Courts, lawmakers chip away at our right to victim’s compensation

As a trial attorney and adjunct law professor, I could not help but notice the parallels and the contrasts in news coverage about what happened recently in Miami and in Savar, Bangladesh. In Miami, four workers lost their lives, and others were severely injured, when parking garage at Miami Dade College in Doral collapsed in October. The legal claims were settled last week. In Savar, Bangladesh, the death toll in the Rana Plaza disaster reached more than 650, as the rescuers sorted through the rubble looking for bodies. Both disasters were preventable structural collapses.

Federal workers keep the country running

Government employees protect and serve our nation. To honor these workers and their service, May 5-11 has been designated as Public Service Recognition Week.
Learn about the lives they lived

The obituaries are the most interesting part of The Miami Herald. You get to “meet” some wonderful people, folks who were hard-working, dedicated, charitable and caring. You’ll meet Americans, no matter where they were born, who led hard lives with tough jobs, but people who could look back and say, “My son, the doctor” or “My beautiful little girl is now a lawyer.” These are people who lived the American Dream that their kids will have a better life than they did.
Remove Cuba from list of terrorist states

As a Cuban American, I think it’s time to remove Cuba from the terrorist list. Most Americans wouldn’t be able to determine what Cuba, Iran, Syria and Sudan have in common. They are four countries that are on the State Department’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism.” Not only does this designation affect our relationship with our island neighbor, it also affects our relationship with the Western Hemisphere, and the rest of the world, which does not see Cuba as a terrorist threat.
We will run, undaunted

I’ll never forget the first time I drove in the pre-dawn darkness to meet the group of women runners at Kennedy Park in Coconut Grove. I was stunned to learn that a secret society convened every Saturday morning with hundreds of runners meeting to run the route that provided the reward of a spectacular sunrise as we crested the bridge on Key Biscayne.
Push back against toll increases

In his March 26 Other Views article, Why MDX tolls should increase, Maurice Ferre said, “The difference between a tax and a toll is that in the latter you have no choice.” The choice, said Ferre, who is chair of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, is whether millions of residents will continue to use those MDX roads or sit in traffic on such corridors as U.S. 1 and Bird Road. But this is a flawed argument.
Don’t harm elderly now being cared for by family

The Florida House will soon vote on proposed legislation that, if not amended, would severely harm our elderly citizens who are being cared for by a family member. A similar bill is in Senate committees.
Dolphins take their eyes off the ball

I have been a season-ticket holder of the Miami Dolphins for 35 years. But, over the years, it has become more difficult to justify renewing my ticket. Since Stephen Ross bought the team four years ago, we never-say-die fans have seen a devotion to anything but the traditions of this once-proud sports franchise.
Jackie Gleason Theater an irreplaceable jewel

It’s inevitable that things change. Progress is always the name of the game, from technology to medicine to city planning.
Enrique Ros’ words of wisdom: Know your precincts

“Know your precincts.” Those words of wisdom were spoken to each of us at some time by Enrique Ros: loving husband, caring father, doting grandfather and great-grandfather, dedicated historian, active community leader, and, to us, political grandfather.
Depression too often mistreated

Jose Clark’s March 30 Other Views piece, Depression does not discriminate, was masterful. It took unbelievable courage and introspection to share his thoughts with us. The Miami Herald needs to repeat it on Page One, then in Local and Sports. Everyone should understand that this disease needs to be treated medically, but also with love and understanding from friends and family.
Don’t stifle professors’ academic freedom

The “Jesus-stomping incident at Florida Atlantic University has been grossly mischaracterized and poorly explained by the administration.
Florida is still an attraction 500 years later

In a nation whose attention span is limited to 140 characters and a new celebrity is invented on YouTube every second, opportunities to celebrate five centuries of history are rare.
Medicaid-expansion alternative more costly

As state after state has signed on to the Medicaid expansion offered under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), Florida Republican legislators have dug in their heels.
Make Old Cutler Road safe for cyclists

I enjoyed Andres Viglucci’s March 23 Other Views article, Biking to work a bust, Miami-style. I, too, would like to see Miami-Dade County become more of a bicyclist’s haven for commuting and recreation. Years ago, I managed to commute from deep South Dade to Coral Gables on my bike and loved every minute of it.
Florida Surgeon General: Good health starts with good jobs, education

There has been a lot of discussion this week about the health rankings of Florida counties. For the fourth year running, the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, which provide state and local leaders a snapshot of the overall health of people in each county. The rankings make clear that health results from many sources beyond clinical care. Combined economic, social, behavioral, and environmental factors are more significant determinants of health.
Online-only retailers should collect sales tax

Florida’s small businesses have reason to be cautiously optimistic this legislative session. For the first time, the Florida House has passed a bill out of committee that would close the Internet sales-tax loophole.
Make your voice heard on Medicare

During the month of March, the 635,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area should pay attention to their mailboxes for a chance to make their voice heard on a critical topic — their healthcare.
Foreclosure legislation invites bank fraud

New legislation — House Bill 87 and Senate Bill 1666 — which backers say will clear the backlog of foreclosure cases in Florida actually will create more problems by putting speed ahead of justice.
Miami merits a signature bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, and Tower Bridge in London are vital infrastructure links for these international cities. They are also landmarks and sources of pride for those communities. As a global center for business, culture and tourism, downtown Miami deserves an iconic bridge, too.