September 15, 2016: Vote for Hillary Clinton for President

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Forget about the current campaign headlines in what President Barack Obama likes to call “the silly season.” 

Instead, picture the candidates in the historic moments that have made presidents.

First, try picturing Donald Trump – a man who has insulted everyone who isn’t a white male like him – comforting the families of the bereaved as Ronald Reagan or Obama have. Try picturing Trump soberly addressing Congress about a declaration of war as Franklin Roosevelt did, or speaking to the nation about a military action such as the blockade of Cuba announced by John F. Kennedy.

Mr. “Art of the Deal” can’t seal that deal.

Now, picture Hillary Clinton doing those things.

It’s not a stretch. She’s been doing them for more than four decades – as a children’s advocate, First Lady of Arkansas and the U.S., senator and Secretary of State.

She should do them as the next President of the United States.

It’s no secret that she wears numerous battle scars from those four decades in public life – sometimes to her detriment. But given Trump’s detestable actions and words, this race shouldn’t even be a contest.

The real comparison should come between Clinton and Obama. She will continue many of his progressive actions on the environment and other domestic policies. She will, hopefully, improve what has been heavy handedness on education. And she plans to fix problems with the Affordable Care Act – having learned from some of those battle scars she suffered in 1993-94.

On foreign policy, she’s more hawkish than Obama – and perhaps that’s necessary. Many criticize Obama for not living up to his Nobel Peace Prize, but he’s actually shown himself to be a pacifist – too much of one at times.

A tougher hand is necessary with ISIS and North Korea. Hillary Clinton can provide it. Perhaps she can also give a needed kick in the figurative rear to those who would participate in the Middle East peace process.

She does not have Bill Clinton’s magnetism or Barack Obama’s gift with words. But a good president needs to be a hard worker. She certainly does that in spades.

And she lives up to the moments when presidents have to prove themselves to the public.

A number of times on the campaign trail, the media – which hasn’t exactly been her best friend in this election – has referred to her as “presidential.”

Indeed, she is. Make it official. Vote for Hillary Clinton for President.

September 14, 2016: NO Trump for President (with help from the Founding Fathers)

By Sylvia Gurinsky



I take inspiration and some language from the Founding Fathers in this “No” for Donald Trump to be President of the United States.

We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women in the United States are created equal. That they are endowed with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Donald Trump, who fancies himself a king, threatens those truths.
The history of this man who fancies himself a king is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, from housing discrimination as a young man to joining with the anti-Obama birthers to the disgrace of his current campaign -  all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good – especially the Constitution of the United States.
He has apparently broken laws with his businesses to cause governors - and currently at least a dozen state attorneys general – to investigate him.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of immigrants or descendants of immigrants, or those of different religions, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws – period.
He has affected to demean the Military and its heroes – starting with his aversion to serving in Vietnam and continuing with reckless foreign policy proposals that scare the daylights out of intelligent military leaders, not to mention U.S. allies.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws: Vladimir Putin.
For demeaning most Americans who don’t look like him, think like him or have money like him:
For threatening a hopeful American future:
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries – mostly Russian - to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.


In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.
A Prince-in-self-regard only whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. That describes Donald Trump.

July 16, 2013: What Must Happen Now in Florida

"In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed."

-Barack Obama, March 18, 2008

 

 

By Sylvia Gurinsky

 

There was no question that the acquittal of George Zimmerman was going to open a can of worms on race. It was a can that needed to be opened.

 

The issue that didn't get addressed within the legal confines of the trial and needs to be dealt with is the "less overt" discrimination that Obama referred to five years ago.

 

It's that "less overt," coded discrimination resulting in the Stand Your Ground Law that compelled Zimmerman to believe he could shoot an unarmed, 17-year-old, African-American male, Trayvon Martin.

 

It's that "less overt" discrimination that resulted in other laws made by Governors Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist and Rick Scott, in full harmony with a GOP-controlled Florida Legislature, which have restricted everything from voter rights to the ability of minority students to go to a Florida university.

  

Singer Stevie Wonder has already announced he will not perform in Florida unless and until Stand Your Ground is repealed. Others are considering boycotts.

