TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK

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

Anthony J. Abbate, architect. Fort Lauderdale’s Charles Fiveash water treatment plant, built in 1954, has expanded over the years to meet growing demand but may be replaced through a public-private partnership if city leaders get their way. It’s one of three plants in a city experiencing explosive growth. Cost estimates, recently reported, have jumped by

$100 million, plus another $150 million for new pipes, adding up to $250 million over the original estimate to a whopping

$635 million. Privatization of water utilities has had mixed reviews with notable failures (such as Berlin). The regulatory aspects deserve scrutiny, and many believe water is a basic function of a governmental, nonprofit-oriented enterprise.

Howard Dvorkin, CPA, chairman, Debt.com. The only gubernatorial debate between Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist was a huge disappointment for a CPA and personal finance expert like me. The first question was about ensuring “affordable housing is available to everyone.” Ignoring that completely, Crist attacked DeSantis on abortion while DeSantis countered that his opponent “has voted with Joe Biden 100% of the time.” We know where both candidates stand on so many issues; we don’t need to hear their canned statements yet again. Can’t we have just one debate about pocketbook issues? And can’t the moderators make it stick?

Marty Kiar, property appraiser, Broward County. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation rejected the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s request for an excessive residential statewide increase in insurance rates. Unconscionably, Citizens had requested an annual premium increase of 10.7% for multiperil policies, which are the most common type of policy. Instead, the Office of Insurance Regulation approved smaller increases of 6.4% for multi-peril policies and average increases of 8.4% to 11% for other types of policies. I vehemently disagree with any rate increase at this time, but I am thankful the larger rate increase request was rejected.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines. Hurricane Ian pushed to the forefront an issue that can no longer be pushed to the side. Florida’s property insurance market is a disaster. Private insurers drop customers, raise rates and many have been deemed insolvent. All of this continues to happen while more and more people move to the state. Hurricanes are not going away. People are not going away. Concrete solutions need to be found, specific plans need to be in place and residents need to be assured that when a crisis strikes, they won’t be left scrambling. An upcoming special legislative session on this better find results.

Roni Raab, host, Shalom South Florida on WWNN. “Adidas can’t drop me!” Famous last words from rapper Kanye West. His comments on social media before that were even more troubling, especially his plans to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” He claimed in various media that he can spew antisemitic “things” and that Adidas, wouldn’t drop his endorsements. Well, all that came to an end last week when the company said that it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.” Took longer than expected, but Adidas stepped up and did the right thing.

Larry Rein, CEO and president, ChildNet. Florida’s reliance on for-profit managed care organizations to administer the provision of Medicaid funded health care services often enhances their efficiency and quality. Regrettably, it also sometimes does the opposite. The Sun Sentinel this week described how legislation intended to improve care to disabled Floridians by increasing the minimum wage paid to home health care aides has been subverted by delays in managed care organizations passing the funding on to the agencies that pay the staff who provide the service. So, this vital workforce, instead of growing, is disappearing, seriously threatening the well-being and productivity of those that depend upon it.

Gregory Tony, Broward sheriff. When seconds counted, off-duty Broward Sheriff ’s Fire Rescue Firefighter Bryan Aparicio wasted none, risking his life to pull his girlfriend to safety from the backseat of an Uber they were riding in. The car had become engulfed in flames in a fiery crash involving a fuel tanker truck Tuesday on I-95 in Delray Beach. The 27-year-old epitomizes heroism and selflessness, and all of BSO is very proud of him. Bryan and his girlfriend suffered significant burns and remain hospitalized in intensive care. Please keep them and the others injured in your thoughts and pray for their full and speedy recovery.

Chad Van Horn, founding partner attorney, Van Horn Law Group, P. A. The speedy repair of Hurricane Ian-mangled Sanibel Causeway is impressive. Within only 15 days — a week ahead of schedule — the causeway opened to residents, repair crews, first responders and business owners after the Category 4 storm’s horrific devastation. The logistics and coordination were amazing as 100 crews completed 36,000 work hours with 70 pieces of heavy equipment, four barges, seven cranes and 4,000 tons of asphalt. It makes me hopeful that our government can cut through the bureaucracy to solve a problem like this so efficiently. I sure wish they’d do it more often.