Readers wonder: Where are all those trees Miami-Dade promised us? | Opinion
What trees?
Re: the April 28 story, “Miami-Dade County’s urban tree project unable to shade residents from record heat.” There is no tree project. If there is one, it is not noticeable. High-rise complexes are being built all over the county, even in the Everglades area and no one is planting trees.
I live in Coconut Grove and people are tearing down houses, cutting all the foliage and huge trees so they can build box houses. Miami-Dade County government should be ashamed; it has no respect for nature.
People complain their streets are flooded after it rains. Maybe someone should have thought of that issue before building high-rises. The builders should be ashamed of their greed and how it is affecting our environment.
Claudette Flitman,
Miami
Student activism
I am not amused by the argument against these college campus protests without criticism of protests for Vietnam decades ago. Seems a bit hypocritical.
At least these students will not have to run to Canada, given no conscription today. Yet, how interesting the double standard.
Michael G. Merhige,
Miami
Deforesting Dade
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava can be so hypocritical and cavalier regarding the county’s urban tree project. What has been done under her leadership is absolutely despicable. All one need do is drive down the southern leg of “Historic Old Cutler Road” to see the loss of not only the beautiful canopy of trees that lined the street but also the total disregard, as shade trees as old as 50 years that blanketed the roadway have been removed.
Where is the “restoration effort” Cava boasts about when creating not a single-lane traffic circle, but a two-lane one at the expense of the environment, with more asphalt and less shade?
Drivers have a difficult enough time circumventing a single traffic circle. Now they are tasked with a double circle.
Shame on our mayor.
Perhaps she should take one of her many “photo ops” with the concrete and asphalt beautification project she is so proud of, to the detriment of impacting the quality of life for those of us in Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay.
Riva Steinman,
Pinecrest
Condo grants
Our condominium maintenance costs rose over $100 per month this year, due primarily to an insurance premium increase. Our roofs have exceeded their useful life of 20 years, so we will need to replace all of them with a special assessment.
Miami-Dade County is helping condo owners with a zero percent interest rate loan at $50 per month, spread over 40 years. The state has issued grants of up to $175,000 per condominium association toward roofs and hurricane shutters. This program would substantially lower our special assessment amount and our insurance premium.
If Herald readers live in a condominium in Miami-Dade, I strongly urge them to look into both programs.
Kenneth Karger,
board director,
Spanish Trace Condominium Association,
Kendall
Being mindful
Miami leads the United States in Alzheimer’s Disease cases, especially affecting Hispanics who are one and a half times more at risk.
Standing by my grandmother’s side as Alzheimer’s slowly stole her essence, I vowed to champion change. Witnessing firsthand the profound impact of this disease on families throughout our city compels me to advocate for those affected. My grandmother remains a cherished pillar within our family, representing the many individuals touched by this relentless disease.
There are two bills in Congress that must pass to ensure Miami’s families get an accurate diagnosis as quickly as possible. The BOLD Reauthorization Act of 2024 and the Accelerating Access to Dementia & Alzheimer’s Provider Training Act are crucial to fortify public health infrastructure, enhance early detection, and empower healthcare providers to deliver quality care.
U. S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez must join the Alzheimer’s Association in backing these crucial bills and supporting our community in this vital battle. Let’s ensure a brighter future for families impacted by Alzheimer’s and all dementias.
Daniel Marzoa,
Alzheimer’s Association advocate,
West Kendall
Numbers problem
The April 26 story, “‘I’m withdrawing my name.’ Filmmaker Billy Corben leaves race to lead Dade Democrats,” indicated that the Miami-Dade Democratic Party intends to focus more on its voter registration efforts. They really need to do this.
Between 2020 and 2024, the number of registered Republicans in Florida barely budged, at 5.2 million, according to the Florida Division of Elections. In contrast, the number of Democrats in Florida has decreased from 5.3 million in 2020 to 4.3 million in 2024, nearly a million fewer voters.
Florida is now a Republican state not because the number of Republican voters increased, but because there are far fewer Democrats. Figuring out what happened to the nearly one million Democratic voters who are no longer registered should be the top priority for Miami-Dade Democrats and in the rest of the state.
Drew Fishel,
Coral Gables
Faded view
Re the April 28 story, “Angry Grove Isle residents sue city, saying Miami broke its laws to let condo rise:” In this case, a developer with no regard for the residents of building three has been allowed to spoil their idyllic view because of greed, poor management and local government.
Reminds me of the “spite wall” built in 1962 by the Fontainbleau Resort Hotel that blocked the Eden Roc hotel’s pool area. Sixty-two years later and the apples keep rotting.
Alexa Rossy,
Miami
Tough guy
While I do not support either probable presidential nominee, the following is clear. If President Joseph Biden was on trial and facing three more prosecutions, multiple civil cases, the constant harangue of most news media outlets frequently taking his statements out of context or improperly editing them, he would be unable to deal with it.
Say what you want about ex-President Donald Trump’s personality and bluster, but he is a tough and most resilient person. His ability to juggle many high-stress matters targeting him all at once and remain composed is rare. He is facing all of that and still vigorously campaigning. That’s incredible. I am willing to bet our adversaries and competitors do, too.
Robert E. Panoff,
Pinecrest
Court’s disorder
Written above the main entrance to the United States Supreme Court building are the words, “Equal Justice Under Law.” Considered inviolable, this phrase expresses the Court’s ultimate responsibility. As guardians and interpreters of the Constitution, the Court is charged with making decisions based on law, not politics, ensuring that equality before the law — the bedrock of a democracy — holds all citizens, institutions and entities to account.
With the apparent division among the justices over whether former President Donald Trump should receive immunity against federal charges that he tried to illegally overturn the 2020 election, the dismantling of the equal justice covenant — with the conservative majority leading the charge — may already be in the offing.
The framers of our nation’s Constitution intended for the judiciary to be apolitical. More than two centuries later, the Roberts court, with its right-leaning majority breaking with the framers, has become indistinguishable from elected officials with a partisan agenda.
Jane Larkin,
Tampa
The kindest host
The celebration of life for former Miami Herald editorial page editor Nancy Ancrum at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden on April 13 was a true gift. Among the meaningful tributes was the way Nancy brought people together.
I met her husband George by the bench dedicated to Nancy, near the butterfly garden and her loved butterflies. I shared that I came to know Nancy as a letter writer. I mentioned an ice cream social that she arranged for consistent writers of the Readers’ Forum in May 2017. It was great to meet fellow letter writers in person and Nancy brought in the Herald’s former humor columnist Dave Barry, reporter Howard Cohen and former Executive Editor Mindy Marques to speak to us. This was an inspiration.
Nancy showed her care and respect for letter writers through this event. I remember her words regarding our individual differences: “You can’t stay mad over ice cream!”
She brought us together that day. I let George know the gift that Nancy was and will always be.
Connie Goodman-Milone,
Miami
