Florida needs more of Gov. Ron DeSantis, not term limits | Opinion
Best governor
The number one priority for Florida’s 2025 Legislative session should be to abolish term limits for Gov. Ron DeSantis. We cannot lose this man. He is the most effective executive in a generation.
When he is not setting the standard for hurricane prep and post-storm cleanup, he is removing state attorneys who refuse to prosecute criminals. He gives the boot to shady elections officials. He takes bold stands on amendments to the Florida Constitution — and wins. His record on the budget is unmatched; debt is less than when he took office.
Term limits are meant to keep losers from selling out their constituents to maintain their power. Term limits are not meant to keep Floridians from reelecting an exceptional governor. Abolish term limits for DeSantis only. And increase his salary to $10 million per year, which would be the minimum for similar performance in the private sector.
Matthew Nellans,
Ormond Beach
Wildlife officers
Serving in law enforcement was the most rewarding period of my life. However, investigating members of my own department revealed the profound challenges of that role. For this reason, I commend the moral courage and integrity of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers Lt. Joshua Peters and Investigator Glen Way.
The Nov. 24 Miami Herald story, “FWC investigators concluded one of their own killed a Keys snorkeler. Was there a cover up?” captures some of the difficulties they face, but it’s hard for outsiders to grasp the full complexity. In law enforcement and the military, bonds between colleagues are forged in life-or-death situations. This loyalty runs deep, built on the understanding that your partner may one day save your life.
Such camaraderie creates a unique moral dilemma when officers must hold their peers accountable. For Peters and Way, this meant choosing integrity over loyalty — a choice few in any profession would willingly make. To understand their bravery, imagine the vulnerability of facing an unjust encounter with law enforcement. Then consider the courage it took for these officers to hold a colleague accountable, enduring judgment from two agencies in the process.
Their commitment to justice, despite personal and professional costs, is rare and commendable. Officers like Peters and Way exemplify the critical role accountability plays in preserving trust and honor in law enforcement.
Mayree Morin Fernandez,
South Miami
Attentive care
Re: the Nov. 25 story, “Local nonprofits received record amounts during Give Miami Day 2024.” Give Miami Day’s phenomenal success generally — and The Children’s Movement result specifically — shows that the difference an individualized “ask” makes can’t be overestimated.
David Lawrence, Jr., former publisher of the Miami Herald and co-chair of The Children’s Movement so personalized his email to me that he even mentioned my new great-grandchildren.
As a former development director in my second career, I jotted handwritten notes to the bottom of routine fund-raising letters and Thank You notes, as well. You just can’t beat the personal touch.
Norma A. Orovitz,
Bay Harbor Islands
Donor perceptions
Re: the Nov. 20 Miami Herald online story, “‘A lifeline’: Jeff Bezos just donated $5 million to help the homeless in Miami.” How much of his donation will go to the homeless and how much will be used for administrative costs?
Woon Lee,
Miami
Who’s unfit to serve?
I read with interest the Nov. 26 article, “Trump’s team dismisses transgender military ban plan,” in which President-elect Donald Trump had been considering an executive order that would lead to about 15,000 active transgender service members being discharged from the military.
I am a military veteran and nothing is more repugnant than to see our brave men and women in uniform, transgenders included, having to salute a draft dodger who reportedly used fake bone spurs as an excuse to avoid serving in the military during the Vietnam War.
One has to go back more than 150 years before finding a single person in Trump’s family tree who served in the military. Meanwhile, Trump has the audacity to stand in front of crowds and hug the American flag.
Roger Hammer,
Homestead
Alarmist claims
Re: the Nov. 25 Miami Herald story, “Florida’s top health official recommends against putting fluoride in drinking water.” Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo again cherry-picks facts. During the pandemic, he said that vaccines did not prevent COVID-19, therefore do not get vaccinated. He failed to report, however, that vaccinations were proven to often prevent serious illness that required hospitalization and sometimes led to death.
Now, he is again cherry-picking about fluoride in drinking water. Data shows that the small amount of fluoride in water has proven to significantly reduce cavities. He failed to report that complications may occur only if much higher amounts are used.
Ladapo appears to be following the orders of Gov. Ron DeSantis, not the fact-based consensus and advice of the scientific community.
Joan Kasner,
Coral Gables
Tensions will rise
Courts have grappled with many attempts by school boards to change or promote particular religious traditions. Recently, Texas’ state legislature approved the placement of the “Bible” in all classrooms. This will raise disputes again about Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution,” among so many other religious issues. Further, school boards have historically lost almost every fight over curriculum changes designed to challenge evolution.
Then there are sexual identity and free speech issues. Mix those into the religious issue and the pot really begins to boil.
Of course, President-elect Donald Trump wishes to eliminate the Department of Education. If he does, these problems will be all gone.
Clarence Darrow once said, “When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become president. Now, I’m beginning to believe it.”
Bill Silver,
Coral Gables
Deserving respect
Florida U. S. Reps. Lois Frankel, Jared Moskowitz, Darren Soto and Debbie Wasserman Schultz have signed a letter expressing outrage that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In its statement regarding these warrants, the ICC asserts “that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza” of food and medical supplies, including anesthesia.
Furthermore, according to the ICC, this lack of anesthesia has forced doctors to perform amputations on adults and children with no safe ways to sedate them.
Dr. Mike M. Mallah is a trauma surgeon from Charleston, S.C., who volunteered in Gaza. In an interview, he fought back tears as he described “anesthesiologists who don’t have anesthesia who are holding people down and singing to them so that they can comfort them and do their surgery.”
The ICC, which also issued an arrest warrant for one of the few surviving leaders of Hamas, is not equating Israel with this terror group. Rather, the ICC is evaluating Israel’s actions against the standards of International Humanitarian Law.
Terry Hansen,
Milwaukee, WI
Still counting
Re: Bea Hines’ Nov. 24 Herald Neighbors column, “I’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving for 85 years and am still counting my blessings.” Thankfulness abounds “85” times in Hines’s heartfelt Sunday column.
Ruth Kruger,
Bay Harbor Islands
Business sense
Every store, doctor and online site sends out a survey asking for feedback on their competency. No matter how negative your experience may have been, nothing ever changes. Businesses continue to offer fewer services at higher prices, then are amazed they aren’t flourishing.
Stop wasting our time with surveys and provide a better experience for your patrons.
Sol Yanowitz,
Miami