Schlepping toward November

Schlepping toward November

What an incredible year it’s been. We’ve had trouble surrounding us overseas and living costs crushing us here at home. Adding to the woes, political hatred is at an all-time high.

Against this backdrop, it might be useful to ponder how things look going forward as we schlep toward November, including a stop-off at the August primaries.

Let’s start with some background noise, some quick summaries:

Bank of America: “The national debt surpassed $34 trillion for the first time in history on January 4.”

InsuranceQuotes: “Auto insurance increased 20 percent last year.”

Social Security trustees: “Without changes, elderly and disabled. Americans could soon see their payments cut by 17 percent.”

Insurify: “Home insurance rates have increased by nearly 20 percent over the last two years.”

Consumer Price Index: “Consumer prices are up nearly 22 percent since 2021” (when Joe Biden took office).

Happy days are not here again.

TRECKER

Florida has its own challenges. With a crying need for affordable housing, a shaky education system and record-shattering home insurance rates, the Sunshine State has big troubles ahead. My tree-hugging friends would add “deteriorating water quality” to the list of problems.

How about local politics? The most contentious race this year is in District 3, where incumbent Burt Saunders hopes to keep his seat on the Collier County Commission.

It should be a no-brainer. Saunders has the experience and the smarts. But he’s angered some of the right-wingers by deigning to suggest we consider an at-large form of government, like they have in Lee County. Saunders is running against three other Republicans and one independent. The August primary should decide the race.

Key among other Collier contests is the school board election, where some say that victory by either Pam Cunningham or Tom Henning would put Alfie Oakes and company in charge. Whether you believe that or not, feelings are running high. Other bare-knuckle primaries pit the Republican establishment against local opponents. Particularly at risk is incumbent Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier.

At the state level, the constitutional amendments are front and center, and two of them are game-changers.

Amendment 4 would allow voters to call the shots on abortion in Florida, reversing the current six-week ban in favor of abortion access until total fetal viability, about 24 weeks. Six weeks versus 24 weeks. That should be an easy choice. But the Collier commissioners say the amendment is ambiguous and confusing and should be voted down.

Amendment 3 may also be a tough call. It would legalize weed for recreational use – three ounces or less for people 21 and older, with strict controls built in. But there are downsides.

The restrictions are unenforceable, and the known dangers of pot are mounting. And nothing ensures limited use. New findings show marijuana, which is already known to be a highly addictive gateway drug, also boosts risk of heart attack and stroke and, long term, can lead to mental disorders and cognitive loss. And more pot means more auto accidents. Do we really want to put more weed on the street?

What about the national scene? Things are no clearer there. Few voters want either Biden or Donald Trump. The tragedy is that even with Biden’s international blundering and mismanagement of the economy and Trump’s character defects and felony convictions, both candidates still top their respective tickets, with no opponents strong enough to knock either of them off.

Pity the American voter.

Lance Morrow likens November 5 to a circus: “The lions are too old, the elephants are going blind, the ringmaster can’t remember his lines and the clowns fall off their bicycles.” ¦

— Dave Trecker is a chemist and retired Pfizer executive living in Florida.

The post Schlepping toward November first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .