challenge. Reported by Zillow, Central Florida average rent grew to $1,472 in November 2018, representing a 4.4 percent increase compared to the national increase of 0.5 percent. Complicating this issue for local residents is that the availability of rental properties is actually decreasing. But the most important factor in this growing housing concern is whether area wages are high enough to pay the rent. I see a strong need for an emphasis — and funding — on affordable housing, in standalone projects and as a percentage of units in newly developed communities.