South Florida 100

Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.

TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK

Kathleen Cannon, president, United Way of Broward County. Women in Iran are speaking out against the tragic and unnecessary death of Mahsa Amini. Just a few weeks ago, Mahsa was detained after officers found fault with her hijab. During her detainment, she slipped into a coma and died after suffering a heart attack, with no history of heart conditions. Demonstrations are erupting across Iran, women and girls are marching through the streets without their hijabs while natural gas and oil workers are joining with them. This hopefully is the beginning of the end of the mistreatment of women in Iran. Change must happen.

Lois Frankel, member, U.S. House of Representatives. Hearing loss can be isolating and dangerous, and it’s a common problem in our country, especially among seniors. About 29 million adults in the U.S. could benefit from hearing aids, yet only 16% use them. For many, they are too expensive, and neither Medicare nor most private insurers cover the cost. Now, thanks to legislation passed by Congress and recent actions by the Biden administration, consumers will be able to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids from local and online pharmacies and stores starting this week! This will help lower the costs of these devices, making them more accessible to everyone.

Dan Gropper, dean, College of Business, Florida Atlantic University. Recently, President Joe Biden declared that the COVID pandemic was over. White House staff and agency leaders quickly stated that the president had misspoken. Why so quick to reverse the president and not proclaim victory? Declaring a COVID health emergency gives government officials greatly expanded authority. Economics and history show it is extremely difficult to get government officials to give up power once they have it. So emergency declarations are extended, and agencies across the federal government will retain special emergency powers that stretch into 2023. Keep a watchful eye out for abuses of power.

Wendy Sartory Link, supervisor of elections, Palm Beach County. This past week at the Palm Beach County Commission meeting, the Board of County Commissioners declared Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022, as Ride Free on Election Day in Palm Beach County. On Election Day, voters who need a ride to the polls can now ride Palm Tran free of charge. The polls will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day. Make sure you make a plan to vote — whether by mail, early or on Election Day!

Jason Hughes, executive director, ArtServe. Last week, the Broward County Commission adopted American Library Association recommendations to increase public access to libraries by eliminating late fees on borrowed library materials. Yes, it’s true! Customers will no longer be fined for items returned after the due date. Commissioners also canceled all existing late fines for library card holders as of Oct. 14, 2022. (Card holders are still financially responsible for lost or damaged items and are encouraged to return materials promptly to make them available to others.) The move underscores Broward’s commitment to providing library services and information access for Broward residents.

Tim Ryan, member, Broward County Commission. The federal student loan forgiveness website is now operational and currently accepting applications. This follows President Joe Biden’s August announcement that up to $10,000 of loan debt can be forgiven for those making less than $125,000 per year. Pell Grant recipients may be eligible for up to $20,000 in relief. The application window will remain open until Dec. 31, 2023, but applying now could mean getting forgiveness before loan repayments restart in January. Roughly 43 million Americans could potentially benefit from this program. To apply, visit www.studentaid.gov.

Michael Udine, mayor, Broward County. Broward County broke ground on the new, state of the art, Supervisor of Elections facility. The new site will provide easy access for both election workers and the public as it is located less than a mile from Interstate 95. It will also be designed for the utmost transparency. Glass walls will make it so every step of the process can be observed and explained. Additionally, the facility will provide opportunities to teach young people from our schools how elections are run. As a member of the Canvassing Board, I look forward to the project being completed in 2024!

Thomas Wenski, archbishop, Archdiocese of Miami. There is no question that Nikolas Cruz’s actions were heinous. But a sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole is a severe and just punishment that also will allow him to continue to reflect on the grave harm he caused. While not excusing his actions, multiple and systemic breakdowns within family services, police and the public school system failed him and the rest of us too. Seemingly nobody recognized the inadequacies in Cruz’s life or the state of his mental health. His numerous threats of violence that preceded the mass murder were addressed inadequately, if at all.