Where are female leaders in education?
In Friday’s article, “Florida university board mulls DEI funding ban,” I find it ironic that the photo of the Florida state university system Board of Governors shows five men, one of whom is a minority. Where are the females, especially in light of the following, taken from a recent Georgetown University study: “According to the U.S. Department of Education, women made up 59.5% of all U.S. college students in spring 2021, a record high Moreover, more women completed their degrees than men: 65% of women who enrolled at a U.S. four-year university in 2012 had graduated by 2018, compared with 59% of their male counterparts.”
Shelby F. Morrison Orlando
Steel construction could help insurance rates
Insurance rates are a nasty problem.
Reports from credible sources will show something harrowing: homeowners insurance rates are now alarmingly becoming higher than mortgage payments in some cases.
You don’t need a doctorate in Economics to understand that this is troubling news, to say the least. But there’s a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from an Ivy League school who is making a compelling assertion: There’s steel now that can repel winds at well over 200 mph. Seems like a no-brainer with construction going forward, right?
Alas, the problem: Over 90% of residential construction in Florida is wood-based. That means hurricanes, fire, and termites impose.
What if the marketplace took a turn with innovation? What would happen to your insurance rates when your home is built with steel as the main material?
Moreover, this new steel will naturally be fireproof. Termites won’t be happy. And your home’s resale value ascends.
The challenge is that the wood industry’s ecosystem — that is, all the people who depend on the industry – is enormous.
I’ll invoke one of my favorite quotes of all time. “It’s hard to change a person’s mind, if his/her income depends on it not being changed.”
Let’s go, Florida. Our children need not be slammed by skyrocketing insurance rates. And we can build back Florida strong, with that last hurricane being a starting gun.
John L. Evans Winter Park
A Trump victory would be dangerous
News articles show that Donald Trump now leads President Biden in polling in five key swing states, suggesting that Trump will win the 2024 election. This is dangerous.
Many undecided voters will be influenced by these early polls, with the desire to be on the winning side. I am amazed that the majority of the Republican Party believe he is the best candidate.
Have we not forgotten that Trump is the only president in U.S. history to refuse to acknowledge that he lost, despite all evidence? Have we forgotten that his incendiary rhetoric led to the Capitol riot, resulting in deaths? Do people really support a candidate whose shady business practices led to a finding of long-time fraud in a civil lawsuit? Have we forgotten the verdict that he sexually abused a woman?
Do we not remember that Trump paid settlements where his actions were unsavory, such as the Trump University case? On top of all that, he faces four pending criminal cases.
In 2020, I thought that Trump’s business success qualified him to be a great president. I was sadly mistaken and am remorseful. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Steven Weil Boynton Beach
