Miami Mayor Suarez showed strength with heroic veto of pension plan | Opinion

Worthy of praise

As a former mayor of Miami Shores, I congratulate Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on his heroic veto of the city commission vote to give commissioners a lifetime pension. On behalf of all Miami citizens, Suarez should be greatly praised for such a selfless act.

He could have benefited himself, with a more than $4 million pension, but he gave that up to benefit the citizens of the city. His act of veto took a lot of guts because he knew many commissioners wanted that pension. Those funds would have come from all the taxpayers.

A hardy congratulations to the strong, compassionate Mayor Suarez.

Henry T. Courtney,

Coral Gables

Flaws aplenty

Candidates for public office are not perfect; saints do not run for president. As we make our choice in this critical election cycle, we are called upon to vet candidates on policy positions, past record and most importantly, character.

In looking at character, we must be ready to accept some failings on the part of the two leading candidates. In this respect, choosing to vote for Donald Trump would require overlooking a track record of mendacity, cruelty, vulgarity, sexism, selfishness, hypocrisy, racism, authoritarianism, poor judgment, dishonesty, cognitive decay, financial recklessness and disloyalty to our country.

It is one thing to let minor failings pass, but it is quite another to overlook fundamental unfitness for the job.

Pedro Freyre,

Kendall

Gun litigation

Re: the Oct. 23 Miami Herald story, “Families affected by gun violence at a Miami Gardens apartment complex sue the owners.” Some families at Cedar Grove Apartments are suing the operator of the property for not providing adequate security after gun deaths occurred there.

Why don’t they also sue the government for allowing practically everyone in Florida to carry a gun?

Valeria Mastelli,

Key Biscayne

Improve transit

Public transportation is vital for the growth and well-being of our community, yet Miami’s system is far from efficient. As our city expands, traffic congestion worsens, making it clear that better public transportation options are essential.

More frequent bus routes, expanded Metrorail coverage and improved service reliability would encourage more people to leave their cars at home, reducing traffic and pollution. Many residents, especially those without cars, rely on public transport to access jobs and essential services. However, long wait times and overcrowded buses make commuting a daily challenge.

The system needs significant investment to become a real alternative to driving. Investing in public transportation isn’t just about convenience; it’s about creating a more sustainable and equitable Miami. Let’s prioritize improvements to make our city more accessible for all residents.

Jesus Ariza,

Doral

Fighting words

I am a disabled Vietnam War veteran who has carried a bullet in my brain for the past 55 years. I can tell a few things about service and sacrifice for my beloved country.

However, please don’t tell me, “Thank you for your service” and then turn around and support a draft-dodging coward who reportedly refers to me — and others like me — as “a sucker and loser” for serving.

Miles D. Woolley,

Kendall

Cuban love affair

Re: the Oct. 23 Miami Herald story, “FIU poll finds record levels of Cuban-American support for Trump days before election.” Let’s not be surprised by that. Let’s remember that many Miami Cubans labeled former President Barack Obama a communist.

Most Cubans were fine with Fulgencio Batista gaining power in a military coup in Cuba in 1952. He suspended the Cuban Constitution, revoked most political liberties, established tighter censorship of the media, aligned himself with the wealthiest landowners, made deals with the Mafia to run Cuban casinos and used his secret police to carry out wide-scale violence against his detractors and political opponents. As long as the upper middle class and wealthy were not affected, so be it.

Sound familiar?

My thanks to retired U.S. Marine Corps General John F. Kelly for speaking out when he heard Donald Trump say that he would use the military, if necessary, against his political opponents. This is what fascists and dictators have done throughout history. A fascist in a suit is the same as a fascist in military attire. History will not be kind to us if we re-elect Trump.

Raul Montaner,

Miami

Florida’s laws

Yes on Amendment 3? No on 3? Yes on Amendment 4? No on 4?

If you’re confused, simplify it: No on all. If you don’t like the laws on marijuana or abortion, change the laws. The state constitution is the framework. The laws are designed to adjust it. Changing the constitution because you don’t like a law is like knocking down a house wall because you don’t like its color. If you don’t like the color, change it. However, when you change the framework, there may be unintended consequences.

Lawmakers make mistakes all the time. Often, they introduce amendments to laws that have unintended consequences. The legislature makes the laws. It can easily change them when an oversight or mistake has been spotted.

When you change the constitution, laws can suddenly become unconstitutional. If an oversight or mistake was made, it takes another amendment to fix it. This isn’t easy.

If you don’t like the lawmakers, vote them out of office. Just leave the constitution alone.

Tim McCarthy,

Port St. Lucie

Rescue the GOP

My husband, Thom Rumberger, was considered the patriarch of the Florida Republican Party for decades. He was a statesman who worked across the aisle to accomplish the important task of governing. He was a proud Republican, always striving to advance good policy and politics, in the same vein as the late Sen. John McCain and former Florida Republican Chair Al Cardenas.

I know he would be sick to see what his beloved GOP has turned into since his passing. Often, I wonder what he would do to prevent the hijacking of his party. Other days, I am thankful he does not have to be here to see this tragic loss.

Truly, the only way to take the Republican Party from the extremists who rule it now is to follow the example of former Congresswoman Liz Chaney, Cardenas and so many responsible patriots who are putting country over party. The version of the GOP we see today must be crushed so that true Republicans can reclaim their GOP.

Debbie Rumberger,

Orlando

Sign of desperation

Vice President Kamala Harris recently said that former President Donald Trump once said that he admired Adolph Hitler. This is based on a conversation former Gen. John F. Kelly recently had with a New York Times reporter.

Perhaps Harris does not know that Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, her husband and their children are orthodox Jews. Perhaps Harris does not know that the Abraham Accords and moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem occurred under Trump’s term in office. She owes an apology to the entire Trump family.

Robert E. Panoff,

Pinecrest

Believe the magic

Christmas has not been canceled, as was announced in the headlines of the Oct. 23 Miami Herald about the cancellation of Santa’s Enchanted Forest. Christmas is not games, food and shows. Christmas is not maxing out the credit cards on extravagant gifts. Christmas is not even family gatherings around a decorated tree.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus, the savior of the world. It is true the Christmas season has been commercialized, to the point that decorations, gifts and parties have almost become competitions and a source of major stress for many people. As a result, the true meaning of Christmas has been drowned out.

Nothing can cancel Christmas for people of faith around the globe.

Ashby Cathey,

Miami