Letters to the Editor, Letters & Editorials | Miami Herald

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

This is why the Youth Fair still matters

County fairs carry out a prominent role in their communities, and the 2019 Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition is no exception. I am proud to be part of the annual spring event, which was supported by more than 552,000 visitors.

Our heartfelt thanks to all who came to enjoy the rides, food, and entertainment, and to spend a good time with family and friends. It takes everyone to make The Youth Fair a success, which we measure by how much we give back to the children in our community.

We will contribute more than $180,000 in scholarships to support worthy students as they endeavor to achieve their dream of higher education. Winners will be announced in May at our annual Scholarship Program dinner.

We also distributed more than $450,000 in prizes and cashto reward students’ hard work. This year, more than 60,000 projects from dozens of areas of study were on display, including history, literature, the culinary, performing and visual arts, science and technology, agriculture, architecture, business and engineering.

We provide tournaments attended by more than 6,000 public and private school students who compete in swimming, diving, cross country, bowling, golf, tennis, badminton, track and wrestling.

As an urban fair, it is our duty to educate the importance of agriculture, the biggest driver of our county’s economy after tourism. We support the future of agriculture through Our Livestock Funding Program assists public school students with their purchase of costly animals, such as steer, hogs and lambs, to raise for their agribusiness school assignments.

The Youth Fair’s good works enhance the social fabric of our community. I thank all, including our wonderful volunteers, staff and guests, who make it happen.

Eddie Cora,

president, CEO,

Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition

Letters to the Editor

Mueller investigation deepens national divide

It is an eerie feeling to sit in front of my television and watch discussion of the Mueller report.

Letters to the Editor

Florida masons should break ties with Cuba

The history of the Communist Party in Cuba, its infiltration and penetration to demoralize and destroy the integrity of the Cuban diaspora, has always targeted the Masonic fraternity in exile.

Do you know where your toll money goes?

Letters to the Editor

Bovo: Traffic and toll relief for Miami-Dade

The situation residents are facing on Miami-Dade County roads is unacceptable. Faced with constant gridlock and never-ending tolls, they are deservedly upset. It is irrefutable that our quality of life has diminished due to long hours on our expressways. Frustration among residents grows as they are forced to pay more in tolls without seeing the results they were promised.

Ex-felons celebrate Amendment 4, which restores their voting rights

Letters to the Editor

State Sen. Pizzo wants answers

After Amendment 4 passed last November, voter registration for those who had completed their “sentence,” and whose convictions were neither “murder” nor a “sex offense,” was set to open on Jan. 8. Then Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis, who campaigned against the amendment, called for the Legislature to pass an implementing bill. I joined in the dismay, believing the amendment to be self-executing, and knowing our Legislative session wouldn’t begin until March, and bills wouldn’t pass until April.

New housing complex brings the beginning of transformation to Liberty City

Letters to the Editor

Protect affordable housing funds to boost our economy

In the final three weeks of their session, legislators have an opportunity to boost the economy by ensuring that affordable housing trust funds are used for their intended purpose. With the passage of the William E. Sadowski Act in 1992, legislators created a dedicated funding source for the development of affordable housing. Each year, the Act generates hundreds of millions of dollars through the collection of a documentary stamp tax on the sale of real estate. Unfortunately, over the past 10 years, the Legislature has diverted nearly $1.4 billion to balance the state budget. The continued raiding drastically reduces resources needed by local governments and developers to build quality housing for our teachers, police officers and health professionals. Gov. DeSantis and the state Senate are recommending full funding of affordable housing programs in their respective budgets at $331.9 million. However, the state House proposes to again divert $200 million into general revenue, with only $123.6 million going to housing projects. Creating affordable housing not only improves the lives of families, but improves the overall economy. In 2018, the state Legislature siphoned $182 million and allocated only $123 million to affordable housing. According to the Sadowski Housing Coalition, if the full $305 million had been used for affordable housing, the state would have realized $4 billion in total economic impact through the creation of 28,000 construction jobs and $1.4 billion in labor income. To truly address the affordable housing crisis gripping the state, our legislators should work together and refrain from sweeping crucial housing dollars to the state’s general fund. We must act now to address this crisis.

