Based on his own biography, Rick Scott’s attacks on ‘socialism’ are hypocritical | Opinion

Over his head

Sen. Rick Scott’s online biography states that he “grew up in public housing in the Midwest.“ How interesting that he was the beneficiary of what he now labels socialism while attacking government support as socialism. He definitely is a hypocrite.

Where would he be without “government socialist programs?” Maybe he would not have become a senator?

Irene Warner,

Miami

Enrich yourself

For many years, I had the good fortune to be part of the staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami and on the adjunct teaching staff at Miami Dade College. Life was good, but then life presented me with physical issues that had gone undiagnosed after much testing.

I could have sat home (and at times, I did) and felt sorry for myself. Instead, I chose to look into doing something positive. I contacted a local public elementary school. For the past two years, I have had the good fortune to read to kindergartners and first graders at that school.

There are some good agencies in our community where volunteers are needed and welcomed. Give it a try.

Merle Wexler,

Coral Gables

Teachers’ day

I am delighted to share the success of our inaugural Kendall and West Kendall Teachers-of-the-Year Awards event, organized by the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations. It was an honor to come together and recognize the outstanding contributions of our local educators as part of Teachers Appreciation Day.

With the invaluable support of our community members, we were able to host a memorable event and honor our dedicated teachers. Their hard work and commitment to shaping young minds deserve recognition and we were proud to bestow numerous prizes to several deserving teachers, including a grand prize of $5,000.

My sincerest gratitude to all the donors whose contributions made this event possible. Their generosity allowed us to show our appreciation in a meaningful way. Lastly, a heartfelt “Thank you” goes out to all teachers for their tireless efforts and all they do.

Leonor Sanchez,

board member,

Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations,

Kendall

Vital care

My aunt was in a nursing home the last three years of her life and on Medicaid after her savings ran out. She didn’t know about trusts to protect assets. It was difficult for me to visit her due to the conditions, recalling accounts of ancient societies which left the weak to die in exposure conditions when they could no longer contribute.

Is that the America we want for our children?

As a senior who may end up in a nursing home, I now realize the importance of the choices made at the voting booth. Comprehensive healthcare is crucial for ensuring accessible care throughout life. There are many in my situation. We wish we had voted for policies that strengthened Medicare and Medicaid.

What once seemed distant is now our daily reality, highlighting the need for robust senior services like in-home care and community support. Care quality deeply depends on the well-being of our caregivers. Ensuring their rights and proper compensation is crucial.

Reflecting on our voting history underscores the importance of prioritizing long-term effects over short-term concerns. The younger generation should consider how their votes impact the future. They should vote for policies protecting the vulnerable, including themselves.

Paul Howard,

Naples

False choice

The Boston Herald editorial published in the May 9 Miami Herald, “Biden’s spending spree is hitting the deficit wall,” posed a false spending choice for President Biden and the nation: forgive student loan debt or cure cancer.

Biden advocates a better solution, one ignored in the editorial: end the unnecessary tax breaks that former President Trump and the Republican Congress gave to the ultra rich.

Young people benefit greatly from loan forgiveness and we all want to cure cancer, but millionaires and billionaires won’t miss a car payment if forced to pay their fair share of taxes.

Philip K. Stoddard,

South Miami

Weapons to Israel

Members of Congress, once again, need a history lesson. If they had known some history, they would have been aware that former President Ronald Reagan, in 1981, put in place an indefinite halt of shipments of F-16 fighter jets to Israel. In 1982, he halted a shipment of cluster artillery shells to Israel.

As usual, however, too many members of Congress only do the one thing they do really well: grandstand in front of the media without knowing history.

Lois Kahn,

Coral Gables

Fraud expert

I saw Sen. Rick Scott’s TV interview outside a New York courthouse, suggesting that the presiding judge in former President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial in Manhattan is biased because the judge’s family may be involved in Democratic politics.

Scott knows fraud. He was CEO of Columbia/HCA Hospitals when his company paid a $1.7 billion fine for Medicare fraud, one of the largest in history.

Richard Pober,

Palmetto Bay

Eerily similar

The May 8 online op-ed by Michael Igel, “No, protesters, Israel is not committing genocide,” is woefully incorrect as it attempts to defend the indefensible. Israel is, indeed, targeting civilians. To say otherwise is deliberately misleading.

Quoting a corrupt source as proof is just lazy. Referring to the 35,000 dead as collateral damage commonly seen in war is outrageous. Referring to the Arab population as continuing to grow, as if they are expendable, is disgusting. Arabs have always outnumbered Jews in Palestine.

As the interim CEO and chair emeritus of the Florida Holocaust Museum, I’m sure Igel has seen photos of concentration camps. Today’s starving children in Palestine look remarkably similar, except they don’t have striped suits, just the clothes on their backs. They have no shelter, no water or food. Palestinians are being arrested and allegedly tortured. It sure seems racially motivated.

Many protesters against the war are Jews. Let that speak for itself. Spread the truth and end this war.

Kelly N. Wagner,

Winter Haven

Fix things

President Joe Biden acts like a candidate rather than a president. His policy-making seems driven by attaining votes and popularity. America and American’s interests seem simply an afterthought. This has cost us on so many levels

A few examples are the open borders, the Afghanistan boondoggle, inflation, the huge deficit and the campus protests. Obviously, Biden is trying to please everyone. In the meantime, he has exposed us to national security threats.

America needs a president, not a candidate.

Fleta Stamen,

Miami

Supporting hate

As a proud Jewish mother of a Columbia University alumnus, I am appalled by the university administration’s handling of the protests. It is incomprehensible how it failed to see this was an antisemitic, anti-Israel protest filled with hate and destruction.

Some protesters say they are pro-Palestinian, but where were their humanitarian pleas for the innocent civilians who were raped and murdered in Israel? Don’t they care about women and children? Have they been indoctrinated to believe that the innocent must die to fight Israel and become martyrs?

University leaders and professors should be ashamed of supporting this hate. Hamas has brought to the world hate, ruin, devastation and economic failure.

Gladys Mezrahi,

Aventura

Helpful income

As of 2022, more than half a million Floridians received Supplemental Security Income (SSI). I’m sure more do now. Republicans have tried to kill it. Yet some SSI recipients are registered Republicans. Ironically, they are slitting their own throats.

About 20% of the population needs a hand-up. I’m old enough to remember when SSI came to the rescue in the early 1970s. SSI gives people a chance to survive. Before age 65, it’s limited to families who qualify economically and usually due to “disability,” as that term is defined in the Social Security Act. Anyone over 65 now qualifies if they are destitute and can show they have some kind of legal status.

The money comes from the general funds, not from Social Security trust funds. Every dime a beneficiary receives proves that economist John Maynard Keynes was right — they must spend it — causing a positive ripple effect. Those benefits go into the hands of practically every business in Florida.

Daniel F. Solomon,

Miami