100 Central Florida
Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.
To read responses from more Central Florida 100 participants, go to OrlandoSentinel.com/cf100
TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK
SHELTER FROM THE COLD, Mary Lee Downey, CEO, Hope Partnership: Winter has arrived in Central Florida. Our northern friends might enjoy making fun of us for how we react to temperatures that are much higher than theirs, but did you know that any temperature under 40 degrees is dangerous for humans? This is especially true when your home is a tent and you don’t own warm clothing. It’s so important that we operate cold night shelters for our neighbors who don’t have a safe place to call home. Perhaps someday we will all agree that housing is a human right, and then we won’t need cold night shelters anymore.
UF SILENCING PROFESSORS, Jane Healy, former editorial page editor and managing editor, Orlando Sentinel: When will the University of Florida end its silly and embarrassing quest to silence its professors? The court decisions keep getting worse. The latest is a stinging rebuke by a federal judge, who concluded that UF’s effort to muzzle professors from offering testimony in lawsuits against the state is because they could anger state officials and lose funding — a clear First Amendment violation. UF is arguing it’s all moot because it has rescinded the policy. But that is undercut by a recent tirade by the trustees’ board chair that seemed to advocate reinstating the ban. The best move now is for UF not to appeal the ruling, let the issue die — and let free speech live.
DISINGENUOUS DEMOCRATS, Jeremy Levitt, distinguished professor of international law, Florida A&M University College of Law: President Joe Biden and Democrats don’t get it. During the 2020 presidential race, Democrats were not sincere to African Americans. There were race-pandering promises to institute reforms on racial justice, policing, reparations, voting rights, narrowing the racial wealth gap, and of course the calling out of white supremacists. Biden astonishingly said that he preferred to root out systemic racism before supporting legislation that would “study” reparations, without realizing that you can’t do one without the other. I guess it’s preferable to speak of nominating the first Black woman to the Supreme Court than it is to generationally empower Blacks.
ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY, Ricky Ly, engineer, food writer: The contributions of Asian American Pacific Islanders have often remained ignored or untaught, but this may change if the state Legislature passes a bill this session that would include the teaching of history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in K-12 curriculum. Recently, State Sen. Linda Stewart’s bipartisan bill SB 490 passed unanimously in the Senate Education committee. Please call your legislators and ask them to co-sponsor Rep. Anna Eskamani’s HB 281 on the House side so that it may be heard. In light of recent Asian hate crimes, may this become a step away from hate, and a step closer to understanding each other.
MARION RACIST POLICY, Muhammad Musri, president, Islamic Society of Central Florida: The Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court to block a policy used by the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office to automatically detain and refer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement anyone arrested who was born outside the United States. This policy is resulting in detaining American citizens and legal residents who were born outside the U.S. and referring them to ICE. Since the sheriff ’s office is not responsible for enforcing immigration laws without order, the policy is simply racist, and it is an attempt by the Marion County sheriff ’s office to intimidate immigrants.
FIGMENT POPCORN CRAZE, Pamela Nabors, president/CEO, CareerSource Central Florida: So, I confess, I really love popcorn. In fact, getting a big bucket of popcorn is half the reason I love going to the movie theater. I’m also a devoted Disney fan, but last week’s craziness surrounding the Figment popcorn bucket at Epcot seems a bit extreme. Guests waited in line for more than five hours to pay $25 for a souvenir bucket on opening day at the Festival of the Arts! Some cunning entrepreneurs are now selling those coveted souvenirs for upwards of $125 on eBay. While rainbow gourmet popped kernels may be appealing, I think I’ll pass on the purple plastic dragon.
TALKING TRANSPORTATION, Joanie Schirm, GEC founding president; World Cup Orlando 1994 Committee chairman: Thanks to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and commissioners, we residents will get another chance to talk about a long-overdue significant investment in transportation infrastructure that can provide options to connect people efficiently with good jobs and life’s general destinations. It doesn’t matter where you work, play, and live. Traffic congestion is bogging down our lives, and we don’t have the option to look the other way. We must value and listen to the input of transportation planners, transit and smart growth advocates, citizens, elected representatives, workers, and business leaders to make this time right for a successful campaign on our behalf. If not this, what?
WAR ON LGBT COMMUNITY, Michael Slaymaker, professional fundraising executive: When does the GOP officially have to declare war against the LGBT community? Their attacks: 1) ban trans girls from sports; 2) ban queer books from the OCPS library (“Gender Queer” and “All Boys Aren’t Blue”); 3) HB 211: Transgender Youth Medical Care Ban; 4) the “Don’t Say Gay” bill (HB 1557/SB 1834), and more. The Capitol culture wars continue. Is it a fear of LGBT people or is it more about getting more money out of its base? One cannot overcome a fear of something they want to fear. Living in fear is not good for mental health.