Tens of thousands leave Ultra and walk miles across Rickenbacker in Miami

Letters to the Editor

Why Key Biscayne did not stop Ultra in 2015

Former Miami commissioner Marc Sarnoff posited in his April 12 letter, “Yes, Key Biscayne could have stopped Ultra, but failed to do so,” because the Key did not consummate a settlement agreement with Miami in 2015.

Letters to the Editor

This is what Dwyane Wade means for all of us

In response to the April 14 letter “Wade’s just human,” about former Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade that asked, “How is mankind better off today because of Dwyane Wade’s accomplishments on the hardwood floor?”

Ultra lessons learned at music fest

Letters to the Editor

Yes, Key Biscayne could have stopped Ultra, but failed to do so

The village of Key Biscayne sued the city of Miami in early 2015 to prevent the boat show from coming to the city of Miami and Virginia Key, by the Marine Stadium.

Letters to the Editor

In April and year-round, Children’s Home Society is here to help

In the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual KidsCount Report, the numbers representing Florida tell a tale of struggle:

Letters to the Editor

Yes, Mexico’s drug cartels are terrorist groups

In his March 15 opinion, “Trump wants to label Mexican cartels as ‘terrorist’ groups. That’s a bad idea,” Miami Herald writer Andres Oppenheimer suggested that we are asking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to label specific cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations to “please Trump’s anti-immigration base,” “demonize Mexicans,” and undermine national security.

Letters to the Editor

Know the signs of endometriosis

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. Endometriosis is a condition too often overlooked given the serious damage it can cause women. Blood is trapped inside the woman’s pelvis during her monthly cycle. It starts accumulating inside the belly, the ovaries, on top of her womb, the surface of the bladder, intestines or tubes, or along the pelvic sidewalls.

Letters to the Editor

Democrats must try to curtail hurtful remarks

It has been an interesting month for freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. In a horrific incident, she has been a victim of Islamophobia, most recently in West Virginia, linking her with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That kind of discrimination is abhorrent, so you would think that would make her more sensitive to the Jewish plight. Yet, it hasn’t.

Letters to the Editor

Miami-Dade Corrections must protect those with mental illness

Is jail anyplace for mentally ill people? We are better than this.

Letters to the Editor

Clogged streets, over-development harming Coral Gables

My wife and I have loved living in Coral Gables for more than 30 years.

Letters to the Editor

Little Haiti residents feel bullied in Magic City deal commission set to vote on

[Editor’s Note: As of press time Thursday night, the city of Miami Commission had not yet taken up the Magic City project question.]

Letters to the Editor

Thank you, Mayor Ferré for fighting for green spaces

Thank you to former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferré for acknowledging in his Opinion piece in the Miami Herald on Wednesday — and in his letter to the current Miami commission — both the wrong and non-green path he took as mayor. And also for speaking up for Miami’s continuing need for more parks.

Letters to the Editor

Why Visit Florida should continue promoting the state

Tourism is a competitive industry and consumers have many choices. This is why it’s so critical that we promote our state. Recently, the Florida House of Representatives indicated it is not interested in reauthorizing and funding Visit Florida. This would be a huge loss to our state and local economies, as cutting tourism marketing will reduce visitors, along with the tax revenue and jobs they support.

Letters to the Editor

First step on Ludlam Trail? Show us the plans

Re the March 22 story, “The Ludlam Trail is finally ready to go; work on the first segment will start this year.”

Letters to the Editor

Jorge Mas: Our efforts to bring an MLS soccer team and build a stadium in Miami continue

Inter Miami CF has had a great week of achievements. We advanced our plan for a training facility in Fort Lauderdale, a key milestone for bringing a Major League Soccer (MLS) team to Miami.

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