 

The targeted - and successful - boycott that followed Miami and Dade County's refusal to welcome Nelson Mandela in 1990 should be the model for any such protest. That boycott included specific lists of demands for the tourism and hospitality industries.

  

The repeal of Stand Your Ground would be on the list of demands. Given that the current Florida Legislature and Scott likely won't do it, a petition drive to put the repeal question on the 2014 or 2016 Florida ballot should begin immediately.

 

There are two other areas in which potential boycotters can make demands from Florida government - voter rights and college access for African-Americans. Both have been seriously affected during the last 15 years of GOP government in the state.

 

Then there's the 2014 election. Scott and plenty of lawmakers who support Stand Your Ground are up for re-election. That should be an incentive for anyone who disagrees with them to vote, and to register if they haven't already done so.

Most Floridians are fair-minded; they showed it at the polls last year by rejecting ideology-based candidates and amendments. The ballot box is this state's chance to strive toward that "more perfect union."

  

 

November 12, 2012: TTFN

By Sylvia Gurinsky

To quote the great Andy Rooney, "I'm a writer, and writers never retire." But I am going to take an indefinite break on the Sunshine Statements blog.

I started this blog in 2007 to continue writing full-length commentaries about important issues.

Well, life has taken a different turn. In 2008, I left full-time journalism and took a job at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida (now HistoryMiami). I was at a career crossroad.

I decided to take the road historians travel by. My work as an educator and CityTours guide at HistoryMiami is evolving into a new, enjoyable career. I am examining where that will take me, and I anticipate that writing will be a part of that. For instance, I'm considering a new blog about South Florida's historical sites.

As for journalism, I will continue to write the occasional column about issues of the day for the Jewish Journal and other papers. From time to time, I will continue with #SunStatement Twitter posts (There's too much going on for me to stay silent.).

If matters get dicey enough, I will post here (Heck, Bill Moyers keeps coming back; why can't I?).

I am continuing the YesterTube classic television blog and #YesterTube tweets, and hope to turn that into a successful (read: money-making) venture at some point.

I have enjoyed writing here for six years, and I thank you for your interest and feedback.

So, as the kids say: TTFN (Ta Ta For Now.). And thank you.

Monday November 5, 2012: I Want My V-O-T-E!!!!

By Sylvia Gurinsky

The anger felt at the stymieing of early voting by Florida's undemocratic brick wall named Rick Scott illustrates that a lot of people are finding their constitutional right very important this year. (Let's hope they find it just as important in 2014, when they have a chance to throw Generalissimo Scott out of the governor's mansion.)

It's also illustrated in the efforts in New York and New Jersey to make sure that those affected by Hurricane Sandy have the ability to cast votes, even if their polling places were damaged or destroyed.

There's no question about what's at stake, on all levels, in every part of the ballot. A presidential election whose candidates present two very different paths. The same with a congressional election. A legislative election that presents an opportunity to make a dent in Florida's one-party rule. A list of amendments that threaten to strip Floridians of basic freedoms.

And local races, resulting in the first line of defense - or despair - for voters.

Yes, it's a long ballot, no matter where you live. Yes, it takes a long time to get through. And yes, lines to vote will still be long tomorrow.

But it is an important constitutional right. Think about people all over the world who have stood for hours in line to get the chance to use that right for the first time.

And use it tomorrow.

Wednesday October 31, 2012: Remembering What We Do

By Sylvia Gurinsky

It took a hurricane.

Late last week, as Hurricane Sandy was headed toward the northeastern United States, the country looked as if it was headed toward a repeat of the contentious 2000 presidential election.

That still might be the case. But because of Sandy's damage in the eastern U.S., passions have been tempered a bit, for now.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been a loyal campaigner for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee. But Christie's main priority now is getting his state rebuilt and New Jersey's citizens into safe situations - regardless of the source. That source is currently President Barack Obama and the federal government.

They are working together toward that goal, as will representatives of New York, Connecticut, West Virginia and other states affected by Sandy.

