I think it’s pure insanity to cut property taxes and rely on tourism taxes to fund necessary services.
What about small towns that have no tourists? Once again, only the rich will profit from this tax cut.
I personally would rather pay property taxes, which ensure that the fire department will answer my call, that police will come to my aid, or that roads and stop lights will continue working, garbage will continue to be collected and the countless other services our property taxes fund.
But I am not in favor of my city commissioners voting themselves hefty raises. My taxes should not line their greedy pockets.
In fact, the whole government in America, not just South Florida, has become a greedy, transactional (you-grease-my palm-I’ll-grease-yours) corrupt den of thieves taking their cues from the corrupt Grifter-in-Chief.
I would rather our state legislature curb the runaway costs of home insurance or electricity or medical care or groceries rather than cutting property taxes, which are a bargain compared to my house insurance, which is another example of corporate greed.
And yes, I did write to all my legislators, as the Editorial Board recommended. I heard back from only one.
Barbra Nightingale, Hollywood
She should not resign
Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick should not resign.
Isn’t there such a thing as innocent until proven guilty? It’s pure political shenanigans with the GOP, as usual. Two cases in point: George Santos and Matt Gaetz.
Wanda Francis, Fort Lauderdale
Her forgotten promise
One detail about indicted Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 campaign is overlooked in articles and editorials about her indictment on theft of federal disaster relief funds: Her B.S. promise of $1,000 for everyone, expensively promoted in TV ads and billboards.
Her opponents were forced to compete with her “guaranteed income” promise while she outspent everyone 10 to 1 or 100 to 1, which gave her the appearance of a self-funded successful businesswoman running for Congress. The pie-in-the-sky promise of free money never was seriously debated that fall.
Another point: The 20th District is so gerrymandered that a general election campaign by any Republican is unwinnable.
Gary Stein, Tamarac
The writer was briefly a Republican candidate for the 20th District seat in 2021.
What she wore
I read with interest the article about U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and wondered why it was important to note that she was wearing a black blazer in court. Aside from Gov. DeSantis and his white go-go boots, I don’t recall reporting of what male government officials wear.
Carol White, Delray Beach
(Editor’s Note: It is common to describe what men and women wear in court to give readers a visual sense of what they couldn’t see. Journalists are well aware of the risks in focusing on a woman’s appearance. But no sexism of any kind was intended.)
Spotlight on students
Wow! A “60 Minutes” segment spotlighted high school students actively involved in biological research into Lyme Disease. A team of 13 high-achieving Atlanta students in a specially funded project led to a world-class competition in Paris (“a science Olympics,” CBS called it).
All 13 team members were children of Indian, Hispanic and Asian immigrants. Basically, a brown team went up against and competed with many highly skilled Chinese teams that won most of the medals.
A lowlight was that funding (impacted by DOGE cuts and the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education) was suspended, then luckily reinstated to this program for high-achievers. But expanding this initiative is not on the horizon. So in another highly specialized scientific research and innovation area, our students are falling further behind the Chinese, especially now that doors are closed to potential top foreign contributors.
John Robinson, Delray Beach
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