Byron Donalds is a hand-picked Trump stooge. Another lickspittle, he has zero ideas and spouts empty platitudes.
This state has been run like a fiefdom by the Republican Party for 30-plus years, and over the last eight, we have had both U.S. senators, the whole Cabinet, a supermajority in the Legislature, and the governor run by them. How’s that working out?
At least when David Jolly was a Republican, he was a sane, sensible, real Republican, not a card-carrying crazy cult member. I have heard Donalds speak. It’s empty nonsense, with no plans other than to do as he’s told, while Jolly has actual ideas.
The gerrymandered legislative districts will no doubt help Republicans keep their supermajority, but there is much good Jolly can bring — if nothing more than his veto pen.
I already voted. I’m proud to say I voted for Jolly.
— James Carbone, Fort Lauderdale
Keep checks and balances
Putting party affiliation aside, or even if you’re undecided, please vote for the restoration of checks and balances in our government, as meant to be by our forefathers. We all rely on the executive branch and the U.S. House and Senate to be respected and to interact based on the rule of law. Healthy checks and balances are good for all of us.
— Susan Rome, Pompano Beach
Take your country back
Every day, the audacity of the Republican Party and its strange adherents still surprises me.
I can’t believe that they are that down with democracy and freedom. Their willingness to destroy our liberties is overwhelming. To the people of America, I say stand up! Take control again! Long live America.
— Tobie Chernow, Davie
Donalds and The Donald
Donald Trump and Byron Donalds are running scared.
Donalds, a Republican congressman from Naples, had given MAGA and his dear leader complete and total loyalty, ignoring truth, facts and reality. He repeatedly claimed prices were coming down. They weren’t. Well-informed Republicans knew he was adopting Trump’s serial lie.
Donalds was aboard the Trump train, but he has temporarily jumped off, pretending that he’s a moderate willing to throw shade on his past loyalty to Trump’s policies.
Meanwhile, Trump asks voters to vote with him in mind. Trump’s wish is going to have profoundly negative effects on dozens of Republican candidates’ chances, including Donalds. Americans are sick of Trump’s prevarications.
Just think of the contradiction: Trump says “think of me when you vote,” and Byron Donalds’ campaign doesn’t want to acknowledge Trump.
— David Kahn, Boca Raton
Where satire goes to die
“Fever Beach” by Carl Hiaasen. (Knopf/Courtesy)
Forget “woke.” Clearly, Florida is where satire goes to die.
Even the most gifted practitioner of satire — looking at my shelf full of Carl Hiassen novels — couldn’t make up this stuff.
Having state legislators (Ben Albritton and Kathleen Passidomo) backpedal on their support for Amendment 3 is all too typical of the legislative mess in Florida.
Talk about a gang that can’t shoot straight! The only silver lining here would be defeat of this ill-considered amendment.
— Merri Rosenberg, Boca Raton
The inequities in taxation
With great interest, I read all of the opinions regarding Amendment 3, which has several components — a larger tax exemption, allowable use of taxes, home rule.
Every opinion is valid because every individual, city and county will be affected differently.
But are we solving the wrong problem? Missing from the debate is why city and county services are taxed based on property value. There’s no relationship between the value of a home and the use of government services.
Why should two families in similar circumstances pay such wildly different taxes when all else is equal? Even though I do benefit from this inequity, it’s a problem. This defies logic and common sense, and it’s simply not fair. In my mind, real tax reform would be finding new ways to finance city and county services, unrelated to property values.
— Joe Panella, Boca Raton
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