It is what Americans of all stripes will do as they donate money and resources to help those affected by the storm.

In remarks delivered just a few minutes ago, Obama mentioned Americans pulling together to help others. "It's what we do," he said.

Indeed. And while it's a tragedy that it took a hurricane to do it, Americans remembered that we are one nation.

Wednesday October 24, 2012: Letter - And Request - From A Marlins Fan

Dear South Florida,

I've been a Marlins fan since July 5, 1991 - the day Major League Baseball officially awarded a franchise to South Florida. I'm part of a family with four generations of Marlins fans, with enough invested energy to have the right to speak out.

I've watched the star-crossed history of this team - the tragedy of its first president, Carl Barger, dying at the 1992 baseball winter meetings, the tragi-comedy of Wayne Huizenga's sell-off of the 1997 world champions, Jeb Bush's "no" to John Henry's efforts to secure financing for a stadium site, Bud Selig's complicity in the mess (including the yanking of the 2000 All Star Game)  and the machinations that resulted in the current Laurel-and-Hardy administration of the Marlins by Jeffrey Loria and David Samson - culminating in this year's disaster.

While Larry Beinfest did engineer trades for Dontrelle Willis and Juan Pierre, Dave Dombrowski - whose Tigers (including former Marlins Miguel Cabrera and Anibal Sanchez) are headed to another World Series - gets a lion's share of the credit for building the Marlins team that won the Series in 2003.

Any hopes for Marlins fans since then have been inevitably crushed. Joe Girardi led a young team to an overachieving 2006 season and won the National League Manager of the Year Award. But he insulted King Jeffrey the First by disagreeing with him, and all Girardi has done is take the New York Yankees to the postseason most years since.

I didn't think much of Fredi Gonzalez as a manager here, but he's done decently with the Atlanta Braves during his first two years there. Maybe it's what he's given to work with.

Beinfest and Mike Hill have gone from decent decisions a few years ago to mediocre/bad ones with most young players recently.

Manager Ozzie Guillen was fired, but Beinfest and Hill should go, too.

So should Loria and Samson, kings of self-denial.

So the request goes to my fellow South Floridians - or at least the few of you who fall into the category of very rich baseball fans.

There must be at least one among you who knows how to run a baseball team properly, to hire the right people and let them do their jobs, and bring a quality team to a quality ballpark (Loria got the "quality ballpark" part right, at least.).

For this fan, for others who are loyal fans despite the circus of the last two decades, please step forward and buy this team.

Always with hope (I'm a baseball fan, after all),

Sylvia Gurinsky

October 11: Vote Yes on Florida Amendments 2, 9 & 11. Vote No on All Others

By Sylvia Gurinsky

The Florida Legislature is up to major mischief with the majority of amendments on the November 6 ballot.

So to keep it simple: Vote Yes only to Amendments 2, 9 & 11 - the amendments that would extend homestead exemptions to military veterans who didn't live in Florida at the time of their deployment (Amendment 2), to surviving spouses of veterans and first responders who die on duty (Amendment 9) and to low-income seniors (Amendment 11).

The rest - Amendment 1, which trashes the Affordable Health Care Act; Amendments 3, 4 & 10, which will further limit the state's ability to raise revenues in tough times; Amendment 5, which encroaches on the powers of the state court system; Amendment 6, which steps on health privacy rights; Amendment 8, which further muddies church-state separation and Amendment 12, which needlessly adds a layer of bureaucracy to the state university system's Board of Governors - should all get a No vote and a trip to the scrap heap.

Thursday September 13, 2012: Let Example of Stevens' Mourners Outshine Haters

By Sylvia Gurinsky

It increasingly looks as if terrorists pre-planned the attacks in Libya and Egypt for the week of September 11 and are using a film made here as an excuse.

But that's not the only pre-planning going on. It's easy to wonder whether Nakoula Basseley Nakoula had a strategy of his own - not only against Muslims, but also against Jews.

The Justice Department identified Nakoula as the filmmaker of an online, anti-Muslim film that's been seen as a trigger for the violence. Nakoula, who is on federal probation for bank fraud charges, has apparently been playing dodgeball over the making of the film.

