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By Mark Schneider This League member’s Opinion was published in ‘The Palm Beach Post’ on April 7. This year, as the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections was publicly testing ballot-counting machines, one observer grew so animated in her questioning of the process that she had to be removed by sheriff’s deputies. The same thing was true, perhaps to a lesser degree, in Pinellas County...

The following opinion, by member Jim Eisenberg, was published in the ‘The Palm Beach Post’ on March 21, 2024. We now have a new benchmark in cruelty and disregard for our fellow men and women in need. There can be no doubt that the people of Haiti qualify as admissible and lawful migrants under any definition of the term. There is no government. Rival criminal gangs...

The following opinion, by member Ira J. Raab, was published in the ‘The Palm Beach Post’ on Feb. 24, 2024. Palm Beach County government reports that tourism is one of the three major industries in the county, with 7.3 million visitors spending $4.6 billion and supporting 66,000 jobs. The Feb. 20 article by Jim Turner reported that Florida tourism is down and that domestic numbers had...

The following opinion, by member Marcia Halpern, was published in the ‘The Palm Beach Post’ on Feb. 21, 2024. So much for the free state of Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature are taking the voice of the people away. I thought they believed in limiting government, not limiting freedom. What are they so afraid of? Our local communities have to have the ability...

The following opinion, by member Susan Breece, was published in the ‘Sun-Sentinel’ Dec.16. Besides the obvious financial benefit to polling companies who sample a minute number of consumers then sell findings to an interested entity, what is the true purpose of polls, especially as related to elections? Could it be intent to influence/skew voter thinking over a long lead  time, so that voter response at the...

Palm Beach Post, Letters to the Editor: The economy favors the very rich Who can say for sure if all of the interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve this past year have really helped? Americans really don’t feel good about the economy due to all of the higher prices we are paying for food, healthcare, housing and other things. They say higher prices are due...

Palm Beach Post, Letters to the Editor: Where are the demands on Hamas? The world has turned against Israel. I agree that horrific things are happening to the Gazan people, but the world seems to have forgotten why this is happening. On Oct. 7, Hamas, along with other terrorist groups, perpetrated the most horrific, inhumane massacre of the Israeli people. That is the reason for the devastation...

Palm Beach Post, Letters to the Editor: Why is abortion-rights petition threatening? Thank you for your honest appraisal of the obstacles Republican-dominated partisan politics have created in Florida to deny a genuine voice to everyday Floridians. Unfortunately, we’re warned it probably won’t be enough for volunteers to collect over a million signed and verified petitions to get the amendment to limit government interference in abortion/healthcare on the...

Registering voters has become more difficult and much more expensive This ANOTHER VIEWPOINT opinion by LWVFL Co-Presidents Cecile M. Scoon and Debbie Chandler was published Sept. 19 in the Sun-Sentinel.     People and organizations across the country and of all political persuasions work to extend the fundamental right to vote to all lawful citizens. Many of these organizations are making special plans to push for potential...

Palm Beach Post Guest Editorial- Your Turn: Cecile Scoon and Debra Chandler. Don't Let Florida Hurt our Votes- People and organizations across the country and of all political persuasions work to extend the fundamental right to vote to all lawful citizens. Many of these organizations are making special plans to push for potential voters to get registered on National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 19. Unfortunately,...

YOU SAID IT: Staying on Low Road for Florida Court System By Ira J. Raab Palm Beach County League member Ira J. Raab of West Palm Beach is a retired justice of the New York State Supreme Court. The Palm Beach Post published his Opinion column on Aug. 13. Gerrymandering is the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries by a political party to achieve an unfair...

Published 5-20-2023, Sun Sentinal In a recent opinion piece (“DeSantis offers a lesson in freedom”), state Rep. Spencer Roach, of North Fort Myers, would have you believe that crippling teacher unions teach students about freedom. On the contrary, Roach provides a perfect example of the level of deception and doublespeak by state leaders to fool Floridians into thinking they are protecting our freedoms when in...

Your Turn Ashley Cacicedo-Surdovel Guest columnist If I walked down the street and asked you if men and women had equal rights in the United States, would you say yes? About 70% of Americans believe that women already have equal rights. Last week, the United States Senate failed to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Although they had 51 yes votes, they needed 60 to...

Payback’s here for climate change deniers Republicans rail against bills they consider to be fiscally irresponsible. The greatest fiscal irresponsibility they are guilty of is pretending climate change is not real and that we do not need to do anything about it. It is playing out for us now. The costs of neglect of a problem are so much greater than the cost of acting...

I hope all those Democrats who did not vote have come to realize the significance of their non-vote. But, Republican voters need to wake up. Party loyalty is dangerous in these dangerous times. No matter what party you registered in, especially suburban moms, ask yourself these questions: Do you care about keeping abortion safe and legal? Do you want your children to be safe at...

Your Turn Ashley Cacicedo-Surdovel Guest columnist In 2019, I was at a mall shopping with my sister at Macy’s; we were by the shoe department on the first floor. Suddenly, a stampede of people ran towards us, screaming that a gunman was in the mall. My sister and I hid behind shoe racks, scared for our lives. An employee helped us escape through an exit...

In a recent op-ed, Gerald Salerno suggests that Democrats, after the election of DeSantis and other Republicans in 2022, are like frustrated motorists in a massive traffic jam, caught behind the cars in front of them (Republicans), but should not complain. After all, according to Mr. Salerno, “… there’s nothing Democrats can do about it.” It’s a difficult analogy to understand. Is he really suggesting...

I am appalled to read about SB 1316, proposed by state Sen. Jason Brodeur, which would require bloggers or anyone who receives payment for writing about Florida government officials, to register with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics within five days of publication mentioning that official. The provision is one clause in a bill that mostly deals with new rules...

Municipal elections will be held on March 14 in 17 cities and towns in Palm Beach County. Voting in local elections traditionally has a low turnout and yet has the most direct impact on citizens. Local government is directly responsible for serving your community and its needs. There are a number of reasons it is important to vote in your town or city election. Local...

Most Americans can agree there are too many mass shootings in our country. It seems we are at war with ourselves over this issue. We elect people who will do nothing to change our current laws. They are beholden to the National Rifle Association to get themselves re-elected and are immovable because of it. We are being held hostage over this belief that Second Amendment...