With no extra dollars provided, DeSantis must help cities handle new homelessness law | Opinion

Welcome home?

The Sept. 26 story, “Law affecting homeless people begins on Tuesday. Here’s what will change,” about a law that bans homeless people from camping in public spaces, was a real shocker. The bill, effective Oct. 1, provides no funds for viable housing alternatives. As stated in the article, “The law doesn’t specify what counties and cities should do with their homeless populations,” but if they do not comply, they may be sued.

Reflecting on this conundrum, it occurred to me that Gov. Ron DeSantis has already provided a solution to this problem. All that needs to be done is load the homeless on busses and ship them to Tallahassee.

Alfred Sasiadek,

Lauderhill

Change needed

Our U.S. Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, in their self-serving quest for power, are always at the beck and call of Donald Trump. Both stood in the way of progress for our state and country, at the behest of the former president, when they voted along partisan lines against the Biden/Harris infrastructure bill, the bill to lower drug prices, immigration reform, judicial appointments and more.

Yet, they proudly take credit for Florida’s infrastructure improvements and lower medication prices for seniors.

It’s time for change, Florida. We deserve so much better — genuine public service, truth and integrity.

Bernadette Siy,

Miami

UN’s role

The United Nations’ focus on global challenges like climate change, inequality and AI has overshadowed its core mission: preventing and resolving violent conflicts. This is particularly concerning when we consider the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Nearly 25 million Sudanese need humanitarian aid; more than half are facing severe hunger. Thousands of refugees in neighboring countries also struggle to survive.

Despite this, the UN’s peacekeeping efforts have waned, even as global violence has surged, with a 27% rise in conflict last year alone. Ongoing crises across Africa, including the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, highlight gaps in the UN’s response. No new peacekeeping missions have been established since 2014, and funding has steadily decreased.

Sudan’s plight, with its people suffering from war, displacement and hunger, underscores the urgent need for renewed international cooperation in peacekeeping. Sudan is a stark reminder that without sufficient attention and funding for peacekeeping, Africa’s most vulnerable populations will continue to endure unimaginable hardships. The UN and the global community must prioritize peacekeeping again and provide the necessary foreign aid to address the devastating impacts of conflicts like Sudan’s.

Ellen Haghighi,

South Miami

Foggy project

Re: the Sept. 25 Herald editorial, “Florida’s bracing for a major hurricane. This is why we need NOAA, not Project 2025.” This project will not help those of us who’ve come to depend on timely and advance warnings about our six-month long hurricane season. Our lives literally depend on this.

Evacuating, leaving our homes and often our livestock behind, is traumatic enough. Then there are the services we need and depend on to help us rebuild and recover.

I don’t see Project 2025 being conducive to this.

Linda Clifton,

Old Town

Troubling narrative

The Haitian community remains vulnerable to the damaging effects of persistent and misleading accusations. We must stand firm in our commitment to the truth, even when it’s unpopular or frustrates the agendas of influential figures and groups.

Immigrants, documented and undocumented, have played a vital role in shaping and building the United States throughout its history. They have contributed immensely to the economy, culture and the structure of our society. Yet, all too often, immigrants, particularly those from certain backgrounds, are demonized and their reputations unfairly tarnished by those with political motivations coupled with biased perspectives.

History shows the mistreatment of Haitian immigrants is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental violation of human rights that demands immediate action. Racism and xenophobia against Haitians dates to the Haitian revolution (1791-1804), when Haitians successfully overthrew the system of slavery, which threatened the rules of colonialism and white power domination.

Anti-Haitian rhetoric and disinformation campaigns, if unchecked, will continue to destroy the hard-earned reputation and dignity of Haitians and Haitian immigrants within the U.S. and globally.

James Louis-Jean,

Miami

Abracadabra

The idiom, “money talks,” certainly applies to the Herald’s Sept. 22 story, “’Ghost’ candidate in Artiles’ election trail admits: ‘I’m ashamed. I needed the money.’”

Reading the amount of money paid to “ghost” candidate Alexis Rodriguez to influence a Florida senate election in 2020 boggled my mind.

Where did this money come from? Perhaps it was in Artiles’ safe, but how was the money earned? Who made a deal with the devil?

Merle D. Ulery,

Miami

Our distractions

This election season has not been exempt from lies, racism and xenophobic rhetoric, bringing the shameful history of our country to the present. Those aspiring for elected office should be addressing important issues, such as poverty affecting their constituents, rather than uphold lies that divide us. We are a nation of immigrants and it’s important we come together to combat these false narratives.

The experiences of our neighbors, backed by new Census data, confirm that everyone is affected by the ills of poverty. Congress can do something about it. We need an expanded Child Tax Credit. We need affordable housing; too many of our neighbors live paycheck-to-paycheck and are one emergency away from not making rent. Our unhoused are criminalized, instead of sheltered and placed on a path toward secure housing. Programs like SNAP, a lifeline for people who don’t know where they’ll get their next meal, are facing major cuts when needed the most.

Through unity we remain strong and on a shared pathway to economic security. It’s the “solidarity dividend,” what author Heather McGee calls the benefit that comes from people working together across racial lines to achieve something impossible to accomplish alone.

Let’s engage our candidates to speak truthfully on the issues that matter to us, our family and our community. The only way we can all win is when we fight for one another.

Karyne Bury,

Hollywood

‘Best choice’

What are Vice President Kamala Harris’ specific plans to make the United States better?

She has none or they are unspecific. All we get are word salads (when she’s not hiding from unscripted interviews).

Ex-President Donald Trump is crude, “in your face,” rude and he sometimes exaggerates, but he would protect us against our adversaries and has specific plans and policies to improve the economy, reduce inflation, give tax reductions to seniors and the middle class and control our borders.

Hardly ever do we get the perfect candidate. For this election, Trump is by far the best choice.

Alberto Vega,

Miami

Swing states

In our unending political campaign season, I’ve grown exceedingly weary of the term “battleground states.” Within the realm of the “United” States of America, there should be no such expression in our lexicon. This is, however, the perverse reality created by the Electoral College and why it must be eliminated. The antiquated and anachronistic institution serves only to undermine the will of the majority and creates and exacerbates polarization.

Candidates tend to ignore states and regions except the few considered to be “in play.” Votes across all 50 states and territories should be counted and weighted equally, regardless of where they’re cast.

America is a dramatically different country than we were in 1787; infinitely more mobile, diverse and technologically advanced than our founders could have possibly imagined. To effectively implement the will of the voters, our laws and policies must reflect these changes.

This November, as in presidential elections of the recent past, the outcome will be determined by a tiny number of votes in a handful of key swing states. This is not how our elections should function.

Philip May,

Jacksonville