Initial interviews identified the film director as a "Sam Bacile," supposedly an Israeli-American who got $5 million in financing from other Jews. That identity and money trail has been disproven, but there's no question that the millions of Jews both here and worldwide who will be attending High Holy Days services during the next two weeks have been put at risk by those early reports. That makes this an act of anti-Semitism as well as anti-Islam - and possibly makes the release of the film a hate crime that crosses the limits of free speech.

At the very least, actors who worked on the film have come forward to say they were misled about its intent, so fraud charges might be involved as well.

The fact that the film apparently has an ally in Terry Jones, the anti-Muslim nutcase from Gainesville, makes this plot even thicker.

Such hatred needs an antidote. One can be found in the Libyan people who came out and expressed grief and remorse at the death of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, who did so much to support that country. Their mourning for a man who exemplified the term "public servant" is cause for hope.

August 21, 2012: Still Learning Lessons From Andrew

By Sylvia Gurinsky

We hope we won't be spending this Friday's 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew biting our nails over Isaac, which is now in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

But the fact that we're looking eastward symbolizes the closer attention we pay to hurricanes now.

When Andrew hit Aug. 24, 1992, South Florida had avoided a direct strike from a hurricane since Betsy in 1965. That meant that two generations had moved to the region not knowing what such storms could do.

They learned the sad lessons of poor building codes, a lousy insurance system and the lack of basic supplies to get by.

Some of those lessons - aided by the eight hurricanes that crisscrossed Florida in 2004 and 2005 - have taken root, particularly with a toughened building code and improved supply and emergency systems. Other lessons are slower: Floridians are still fighting over their insurance, and elected officials who should know better still aren't letting homeowners get the best possible coverage at the best possible price.

The best lessons that this community took from Andrew were in the support systems that sprung up after the storm. South Florida is very quick to help others affected by weather events, both in the United States and around the world.

Here's to the lessons staying put for future tropical visitors. While we hope Isaac avoids us, it's good to know we haven't forgotten Andrew.

August 13, 2012: How Much Does Honest and Fair Voting Matter To Voters?

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Florida's primary election is tomorrow, following days of early voting and absentee ballot mailings.

Again, there have been issues with voter fraud in Miami-Dade County - where arrests relating to absentee ballot fraud have been made.

There has also been angst across the state over the purge of voters who are not supposed to be on the rolls - a purge that's included voters who are supposed to be able to vote.

Look for more anxiety and shenanigans - sometimes together - as the general election draws near. And look out for them, too.

There are those who sometimes wonder whether Floridians care enough about cleaning up voter fraud, or reforming the system fairly.

If they don't, they should be asked this question: Do you really want another 2000 election?

If not, they should have their say - and make sure all Florida voters who are legally registered can do the same, honestly and fairly.

July 31: South Florida Should Start Olympic Dream With Pan Am Games

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Aside from rooting on local athletes every four years for the Summer Olympics, South Florida gets the opportunity to evaluate its own chances of hosting the world some day.

They've gotten a bit better during the past four years.

Actually, they've gotten a bit better during the past four months, with the Miami Marlins' new stadium and now the opening of the Metrorail extension to Miami International Airport.

A first logical step to South Florida's Olympic dream would be the Pan American Games and the Parapan Am Games, which Miami has already bid on a few times and will likely do so again for 2019 or 2023.

Some factors would have to change, though.

Factor 1, of course, is the situation in Cuba, which probably won't let an entire Pan Am or Olympic team come to the Miami area anytime soon. Compound that with some Florida and Miami-Dade County politicians who won't put out the welcome mat. One can only hope this issue is resolved favorably by the next decade.

Factor 2: The economy would have to improve locally, statewide and nationally.

Factor 3 is probably the most important for a successful bid at any time: Regional cooperation. In this case, a Miami bid cannot just mean the city of Miami or Miami-Dade County.

Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties don't even have consistent weather at times, much less consistent agreements over how to address logistical issues.

Among the four counties, there should be plenty of facilities appropriate for such a competition. There must be cooperation to match.

