THE TOP STORIES LAST WEEK

Lee Constantine,

What’s it going to take, Florida? The red tide/green algae’s frequency and severity is increasing exponentially. Our oyster and fishing industry is in decline. In the Gulf, dolphins are dying in record numbers. The Everglades, the most important ecosystem in North America, continues to deteriorate despite billions spent on restoration. Our world-famous springs are dying due to over-pumping and runoff pollution. And now, flesh-eating bacteria at our beaches? Billions of business and tourist dollars lost and still little or no action by state officials. What needs to happen — exploding dipped toes? Folks, we must demand a statewide water policy now!

Ben Friedman,

Mayor Buddy Dyer officially inaugurated the City of Orlando’s newly created Multicultural Affairs Committee. The committee, a few years in the making, is charged with keeping the city government abreast of important issues affecting minority and marginalized communities and recommending solutions for the city to consider. Only time will tell if the committee can ultimately deliver a positive, measurable impact for the residents of City Beautiful, but for now I’m happy to celebrate Mayor Dyer and the City Commission (particularly Commissioner Tony Ortiz) for taking diversity, equity, and inclusion seriously enough to put this group together.

Beverly Paulk,

We are in the news again, this time for positive/negative: We offer universal prekindergarten to 4-year-old children, but with uneven, problematic program quality. The primary issue is state underfunding. Couple this situation with the severe underfunding for preschool programs for ages 0-3. Younger children need to learn how to learn and get ready to be students, the foundation for successful living. Communities with limited resources most need our help, starting with investing in the teachers to help children. Central Florida Foundation’s 100 Women Strong group and UCF are changing lives in Pine Hills doing this. Of course, lobby your elected officials.

Jim Philips,

Some Lake County residents are still scratching their heads over the statue of Confederate general Edmund Kirby Smith. County commissioners voted to place the statue in a local museum after it got booted from the U.S. Capitol. What’s the connection between Smith and Lake County? There is none of importance. Smith was born in St. Augustine … a city that rejected the statue. He lived in Florida for less than 20 years. He spent his post-war adult years in Tennessee, where he is buried. It also begs the question on why the statue represented Florida for so many years in Washington in the first place. Some would argue that you could fit the history of Lake County in the back of a pickup truck and still have room for a statue or two. Larry Pino,

What actually happened to those seniors entrusted to recently resigned guardian Rebecca Fierle will go on in the media for a long while. Was it criminal? Negligent? Cavalier? This is not the proper venue to address that. It is, however, the proper venue to address a more fundamental issue. Mahatma Gandhi said that the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members. Seniors found by the court unable to fend for themselves clearly fall into that category. But that takes funding, commitment and far greater efficiency to protect those unable to protect themselves. Let the Fierle matter be our joint wake-up call.

Joanie Schirm,

“If there were no teachers, all other professions would not exist.” My heart aches learning that the current wage offer from Orange County Public Schools ends up being less than many teachers made last year because family health-care premiums via the self-insured OCPS system consume the raise. In August 2018, Orange County voters by 83.5% approved a ballot with this language: “renew the current one (1) mill ad valorem millage for essential operating expenses in order to preserve academic programs, retain highly qualified teachers…” Retained highly qualified teachers preserve academic programs! Why can’t salaries be increased with those tax dollars?

David D. Swanson,

Sometimes having a little light shine in a dark place can be catalytic for problem-solving. It is never pretty having two of our community’s great organizations in open conflict, but it does create the needed moment to put energy and focus on how to solve the problems. Dr. Phillips Charities and the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center have great leaders with great love for this community. Let’s keep the problems from becoming personal and focus on how to do what is best for the larger community moving forward.

Michael Zais,

As expected, Orange County teachers overwhelmingly voted down their contract proposal. So, now what? Do the negotiation hokey-pokey yet again to just be told the well is dry? All roads lead to the Florida Lottery scam, which did not supplement existing education funding as originally promised. But it’s even worse. “During its early years, 60 to 70 percent of lottery dollars coming to education were for public schools. That number has now dropped to just under 40%.” That little factoid is directly from the OCPS 2018-2019 budget report. This isn’t rocket science. Where there’s a will, there’s a way … I’m just not seeing the will.