• CAMPUS SHOOTING
It is a sign of our violent times in a linked-up world. A man with a gun fires off two shots at an early-morning party in Boca Raton and sets in motion a series of events that result in a 12-hour shutdown of Florida Atlantic University. In the end, no one was seriously injured, police took a suspect into custody, and FAU learned valuable lessons about its ability to handle a life-threatening emergency. It gets passing grades -- May 2.
• GAS-TAX HOLIDAY
As bad ideas go, it is hard to top the proposal to reduce federal gasoline taxes as a way to help drivers cope with soaring fuel costs. There is no doubt that the pain at the gas pump is real. Except for the few who drive big rigs or are engaged in commercial transportation, however, the savings from a tax suspension would be minimal. Meanwhile, an artificial cut in prices pumps up demand, which is the real source of the crisis -- May 1.
• ELECTORAL TROUBLE
Florida is courting electoral trouble. Heading to another presidential election, state officials are making it increasingly difficult for citizens to vote. Thanks to state laws, national election experts are warning that Florida is one of the hardest places to vote. Recent court decisions and a lamentable move by Secretary of State Kurt Browning could make matters worse -- April 30.
• SAVING JESCA
The financially struggling James E. Scott Community Association -- JESCA -- needs an overhaul, a cash infusion and new management with solid business expertise. . . . This isn't JESCA's first fiscal crisis, but if the agency's board of directors acts wisely, it could be its last. That's important. The social net that JESCA provides for infants, teens, seniors and others must be mended, particularly since the Legislature is cutting state funding for services -- April 29.
• HURTING WORKERS
At first glance, the idea seems appealing: Require businesses to use E-Verify, a federal system that checks whether an employee may legally work in this country. Several bills in Congress propose just that. . . . In reality, this cure would be worse than the disease. Expanding E-Verify would do more to punish lawful U.S. workers than to push undocumented immigrants out of the country, the bills' goal -- April 28.