South Floridians already know this community can throw a party. Now's the time for elected and civic leaders to join forces to convince others that a three-week welcome to the athletes and fans across the Americas will be a successful one.

July 24: Time For U.S. Gun-Obsessed Culture To Change

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Perhaps President Barack Obama doesn't want to be reminded of his 2008 statement about certain voters clinging to guns. But he was right.

At some point, it's become more important to so-called gun-rights advocates to have their guns, period, than to have them for the priorities of safety and hunting. That has been exploited by the National Rifle Association, which has gotten politicians from both parties to bow for their money and cower to their will. All of the above has translated into legislation or loosening of legislation that helped lead to last week's mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

The entertainment industry people mistake for liberal is actually the NRA's best friend, having spent decades glorifying movie, television and video game violence and shootings. They've slacked off at times after violent attacks, but then picked right up again.

Only a traffic citation was on James Holmes' record before he was arrested for murdering 12 people and injuring 59 others at a movie theater early last Friday. That was why he was able to purchase guns and ammunition through the mail so easily.

Holmes may have been re-creating a scene from the newest Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," in the massacre. Despite plenty of warnings and discussions, directors still film such scenes in glorious Technicolor, with glittering makeup given to the baddies - without any thought of possible consequences. And while it's true that most people who watch films, shows or video games won't go out and commit such violence, many still become desensitized to it.

But the biggest problem is still the nature of guns in this country as more security-blanket than genuine security - a nature of obsession. An atmosphere that has made it more important for Person A to have any kind of weapon than for Person B to be able to go into any public space and be sure no one will fire that weapon at them. An atmosphere that caused Florida lawmakers to try to put a gag on doctors asking about guns in a home until a federal judge put a halt to that law. An atmosphere that has cost many good men and women votes at the ballot box because a lesser opponent will supposedly protect the Second Amendment.

That attitude doesn't protect anyone. It sure didn't in Colorado last Friday.

We are horrified at the occasional news of a similar massacre overseas - such as what happened in Norway a year ago. But such events are a rare occurence in other countries.

Here, they are much too common - not just mass shootings such as last week's, but the shootings that are a nightly occurence in many inner cities - inner cities being restricted from enacting laws that would take guns off those streets.

How many more shooting deaths and injuries do we have to take in the United States because of this obsession? How many more families have to mourn?

Would an NRA representative, an elected official who accepts gun lobby dollars or a producer of a bloody film look members of the families affected by last week's tragedy in the eye and continue their shpiel?

Or would they be willing to listen to those families, for once?

July 19: Is Iran Giving Israel an Excuse To Attack?

By Sylvia Gurinsky
Israel's great statesman Abba Eban was alternately quoted as saying that the Palestinians, or the Arabs, "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." It appears Iran can be added to that list.

Hezbollah, one of Iran's terrorist surrogates, may be behind yesterday's bus bomb in Bulgaria that killed five Israeli tourists, the bus driver and the bomber, and injured 33. It's one of a series of attacks or attempted attacks by Iran and company targeting Israel or Israelis worldwide.

For months, there has been talk that Israel would try to bomb Iran's suspected nuclear installations to prevent the creation of a nuclear weapon. For the most part, the world community has tried to stop such an attack, with the idea that a pre-emptive strike by Israel would lead to no good in the long run.

A pre-emptive strike would not. A retaliation is another story. When Israel loses its own, it retaliates.

The terrorist attacks are giving Israel what it didn't have: A concrete excuse to attack Iran.

July 17: Sniglets on 595, Coconut Grove Playhouse and a Personal Note

By Sylvia Gurinsky

There wasn't enough notable warning for the people who got stuck around Interstate 595 in Broward this weekend.

News stations went on and on about the I-595 construction and some closings, but weren't specific enough. Neither were Detour signs on site, leaving many motorists frustrated.

North Broward and South Broward basically got cut off from each other in a central meeting point, since University Drive and Pine Island Road were closed at I-595.

Do better, Florida D.O.T.

*********************************************************************

The saga of the Coconut Grove Playhouse is as dramatic as some of the plays the structure has presented - and apparently not close to being solved in a satisfactory way yet.

