Sen. Stewart was wrong to include lobbyist
I thought I had seen it all, but I never expected a sitting state senator from Orlando to stab the duly elected Orange County Commissioners in the back as Linda Stewart did by using the County Commission’s own lobbyist to write a bill that aims to take away the commission’s oversight of the local Tourism Development Tax (“Lobbyist wrote bill to protect Visit Orlando but sought to hide his role,” Feb. 11). In this case, thank goodness for term limits.
Tim Hayes Orlando
Economists had unfair solution to debt
Saturday’s Sentinel included an article by two economists with a solution to the nation’s debt, “How Florida can help diffuse the nation’s debt bomb.” The solution proposed by these economists is that the legislatures of Florida and at least two-thirds of all states assert their rights under Section V of the constitution and call a convention which could result in proposing fiscal restraints. In their opinion, they see the debt as irresponsible, inequitable, and immoral.
In my opinion, it is irresponsible, inequitable, and immoral to tax hard-working Americans at a greater percentage than the top 1% of Americans in this country. We need all Americans, rich, poor, and in between. But not all of us are paying our fair share. That should be addressed. That should be the constitutional amendment for which we convene. Then the debt would not be so great.
Kathy Kennedy Orlando
Liberal media deserves conservatives’ ire
In his recent column (“Denigration of the media has become a political mainstay,” Feb. 10), Llewellyn King puts forth the preposterous notion that “no matter that there is no liberal media beyond what has been fabricated from political ectoplasm.” He opines that killing the messenger is the preferred strategy of conservatives and MAGA supporters and the likes of Rep. Elise Stefanik, who just attack the interviewer, the institution and the messenger (media). Perhaps if reporters would just stick to reporting the facts in a truly fair and balanced way, absent the biased nuance which almost always shows up in their musings, the public would have more respect for the fourth estate. By going after conservatives, MAGA and Rep. Stefanik, King displays his credentials as the senior dean of the liberal media which he claims doesn’t exist except in the “political ectoplasm.”
George W. Koehn Winter Park
Opposing DEI means opposing human rights
The Declaration of Independence asserts that all men are created equal with unalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Republicans in 20 states are in the process of making it illegal to shun businesses or individuals who violate those principles in the form of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion bans.
Further, children will be taught that it’s wrong to shun or speak out against individuals and businesses whose practices violate the principles upon which our government is founded.
This injustice of course, shouldn’t be surprising from the party that supports Donald Trump, who is aptly accused of insurrection and tens of other crimes.
The acceptable level of behavior of business and politics is already at an all time low.
The GOP’s ensuring that children are indoctrinated to ignore those principles upon which our nation was founded, will reveal just how low it can get.
James Weatherspoon St. Cloud