Welcome to Broward County, President Trump. Here’s what you should know.
Editor’s note: Because of technical difficulties in publishing yesterday’s paper, the second half of this front-page editorial failed to appear. So here it is, in full.
Dear President Trump,
You’re going to love living full-time in South Florida. We have our issues, but you can’t beat the weather, culture and people. And when the snowbirds leave, the deals on golf are great. From wintering at Mar-aLago, you already know we’re a popular place for retiring New Yorkers who, honestly, can sometimes be a little brusque, but, thankfully, don’t toot their horns nearly so often as before.
Not that anyone attending your “homecoming” rally tonight at the BB&T Center in Sunrise thinks you’re retiring, though truthfully, many in our polarized community would welcome a change. Putting aside for the moment the issue of the impeachment hearings, your visit is a big deal to us, your new neighbors in Broward, which is a far cry from Palm Beach.
We know you’re familiar with our county of 2 million people, which skews Democratic blue. Because only 71.5% of us turned out for your election — 3 points below the state average — it’s believed Broward helped you win Florida by 1 percentage point.
We appreciated your last visit after the darkest day in our history, 2 /14 /18, Broward’s equivalent of 9 /11. You and the first lady came to comfort the survivors of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where a former student with a military-style rifle shot 34 people, killing 17.
You later promised us you would do something about gun violence. You even chastised Republicans for being afraid of the NRA. But you never followed through. You said there was no political support for improving background checks and raising the age at which young people can buy certain guns, though polls say otherwise. If you really wanted to do something, we believe the Senate would follow your lead. The House is onboard. Please, reconsider.
You say you’re leaving New York because political leaders have treated you badly, despite your having paid millions of dollars in taxes every year. We don’t know about that, since you refuse to release your tax returns, a first for a president.
But as a man of means, you’re going to love our low- to no-tax climate. Ninety-nine percent of Florida businesses pay no corporate income taxes. After dealing with the Democratic machine in Albany, you’re sure to find the red carpet rolled out for you in Tallahassee, which has long been run by Republicans. We find prolonged one-party rule, whether blue or red, feeds arrogance.
It is remarkable to learn that New York’s state budget is $175.5 billion this year, compared with Florida’s $91 billion budget. It’s even more remarkable when you consider that Florida’s population (20.61 million) surpassed New York’s (19.49 million) five years ago. Broward’s economic development slogan captures the difference: “Life. Less taxing.”
Since the 2017 tax law you championed ended exemptions for state income taxes, New Yorkers have flooded Florida in droves. In a recent 12-month period, the census says 63,000 New Yorkers moved here, more than from any other state.
Florida doesn’t levy a state income tax, as you know, and balances its budget every year. So it’s distressing to hear the federal deficit is expected to balloon to $1 trillion next year. Broward may be socially liberal, but we’re fiscally conservative and enormously concerned that our nation is drowning in barrels of red ink.
Florida is doing well, though. For the last eight years, we have outpaced the U.S. economy in job growth. Broward’s unemployment rate is just 2.8%. A new Bentley-RollsRoyce dealership is about to open in Fort Lauderdale. Port Everglades remains the world’s third-busiest cruise port, though its channel needs to be dredged to remain competitive. And our skyline’s new crop of skyscrapers has given rise to a new county bird: the crane.
But take a closer look at who’s building those buildings, or cleaning our hotel rooms, or waiting on tables and you’ll see the new Broward. More than 40% of us speak a language other than English. And we stand stronger together. Our non-native newcomers are vital to our culture and economy.
A good number of our neighbors include “Dreamers,” who were brought to our country as children and are petrified about being deported. Their parents came in search of a better life, or to escape brutal gangs or governments. Sadly, these immigrants have become easy prey for criminals. They’re afraid a call to the police could land them in jail.
Few, if any, of us support “open borders.” But like America, our economy and “mature” population need the vitality these young families bring. Our nation needs a better immigration system. Please, widen your frame on how to solve that issue.
You’ll also be interested to know that about 10% of Broward households are Jewish. Many Jews embraced your decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem, even without concessions. But we heard a great backlash after you said Jews who support Democrats are disloyal. Our community fears you’re making Israel a wedge issue, when bipartisan support for the Middle East’s only democracy remains critical.
Truth be told, not all of us are doing so well. Forty-four percent of Broward citizens live in poverty, paycheck to paycheck, or one health emergency away from bankruptcy. The last time we saw the lines we’ll see at the BB&T Center tonight was after Hurricane Irma, when thousands showed up to sign up for food stamps.
And it terrifies us to hear that technology and artificial intelligence are projected to automate 40% of all jobs in a decade or two. What are we going to do?
Plus, our infrastructure is in tough shape. South Florida’s flood control system is 70 years old and desperately needs renovation. The same goes for our wastewater and drinking water pipes. Fort Lauderdale’s mayor says the city’s water treatment plant is held together by spit and chewing gum.
What happened to your infrastructure initiative? That issue has bipartisan appeal. Who doesn’t agree that we need to shore up our roads, bridges and seawalls? If you talk more about that tonight, you will speak to people where they live.
So you know, Florida is tired of being a donor state on gas taxes. You see our highway congestion, sure to be worsened by your motorcade. Given our population growth, we should get back at least what we send to Washington.
And one more thing. We’re still rattled about the security of our elections. The FBI says Russian hackers breached the election systems of two Florida counties in 2016, but refuses to say which ones. Given Broward’s influence in this swing state, and our troubling performance in past elections, please insist the counties be named.
All that said, no graver threat faces our low-lying region than the accelerating pace of sea-level rise. We’re seeing things we’ve never seen before: sunny-day flooding, saltwater intrusion in drinking water wells, and people unable to leave their homes during autumn’s king tides. Because the invading sea reverses the flow of drainage pipes, we’ve even seen an octopus bubble up through a stormwater drain.
Next week, South Florida governments plan to release updated sea-level projections for our region, which faces unique threats because of Greenland’s melting ice sheets and how oceans circulate. Three weeks ago, a working group of the region’s scientists and related experts debated, then agreed to include, NOAA’s extreme forecast as one of four possibilities. Absent curbs in carbon emissions, the extreme forecast says the sea could be 8 to 10 feet higher here by 2100.
Strikingly, there was no debate about the most conservative projection, which says the sea will be 21 inches higher here by 2070. Twenty-one inches. Think about that. That’s the best-case scenario, and there’s a sense we’re beyond that curve.
We understand the divide on climate change. We believe global warming is both a natural phenomenon and escalating because of human activity. We get that you want to save jobs for coal miners and despise how China and India are fouling the environment while undercutting American manufacturers.
But we are better than that. Our inventors have changed the world. And the vast majority of American scientists agree with those around the globe who say that unless we stop emitting so many greenhouse gases from cars, cattle and power plants, we’ll soon pass the tipping point. Please, listen to them. There’s economic opportunity in resilience, potential jobs for tomorrow’s workforce, and our children and grandchildren to think about.
We suspect your focus will be elsewhere tonight, given the impeachment hearings. The testimony of our diplomats was persuasive. However, no one thinks the Senate majority has been moved. With the holidays and presidential primaries fast approaching, we, like most Americans, prefer the next election decide the future of your presidency.
It’s unlikely you’ll sway this Democratic county red, Mr. President.
But to reach those in the middle, we encourage you to understand our challenges, dreams and fears — and speak to them tonight.