DeSantis is using our money to fight abortion and marijuana amendments | Opinion

Hard to take

Gov. Ron DeSantis and his cronies are spending millions of taxpayer money to advocate against Amendments 3 and 4. He has been shameless in promoting unconstitutional laws that are usually overturned by the courts, again at our expense.

These people must know that these unconscionable and unconstitutional actions won’t hold water, but they do it anyway. Meanwhile, essential programs for disabled children and other worthy programs lack funds. The only way to hold these people accountable is to make them repay the public funds they have wasted. Unfortunately, there is no law that will make them do that and none will ever be passed.

We must throw the offenders out of office. Yet, we keep electing them. Elections have consequences. Too bad for the rest of us.

Norman Segall,

Coral Gables

First Americans

On Sunday, Stephen Miller, a former advisor to Donald Trump, proudly shouted, “America is for Americans and Americans only.” Unless he is a Native American Indian, he should begin packing his bags.

The only true Americans now live in horrible conditions on reservations. I’m sure they would be happy to help him pack.

Priscilla Fregger Adler,

Cutler Bay

Cubans and Trump

I’m glad that my father is not alive today. He would be devastated seeing his fellow Cuban Americans in Miami support a man like Donald Trump. My dad risked his life fighting first against far-right dictator Fulgencio Batista and then far-left dictator Fidel Castro, always with the goal of returning democracy to Cuba.

How sad he would be seeing his fellow Cuban Americans support a man who, like Batista and Castro, wants absolute power, undermines all elements of a democracy (elections, freedom of the press, peaceful transfers of power, the rule of law) and spouts retribution and hatred in the crudest of words.

I now live outside of Miami and deal almost exclusively with non-Cubans from various parts of the country. As a result, I have a wider perspective on how the rest of the U.S. sees Miami Cubans.

“Regular” Americans are flabbergasted by Cuban support for Trump, because of our experience with autocrats and because we are no different from fellow Caribbean migrants from Puerto Rico and Haiti, who Trump and his supporters look down on so much.

Like my mom used to always say: Despiertensen! (Wake up!)

Alina Lao’ Keebler,

Pittsburgh, PA

Choose priorities

I served as a New York City police officer for 24 years and witnessed the lawlessness of the 1980s and early 1990s, when violence plagued the city and murders topped 2,000 per year. I also witnessed terrorist events, including Sept. 11. These experiences taught me that safety and security are paramount for society. Without it, not much else really matters.

In determining who I will vote for, I decided to put personality aside and focus on my top five issues. Understandably, they center around safety and security: crime, terrorism, immigration, foreign policy and economy.

While abortion and democracy appear to be priorities for Democrats, those issues fall much lower on my list. Quite frankly, I am happy that my voice is heard on a state ballot because government should stay out of abortion. As to democracy, I am confident the American people will never compromise it.

Once I determined my top choices, I then chose the candidate best aligned to create my desired outcome. That is why I am voting for Donald J. Trump.

Cathleen Perez,

Osprey

Misfired response

Former President Donald Trump’s comment about comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s crude joke describing Puerto Rico and its people misses the mark. He merely distances himself from the comedian and the joke. His silence about the crowd’s approval however, is earth-shattering.

Unlike late Sen. John McCain, Trump declined to demonstrate moral leadership and correct his supporters’ inappropriate response. He must state his unequivocal rejection of the crowd’s approval.

Similarly, other Republicans have failed to denounce the crowd’s endorsement of the “joke.” Their silence speaks louder than their words.

Michael J. Alter,

West Kendall

Ours to lose

The great American experiment that began almost 250 years ago has withstood the test of time. Tumultuous in its nature, it has overcome countless events that have shaped the course of history, yet the United States of America has persevered. In this experiment are enshrined the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.

In the upcoming election, Americans have a clear choice: an imperfect but worthy path toward the promised America our founding fathers dreamed of, or the kind of nation they feared — an America less free, where blockers of democracy subvert the rule of law and stand in opposition to our most basic liberties.

Our nation is a fragile experiment in democracy. To protect it, we all have a shared responsibility to safeguard the pillars of our freedoms and stand against ideas that look to the past for the problems we face today. We must heed the warning that this democracy is ours to lose.

Javier A. Puig,

Sarasota

GOP and healthcare

As a lifelong Republican, I am having second thoughts. For years, I parroted the GOP mantra about Democrats: liberals, soft on crime and border control, tax and spend zealots, etc. However, looking at research conducted by non-partisan, reputable, respected institutions, I have concluded that Democrats may not be who we need to fear.

There was endless talk and promises of the most beautiful healthcare plan ever. Republicans wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and return to the same system by which insurance companies make decisions about our health and wellness, not physicians or the patient.

Remember pre-existing conditions?

The ACA prohibited insurance companies from using preexisting conditions. Every Republican senator and representative voted against adopting the ACA because it was too expensive.

What are we supposed to spend money on, if not something as basic as our health? Who wants crushing medical debt at retirement?

David Chapman,

Gainesville

Parting ways

As a native-born American citizen, I once took pride in representing my country and also respecting the option to vote. My age no longer allows me to represent my country and sadly, I no longer feel the deep sense to vote.

No matter who’s elected, our warring foreign policy never changes and our domestic policy pits one group against the other, shaming the definition of a united nation. Each national election seemingly brings more and more disruption, distrust and exaggeration, which in itself is a form of lying. Political ads are nothing more than superficial propaganda to influence emotion.

I see a land moving farther away from civility and I possess little optimism the future will bring us closer together, no matter who’s elected.

Michael G. Merhige,

Kendall

Clear image

Recently, in response to the hateful rhetoric denigrating certain ethnicities by an invited comedian at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden event, GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar stated on X: “This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values.” Wrong. Of course it does!

Whether it’s referring to certain countries as “s---hole,” accusing Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, of eating pets, or numerous other examples, when the GOP abandoned its traditional values and subjugated itself to the evil racism that is Trump, it lost the moral high ground advanced in Salazar’s post.

Look in a mirror. Trump’s evil is your evil. Own it.

Harry Solomon,

Coral Gables

No Happy Meal

Donald Trump “worked” at McDonald’s and E. coli broke out.

Coincidence? Probably.

Foreshadowing? Definitely.

Eddie Friedman,

Pinecrest