The latest twist comes from a creditor, Aries Development (with an appropriately named executive, Gino Falsetto), which says it wants to build a new theater behind the historic front of the 1926 building and add retail, residential buildings and an underground parking garage, according to The Miami Herald. Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff is once again making his constituents wonder just whose side he's on by supporting the proposal.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who has been trying to settle a county takeover of the historic theater, has reached a bump with this move.

Now, Florida House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez Cantera of Miami is trying to persuade Attorney General Pam Bondi to exercise a clause so that the state can take over the theater.

Let's try this, everyone: Sit down at one table - maybe over a nice lunch - and resolve this in a way that will fully preserve, restore and reopen the building to the public. Sometime in our lifetimes would be nice.

**********************************************************************

Finally, a personal note: Sunshine Statements and the Twitter #SunStatements will  end after the November election.

I've been in a career evolution that's been taking me away from journalism. It is in the best interests of that evolution that I will end the continued blog and tweets, though I will likely pop in now and again to comment on something of extraordinary community interest.

More to come.

Tuesday July 10: We Want Our Health Coverage, Governor Scott

By Sylvia Gurinsky

As Florida Gov. Rick Scott and others (Texas Gov. Rick Perry among them) do their best George Wallace-at-the-schoolhouse-door imitations on not enforcing the health care law, perhaps a lesson from the classic television show "The West Wing" would be persuasive to Floridians, if not the man who is supposed to lead them.

It comes from a first-season episode, "Mr. Willis of Ohio." One of the subplots features Donna Moss (Janel Moloney), faithful assistant to Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), pressing her boss on the budget surplus (Remember when there was a budget surplus, both real and fictional?).

"I want my money," Donna repeats throughout the episode. None of Josh's reasons moves her from her position.

Thanks to Aaron Sorkin's writing, Josh's logic made sense, but so did Donna's argument. Scott's rationale for not implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act makes no sense.

Scott refuses to even do the most simple part: Setting up a registry through which consumers can determine the best and most cost-effective insurance, and purchase it.

A cynic might suggest that Scott is trying to protect his buddies in the health care industry as much as he's trying to score tea party points.

A realist could suggest Scott will further bankrupt the state with his refusal to participate and Florida probably will wind up in more costly lawsuits because of this.

But the rest of us, millions of Floridians, will say something for which Donna Moss would be proud:

Governor Scott, we want our health coverage. We want our health insurance access. Either cooperate, or get out of our way.

June 26: Jungle Island Needs To Untangle Its Financial Mess Before It Gets a Dime More

By Sylvia Gurinsky

A beloved tourist attraction for parrots has been gradually turning into the home of the white elephant.

Once upon a time, this story was simply supposed to be about more meeting and banquet space.

That was the argument Bern Levine made almost two decades ago about why Parrot Jungle needed to move away from its legendary Pinecrest site. A majority of Miami voters bought the argument in 1995, when they approved Parrot Jungle's relocation to Watson Island.

Parrot Jungle grew, with plenty of banquet space - but also with lots of animals beyond parrots and other birds, and changed its name to Jungle Island in 2007. And the admission price skyrocketed.

What hasn't grown is the attendance level. Its average number of visitors hasn't ever approached the 725,000 Levine once projected - even before the economy collapsed in 2008.

But still, Levine wants more from the city of Miami - more money and a hotel. Oh, yes, and the relocation of the city's Japanese Garden, which was created on Watson Island in 1961 as a gift to Miami from the founder of Japan's Ricoh Corporation and which has already been restored at least twice, after municipal neglect and hurricanes.

Aside from the plan's many faults, Levine's got lousy timing. Miami's still recovering, both from the economic crisis and the public debacle of providing much of the financing for the Miami Marlins' ballpark.

And Levine's spent a lot of time cashing in on the goodwill of South Floridians who have fond memories of the attraction Franz Scherr opened in 1936.

Now it's time for Levine to give back that investment. Jungle Island doesn't deserve one more dime from the city - or to continue to grow - until its money management and administration improve. The city of Miami should say "no" until then.

