LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK

Lori Berman, member, Florida Senate. New Year’s is finally upon us, which means it’s time to make those resolutions that are notoriously difficult to see through. In fact, research shows that 80% of them fail! When you resolve to eat healthier or exercise more, stick to these guiding principles that will help you land in that 20% range: set a non-specific goal, define why you’re making the goal and write it down, and don’t set a restrictive goal when you can make a positive one. Also, resolve to be more involved in state politics and get to know your legislator — we love hearing from you!

Michael De Lucca, president, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Inc. There is a spike in dog flu this season. Vets across the country are warning people about canine influenza in the hope that they will keep their four-legged friends from getting sick with the flu. This disease is highly contagious among dogs. Dogs can even spread the virus if they experience no symptoms. Symptoms of dog flu include a cough, runny nose, fever, loss of energy and lack of appetite. During flu season you should keep your dog away from dog parks and other dogs and make sure your pets are vaccinated against the flu.

Dan Gropper, dean, College of Business, Florida Atlantic University. Why have so many prime working age people dropped out of the labor force? Why are there such stark differences in labor force participation rates by race across the USA? What can be done to get people back to work? What happened to the bipartisan consensus on work and welfare back in the Clinton years? Can (and should) a similar consensus be rebuilt now? These are a few issues that should be addressed moving forward.

Jason Hughes, executive director, ArtServe . What exactly does it mean when something is labeled “environmentally friendly?” The Federal Trade Commission is currently in process of updating America’s “Green Guides” to ensure marketers and advertisers provide fair, truthful claims about “recycled” and “climate friendly” items, thus helping ensure consumers have current, accurate information about products’ alleged environmental benefit. The Commission is also seeking public comment on how to define claims such as “compostable,” “degradable,” “ozone-friendly,” “organic” and “sustainable,” as well as terms relating to energy use and efficiency. First issued in 1992, the U.S. “Green Guides” were most recently revised in 2012.

Melissa McKinlay, vice president for government relations, WGI. In terms of what we’re witnessing in Afghanistan, countries across the globe should be fighting to protect and promote women’s equality and women’s rights. The international community should hold the Taliban accountable to the promises they made in 2021 to rule less rigidly than previous regimes. It will be interesting to see how the international community responds. But, one thing is certain — no country can thrive when half of its population is forced to live behind laws restricting their ability to choose their future.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines. There are already negative reports about the impact of the just signed toll relief legislation, and it hasn’t even gone into effect yet. Starting Jan. 1, for a full year, motorists with SunPass and other Florida transponder accounts will receive 50% credits each month they record 35 or more toll-road trips. The law was created to provide $751.5 million for people and communities recovering from hurricanes and savings to frequent toll-road users. It’s a common sense solution. Stop spinning this into a political nightmare and let Floridians benefit from impactful cost savings during these challenging economic times.

Mike Ryan, If there is so much development of clean-energy capacity, why don’t we see it in our homes? The major impediment is the process of linking clean energy production plants to our national energy grid. Rather than becoming easier and quicker, the process of regional authorities approving the new connections is taking longer than ever. In addition, our national system of high-voltage transmission needs a major increase in capacity, much like what we did nearly 70 years ago for our interstate highway system. Some ask if the solutions are obvious, why aren’t we doing more? Perhaps, follow the money?

mayor, Sunrise.

Thomas Wenski, archbishop, Archdiocese of Miami. The interconnected moral, social, political and economic crises facing the world cannot be solved if individuals and nations continue to focus only on their own, immediate interests. In a World Day of Prayer for Peace (Jan. 1) message directed to heads of state and governments throughout the world, Pope Francis wrote: “The time has come for all of us to endeavor to heal our society and our planet, to lay the foundations for a more just and peaceful world, and to commit ourselves seriously to pursuing a good that is truly common.”