As published in the Miami Herald May 29, 2022 ADHD medication study needs more study

 As published in the Miami Herald May 29, 2022

ADHD medication study needs more study

   The May 24 story “ADHD meds don’t lead to higher grades," claims far-reaching implications from a rather modest study. Fourteen pages and a sample size of 174 over three summers is hardly an exhaustive study. More peer studies and review would be required to support its conclusions.  
   Medication controls many aspects of behavior affected by ADHD. No one should be dissuaded from using or providing prescribed medication for ADHD by the referenced study.  ADHD is a genetically transmitted disorder. It cannot be cured  but it can be effectively managed given psychological and neurological evaluation followed by therapy and, if indicated, medication for life.
    Miami-Dade Public Schools System (M-DPS) does a fine job in the classroom with students with behavioral problems and learning exceptions However,  The Center For Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 8.5% of all school age children and 2.5% of the general population have ADHD.
   As of Oct 25, 2021, M-DCPS had 39,582 students with learning exceptions (ADHD is in the subcategory Other Health Impairments and shows 6504 students). However, given a student population of 350,000, and the CDC’s national average estimate of 8.5% we would expect to see approximately 30,000 students with ADHD alone (plus others) in that category.   This illustrates a national problem in under-identifying, evaluating and treating ADHD in schools and also in the incarcerated population.
                                                                                        Barry J. White
                                                                                        president
                                                                      Mental Health Association
                                                                      of  Miami-Dade County
                                                                                                   Kendall

As published in the Miami Hearld April 15, 2022 ABORTION SHOULD NOT BE IN THE COURTS

Those who oppose abortion point to the taking of a human life as their main concern. But, in reality, they want to save the fetus, even at the cost of the mother's life, so it can be baptized.  Similarly, those who cannot tolerate the Gay life style are motivated by biblical admonitions against it. Thus, at base, these are religious issues, and, as such, are barred by the First Amendment from being addressed by the courts, legislatures or by government. Has this argument been made by any organization working on the behalf of freedom of choice and life style?

 

 

 

As published in the Miami Herald (9/17/20)

RIPE FRUIT

If ex-felons must pay court fees before voting then why does this not apply to all citizens?

A court fine is a civil penalty regardless of how it was incurred. Does the court have a different set of fees and fines for felons? And did the court address the imperfect system of administering the fines?

This ruling is a poll tax, pure and simple, a clear example of how the courts are used to implement facism. Most Floridians live under a facist system at every level of government: County, State and Federal.

We should replace the State flag, and maybe the Stars and Stripes too, with one with a banana in a field of white.

Perhaps the banana on a wall at Art Basel was prescient.

 

 As published in the Miami Herald August 20, 2020

    When Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez was a County Commissioner, he seemed to be a fair minded, somewhat objective politician. So, when, in 2011, he ran for mayor I supported him and campaigned for him, As we stood in U.S. 1 waving at cars I asked him, when he became mayor, to please give me some time to discuss environmental issues. It never happened. Instead, I saw first hand that his Regulatory and  Economic Resources Department always gave FPL an easy road and never fully imposed or enforced meaningful and effective measures to curb FPL’s contamination, putrefaction and salinization of once pristine and bucolic Turkey Point as he hobnobbed with FPL executives.
          As an administrator, he created an autocratic, top down government where many were afraid to speak out and turned off instead. By advocating small government, our services and infrastructure suffered; Miami has always been willing to tax  itself for needed services if they understood the problem.  He micromanaged our traffic and transit departments and the Smart Plan to a standstill undermining the several advisory committees to impose his own solutions. His marching order to his department heads, “development.” His  staff’s answer to essential last mile connectivity for transit,  “Let them take Uber”: not so easy for the 25% of our citizens living below the poverty line. And his insensitive  reduction of library and police services reflected a disregard for the basic needs of our citizens and our community. His staff has disrupted the Coconut Grove Playhouse rebuild when he himself does not  really care what happens to it.
       So do we really need a visionless Philistine with a trademark Mussolini sneer and attitude to take his anti-environmental and insensitive small government philosophy to the U.S. Congress?  Not with my vote

As published in the Miami Herald, November 22, 2019