June 25: North Miami Should Say "No" To Strip Joint

By Sylvia Gurinsky
WPBT-Channel 2's potential new neighbor on Sesame Street may be brought to you by the letter "X."

Many years ago, the area of Northeast 20th Avenue in North Miami in front of the PBS affiliate was named in honor of the network's beloved children's program. Now, however, the deceptively-named Sunny Isles Eatery wants to open an alcohol-serving strip joint - also deceptively called a "gentlemen's club" - close to the station.

North Miami would have to change a law that prohibits alcohol being served in such places for this to happen.

Actually, city council members shouldn't change that law.

But one council member, Scott Galvin, inexplicably supports this project as a potential job creator. What a choice from a man who works with Junior Achievement of Greater Miami, an organization that's supposed to teach young people about entrepreneurship.

Is this what you have in mind for them, Councilman?

Even worse is the location choice. Channel 2 is in an industrial/warehouse section of North Miami. There are any number of businesses the city could - and should - try to get for that neighborhood. For instance, how about businesses that match with Channel 2, which is also the headquarters of Comtel, a video production facility? How about high-tech businesses?

Then there's the matter of what's over the railroad tracks and Biscayne Boulevard to the east - Florida International University, David Lawrence K-8 Center and Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School.

(Yes, it's true that the corner of 163rd street and Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami Beach has a similar club; that doesn't mean North Miami has to join the party.)

Whatever joins Channel 2 in the area should match the employment and economic needs of the schools, not of a red-light district.

North Miami should say no to a change in law and to the Sunny Isles Eatery plans.

Otherwise, with apologies to the memory of Mr. Rogers, WPBT, a good citizen of North Miami for more than 40 years, will likely be asking another city, "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Monday June 11: Delay MAST Academy Expansion Decision

By Sylvia Gurinsky

With the school year just ended, students and families looking forward to a relaxing summer don't need any surprises. Many at MAST Academy seem to be getting one.

The Marittime and Science Technology Academy is located in the former Planet Ocean site on Virginia Key. It has been a magnet school, with its students selected by a lottery.

But students living in Key Biscayne need their own high school. There is little space on the island for one. Students have been going to Coral Gables High School, Booker T. Washington High School and other local schools.

The school district is pondering whether to approve a major facility expansion on the land that includes MAST. The expansion would provide a high school for Key Biscayne residents and relief for the existing K-8 center.

The argument made against it by many in the MAST community is that having a regular school would undermine the unique nature of their school. Those who support the project point to other schools that have included successful magnet programs.

This is too important a project for either the school board or the Village of Key Biscayne to rush to a decision on. Perhaps a compromise can be worked out. Or perhaps another site, such as the soon-to-be vacated Miami Science Museum buildings on South Miami Avenue, can be put into the picture - particularly now that the MAST program has expanded beyond the original campus.

All the students involved - from MAST and from Key Biscayne -  are worth the patience needed on this matter.

June 6: Back To Work For "One Community"

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Education is the engine by which all relevant industries in Miami-Dade County run. Those who have put together the latest report by One Community One Goal realize that:

Link to reports

As they did during the late 1990s, community leaders putting together that report have targeted seven industries for economic improvement. The report also acknowledges the advantages of the county's environment and cultural atmosphere.

Among the recommendations: Have Miami-Dade Public Schools and local universities and colleges actively participate in the formation of job creation plans.

Proposals include the creation of a Future Fund for economic development, the expansion of international and homegrown businesses and the recommendation of improved transportation infrastructure, including the development of light rail. There are ideas for strategies to encourage workers to stay in the community, or at least maintain connections. Communication with the public is strongly emphasized. The final report gives examples of what other communities are doing for economic and employment success and calls the upgrading of Miami Beach's convention center "critical."

A number of the ideas depend on changing the behavior of government that has a tendency to deal with friends and media that has a tendency to focus on the flashy. Changing that behavior will be the most difficult part.

The key word throughout the report is "sustained." Miami-Dade County  has a maturing community. By now, it should be able to develop beyond economic whims and political turf wars.