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
MAGIC AND MICROCHIPS, Viviana Janer, vice chairwoman, Osceola County Commission: The Osceola County Commission’s shrewd investment in NeoCity to diversify the economy received a $50.8 million boost from the Biden Administration. We are just one of 21 coalitions — and the only one in Florida — to receive funding from the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC). Founding NeoCity as a technologically advanced manufacturing research center started long before the pandemic showed the fragility of our economy — when unemployment peaked above 30 percent. NeoCity is creating opportunities for new, high-wage jobs. And the BBBRC is the first domino to fall as more good things head our way on the journey to “Be First to What’s Next.”
QUEEN’S FLAWED LEGACY, Jeremy Levitt, distinguished professor of international law, Florida A&M University College of Law: I met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 23 years ago. She was highly intelligent, humorous, and strong; a genuine monarch and stateswoman. She was an individual and an institution. As a former Ph.D. alumnus of the University of Cambridge, I mourn Queen Elizabeth with the British people. Notwithstanding, I do not mourn her empire, which still suffers from imperial rule. Nearly 50 independent states — largely in Africa — emerged from the yokes of British colonial rule during her reign, yet the monarch continues to shroud its bloody legacy of colonization, enslavement, slavery and racial inequality. Will King Charles III rectify this history?
VITAL DEBATES, A.J. Marsden, assistant professor, Beacon College: Voters heavily rely on candidate debates to make informed decisions on who to support in an upcoming election. When Oct. 18 was announced for Florida’s U.S. Senate debate between U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S Rep. Val Demings, many voters revealed their plans to tune in. Debates allow voters an opportunity to hear directly from each candidate their plans for Florida’s future. Candidates who work to avoid debates and choose instead to spread rumors about their opponents only show the voters the truth about their dishonest character. Debates are for the voters — candidates that avoid them are not working for anyone but themselves.
AWARENESS, Timothy McKinney, Chief Executive Officer, United Global Outreach: Recently, our community observed International Overdose Awareness Day. The U.S. is under attack as more than 100,000 citizens died of drug overdose last year making this the leading cause of deaths for those 18-45. Fentanyl’s introduction into the illegal drug supply has now guaranteed that even recreational drug users risk a lethal does with each use at greater odds than playing Russian roulette. I spent the early-morning hours this week consoling a mom in Bithlo after verifying that her son Shane had died of a likely drug and alcohol overdose. We must take action to stop the killing. Pray for his mom Paula.
OVERDOSE
RENTAL HELP, Muhammad Musri, president, Islamic Society of Central Florida: Rental rates nationwide continue their double-digit rise, which made the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development increase the subsidized amount for rent and utilities by 14%. This will help ease the pressure on seniors living on fixed income, the disabled and some poor families. However, there are three challenges: shortage of low-income housing, big waiting list for families who qualify, and landlords who refuse to accept HUD vouchers because they don’t pay enough. Over 3,300 families in Orlando and millions nationwide are waiting to get help but HUD is underfunded while billions are paid for the war in Ukraine.
PREVENTING CHILD DROWNINGS, Beverly Paulk, founding member, Central Florida Foundation and The Orlando Philharmonic: Olympic gold-medal swimmer Rowdy Gaines of Lake Mary, recently wrote a compelling Sentinel guest column about preventing drowning through instruction. With our abundant lakes, canals, rivers, oceans and pools, we are in the top five states for most drownings. Black children are significantly more likely to drown than white and Latino children. A personal flashback happened regarding Eatonville’s refusal to accept a sizable external gift for the community pool’s repairs and reopening early 2022. The green pool needlessly stayed closed with children losing a summer of swimming instruction and play. Eatonville’s children especially need the pool open early 2023.
SOLUTIONS TO VOTER ID MESS, Sheena Rolle, senior director of strategy, Florida Rising: The systems used to verify voter eligibility (court records and data from 67 Supervisors of Elections) are all available to Ron DeSantis and the Secretary of State. If they can do the research on the back end for prosecution, then they can certainly do the research on the front end for prevention and fair processing. His antics to perpetuate the “Big Lie” by discrediting the voting process and engaging in voter discouragement is not what democracy looks like. No one should be registered to vote by the state of Florida and receive a voter ID card without being cleared by the state’s vetting process. The state of Florida should take ownership and provide solutions.
SOCIAL MEDIA VS. MEDIA, Joanie Schirm, GEC founding president; World Cup Orlando 1994 Committee chairman: A collaborative poll between the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the American Press Institute shows that 71% of young Americans say they get news daily from social media. That’s a sign of the times, magnifying the challenge of combating misinformation. Those polled get information daily from YouTube, Instagram, and a quarter or more from TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook. How many of you get your daily news from any of these sources? I admit Twitter weblinks provide me access to credible media and expert sources I might not otherwise access, but rarely do the other social media sites give me my primary news.