By Sylvia Gurinsky
Sunshine Statements blog posts will be off until after Labor Day. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
August 2, 2011: Symbolism and Perspective on the House Floor
By Sylvia Gurinsky
A little after 7 p.m. last night, some perspective showed up in the United States House of Representatives - in the person of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.
Giffords did much more than cast a vote to prevent this country from going into financial default.
During the debate over whether to raise the debt ceiling, Congress - the House in particular - has turned itself into something far below algae on the food chain and somewhere beneath Charlie Sheen and Wall Street bankers on the popularity level. The behavior of a number of members of Congress during the debate - including South Florida's own Allen West - was abominable.
By flying to Washington to cast her vote, Giffords, who is still recovering from a horrific January shooting in her Tuscon district, provided a quiet reminder of the cost of hatred and the dignity shown by those who overcome it.
The House managed to forget its differences for those few moments as its members cheered her.
Is it possible that such agreement can happen again in the next few years without such a powerful reason for it? Getting this country back to business requires its elected officials to work together.
A little after 7 p.m. last night, some perspective showed up in the United States House of Representatives - in the person of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.
Giffords did much more than cast a vote to prevent this country from going into financial default.
During the debate over whether to raise the debt ceiling, Congress - the House in particular - has turned itself into something far below algae on the food chain and somewhere beneath Charlie Sheen and Wall Street bankers on the popularity level. The behavior of a number of members of Congress during the debate - including South Florida's own Allen West - was abominable.
By flying to Washington to cast her vote, Giffords, who is still recovering from a horrific January shooting in her Tuscon district, provided a quiet reminder of the cost of hatred and the dignity shown by those who overcome it.
The House managed to forget its differences for those few moments as its members cheered her.
Is it possible that such agreement can happen again in the next few years without such a powerful reason for it? Getting this country back to business requires its elected officials to work together.
Monday, August 1, 2011
August 1: Stop Foot-Dragging On Historic Preservation
By Sylvia Gurinsky
The economic, social and cultural benefits of historic preservation have been proven over and over. But in the City of Miami, some have yet to learn the lessons.
The city is haggling over naming rights money for what is already officially (and appropriately) named the Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe Miami Marine Stadium. Of course, it's an unwritten law that everything has to have a corporate name today, because that's part of how things are paid for. The city wants most of the money from the corporate naming rights - after it and Miami-Dade County let the Florida/Miami Marlins get away with the money for the right to name its new version of Tatum Field/Roddey Burdine Stadium/The Orange Bowl.
Meanwhile, renovation of Marine Stadium is being delayed. With that delay comes fears that the city will let it go to neglect - and suspicions that Miami's political leaders still don't want to restore the stadium, but would rather have something glitzier on the Virginia Key site.
There is also mistrust on the matter of the Coconut Grove Playhouse, as this Miami Herald article indicates:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/29/2339491/coconut-grove-playhouses-fate.html
The economic, social and cultural benefits of historic preservation have been proven over and over. But in the City of Miami, some have yet to learn the lessons.
The city is haggling over naming rights money for what is already officially (and appropriately) named the Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe Miami Marine Stadium. Of course, it's an unwritten law that everything has to have a corporate name today, because that's part of how things are paid for. The city wants most of the money from the corporate naming rights - after it and Miami-Dade County let the Florida/Miami Marlins get away with the money for the right to name its new version of Tatum Field/Roddey Burdine Stadium/The Orange Bowl.
Meanwhile, renovation of Marine Stadium is being delayed. With that delay comes fears that the city will let it go to neglect - and suspicions that Miami's political leaders still don't want to restore the stadium, but would rather have something glitzier on the Virginia Key site.
There is also mistrust on the matter of the Coconut Grove Playhouse, as this Miami Herald article indicates:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/29/2339491/coconut-grove-playhouses-fate.html
Despite progress in the historic preservation movement since the days when the battle for Miami Beach's Art Deco District seemed to be literally on a block-by-block basis, there is still not enough protection for significant structures. When the economy is tottering, as it is now, it seems difficult to remember that restored historic structures are usually profitable ones.
For the sake of the local economy and community, everyone - government and private - who has a stake in both of these structures should stop the foot-dragging and haggling. Get the fine print ironed out and get Miami Marine Stadium and the Coconut Grove Playhouse restored - soon.
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