LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK

TOO MUCH MONEY IN POLITICS, Dick Batchelor, president, Dick Batchelor Management Group: The incessant, unrelenting bombardment of political advertising is probably a good indication that political action groups have really taken over the electoral process since Citizens United. We should all be shocked by the amount of money that is being spent, even in local political races. It’s obscene that candidates, mostly funded by political advocacy groups in some districts. are spending upward of $1 million for a local single-member district house seat. In some state senate races, candidates are spending well over $2 million. It’s been said that “money is the mother’s milk of politics.” Unfortunately, it’s often the voters who are being milked of their individual influence at the polls.

FUSIONFEST, David Kay, chair, Interfaith Council of Central Florida: It’s not too soon to start planning how to walk off your Thanksgiving dinner (or walk away from those relatives who want to talk politics). FusionFest returns in Orlando on Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26 and 27, downtown at the Seneff Arts Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. It’s food, fun, song, dance, stories and culture for all ages, reflecting the rich diversity of our community. And admission is free. You can find all the details at fusionfest.org.

LABOR SHORTAGE, Ken LaRoe, Founder, Climate First Bank: Florida needs workers. After Hurricane Ian, it become abundantly clear that we were going to rely on someone to clean up the destruction. Yet, who’s stepping up? The undocumented migrants Gov. Ron DeSantis is so determined to get rid of. America simply doesn’t have enough labor being born to keep up with our needs — DeSantis and the right must realize we need immigrants in the labor pool, we can’t make it without them.

TRANSPORTATION AID, Pamela Nabors, president/CEO, CareerSource Central Florida:

Orange County voters will soon decide whether to pass a one-cent sales tax increase designed to improve the region’s transportation and transit systems. The dedicated funding will raise $600 million each year for 20 years, and deliver immediate benefits in our communities, including more Lynx buses, expanded disability transit and increased SunRail schedules. The much-needed resource will result in more travel options for low-wage workers who rely on public transit by expanding access to thousands of local jobs with better benefits and wages. With nearly 1,500 people moving into Orange County every week, an enhanced, multi-mode transportation system is essential to reduce congestion and enhance quality of life in this region. #MoveOCForward

IAN RECOVERY’S DIRTY SECRET, Gloria Pickar, president emerita, League of Women Voters of Orange County: Hurricane Ian left massive destruction for communities to clean up. Promised work, housing and pay, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ operatives transported migrants to Florida to work — illegally. Makes sense. Florida’s unemployment rate is 2.5% with too few legal workers to meet the need. Migrants are here, hungry and homeless. But they are exploited by a state that demonizes and arrests them yet depends on them to fill critical jobs. They suffer arduous labor, long hours, and paychecks they often can’t cash without an official ID (surrendered at the border). Let’s put party politics aside to enact common-sense immigration reform.

RESHORING MANUFACTURING JOBS, Larry Pino, attorney and entrepreneur: One of America’s greatest strengths has always been its propensity to make things. Manufacturing is embedded in our history — we make things and we sell things — to the world. Yet, over the past 30 years, we shifted manufacturing to foreign nations with lower production costs. This approach worked well for decades, until COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, American manufacturers offshored 7.5 million jobs; as of today, we have regained 1.43 million of them. Reshoring — restoring manufacturing in America — is now a national conversation, led by organizations like Sarasota’s Reshoring Initiative, which had been addressing this problem for over a decade. It’s gratifying that American industry is finally listening.

VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY, Joanie Schirm, GEC founding president; World Cup Orlando 1994 Committee chairman: Our neighbors are big on political signs and so are we, showing we cancel out each other’s votes. We mostly avoid that topic because it doesn’t go well. Otherwise, we get along well, watching out for each other’s safety and well-being. These are difficult times as social media and 24/7 news inflame us. We seem entrenched in two different worlds but one subject — democracy — we shouldn’t ignore. My Czech American father lost his native country’s democracy twice — once to fascist Nazis, then to Soviet Union Communists. Inflation comes and goes. Vote for who you think truthfully supports democratic norms and unselfishly has our country’s back.

EARLY VOTING, Nicole Wilson, Orange County commissioner, District 1: Early voting started in Orange County last week. Voters have many options and convenient hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you vote by mail, I urge you to remember to sign your ballot and make sure your signature matches your voter registration card on file at the Supervisor of Elections Office. Voting by mail is safe and secure. Remember to mail ballots back before Nov. 8 and check the supervisor website for updates.