Free health care for who? So let me get this straight. I am paying my taxes so an ex-con who is not from Florida can come to my hometown and demand free health care (¨Blood Work,¨ Bob Norman, June 14)? The guy has had some self-inflicted tough luck, but it sure doesn´t seem like much to ask for him to provide whatever information the county asked him to provide before giving him free health care worth thousands of dollars. Hell, I have gone to the same hospital, and I had to pay a 20 percent copay for my insurance. It cost me $1,000. And I am paying taxes. Give me a break. I feel for the guy, but recovering crack addicts from other states? I draw the line there.
Name withheld by request
Via the Internet
Mixed-up Good
In music, it´s all in the blend: Güajiro has a solid sound, and I´m glad somebody is finally writing about these guys (¨Hialeah Hardcore,¨ Jonathan Cunningham, June 14). Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Irish is a strange blend, but they make it work. Good article!
Dave Mays
Via the Internet
Heat at the Cooler
Get your head out of the sand, Nova students: I have never read any of your articles that have incited such water-cooler conversation as your ¨Nova to Workers: Drop Dead¨ (Amy Guthrie, June 14). I am disgusted with Nova President Ray Ferrero Jr., and I am outraged by former Nova Student Government President Andrew Ibrahim´s letter in the June 21 edition of New Times encouraging the union to try diplomacy!
Being a Broward resident, I never thought I would say this, but kudos to the University of Miami students for getting deeply involved with the cause to unionize the janitors at their campus. I speak from experience when I say that even a weak union is better than no union at all. Organized labor is what every profession needs to have a fighting chance against any company or anyone you work for. It means a seniority system, it means annual cost-of-living wage increases, it means pension funds for retirement, it means sick pay, it means mediation between labor and management, it means fairness. Otherwise, you are just an ¨at will¨ employee who can be let go for even having an acne scar if that company decides they don´t like employees with acne scars.
The janitors who kept your campus clean, who worked graveyard shifts, many of whom are dual-income families, are now sitting at home unemployed for months. Wake up, Nova students, especially the naive moron who was quoted in the article as saying these janitors should just go back to college and get a degree so they can get $50,000-a-year jobs instead of fighting for $2 an hour. BA, master´s, Ph.D... in Florida, you still ain´t starting at $50,000 a year in any profession. I wonder how Mr. Ferrero would feel if he were earning $10 an hour after 12 years of employment and his wife were working a second job during graveyard hours to put food on his table.
Larry Baker
Weston
His way or the goodbye way: The article confirms my thinking that Florida is not ready for the 21st Century. Each day, I see things that make me think no one cares about anyone or anything but himself.
President Ray Ferrero Jr. draws his $578,855 a year, and he does not give a damn about anyone else. I have been told that Nova´s reputation has been tarnished since he has been president (¨My way or the highway¨). This has always been a nonunion state, and the students have shown that they do not have the stomach for a fight. They are afraid to make waves.
During the Vietnam War, students everywhere rose in protest and made everyone aware of the war, and they were pushing for the end of the war. Our country finally smartened up and got out. I believe that if students everywhere did the same thing today, it would help push our ¨My Way or the Highway¨ president to get out of Iraq. Ray Ferrero Jr. seems to be the same type of personality as President Bush.
Bush will be remembered as the worst president we ever had, and Ray Ferrero Jr. will go down as the worst president that Nova has ever had. Nova´s reputation as a good place for education and good character building is going downhill. Nice going, Herr Ferrero!
Aaron Handel
Tamarac
Soon to be in a flier near you: The article is excellent. And the cover is icing on the cake. You hit on many, many angles, from finances to fear to lack of free expression to student loans to student thoughts to faculty thoughts to worker thoughts to administration arrogance... etc. I will have to fully digest it, but I can tell you we´re making plans to get it out very widely.
Hiram Ruiz, SEIU Local 11
Miami
Correction
In our Best of Broward-Palm Beach 2007 edition (May 31), which named the Paul bakery chain as having the Best Bread, New Times indicated that its breads are partially prebaked in France. In fact, all of its breads are baked entirely in South Florida.
Help Wanted
New Times Broward/Palm Beach seeks an editorial assistant. Perfect for a self-starter who derives satisfaction from creating order out of chaos. Must be computer- and web-savvy, able to handle multiple tasks, and work independently on long-term projects. A college education and excellent grammar, spelling, organizational, and communication skills are essential. This position is 35 hours per week with full benefits. Send résumé and cover letter to:
Robert Meyerowitz, Editor
16 NE Fourth St., Ste. 200
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
No phone calls, please
