Was Mr. Rogers a hero?

Was Mr. Rogers a hero?

I’m sure there are many differing opinions about Mr. Rogers and the recent movie about his life played by Tom Hanks, however, I believe he was much more than a hero.

I grew up watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood as a child and appreciate the way he helped children understand their feelings and the world around them. As an adult, I recall these things that made him different from everyone else:

  • He had a soft spoken voice that was welcoming.
  • He taught us manners and common courtesies.
  • When he took off his shoes and changed his coat it meant that he was purposefully putting away everything pertaining to the outside world and entering another world–his home.
  • He was focused on you (the audience) and sharing something from his heart.
  • He welcomed people who were different from him and tried to understand their culture, their childhood growing up and more importantly, where they were at that moment in time.
  • He taught children how to deal with their emotions, family issues and life in general.
  • He taught us that we were/are good, lovable, and should extend kindness to others.

In the movie, it showed how Mr. Rogers very lovingly, thoughtfully and methodically saw through the tough exteriors of people to get to the root of the issue. I guess you could say in modern terms that he psycho analyzed everyone. There was no screaming, bad or terse words to get our attention, it was the polar opposite. Mr. Rogers taught us why it was important to give someone you are speaking to your “full attention” when speaking on the phone or in person because they were/are important. How I wish for those times today! Don’t you?

At the end of the movie I saw men, women, boomers and millenials crying as the lights came up. It touched them and reminded them of a better time in their life and the world. As for me, I left the movie theatre feeling calm and peaceful. I even slept better that night than I had in a number of days.

In retrospect, I believe America needs another Mr. Rogers for our children and grandchildren to experience. My hope is that the boomers who grew up with Mr. Rogers will take the lessons we’ve been taught through the show and in life and continually pass it on to the next generation. Our world and the people in it are broken and in need of restoration both spiritually and physically.

Kindness Seen Today

It’s not often that we see the good side of Humanity, but I saw it today!

Today I was driving back from Islamorada and traffic seemed to be a little heavier than usual. I wasn’t aware of any major events going on, however, I couldn’t understand why the miles of traffic was building and for no apparent reason. Pretty much it was stop-and-go for almost 25 miles.

Typically in stop-and-go traffic like this, you see the worst of humanity with people yelling and getting worked up because traffic isn’t moving. This reminds me of the time when the highway looked like a parking lot and the car behind me hit me. Then the driver tried to say it was my fault when my car was in park mode for more than ten minutes. I could have acted nasty and rude but I did not and it changed everything. The man later admitted that he hit me and then I started talking about how good it feels to get out of the car and look at the water. That little bit of humanity changed everything, including the final outcome where he admitted he was wrong.

Our Story. Today, I saw another example of someone willing to make the world a better, habitable place for everyone. I did not know this man (our hero), but his actions changed my entire day and inspired me to make peace, practice kindness, and freely hand out grace in large portions. At first I wondered why this large truck pulled into the median and I was right behind him. Then I saw an elderly senior with a walker standing in the median trying to cross to the other side. None of the cars would stop to let him cross the road. In a flash, our hero jumped out of his truck and begin to direct traffic to stop–and they did! Once traffic was stopped both ways, our hero carefully walked the senior across the road until he was safe. What’s crazy is the traffic stayed in place until our hero hopped back into his truck and drove away. The whole ordeal only took minutes, but I’m sure it had an impact on both the senior and the truck driver as well as all those who witnessed this self-less act. I was reminded of how one self-less act can change everything.

Our World Today. Today our world seems to be spinning out of control with disingenuous people and hate until unkindness is overflowing and overtaking our daily lives. Meanwhile, those who seek to divide and conquer hide behind the safety of their computer screens. I’m tired of it all and have decided to make concerted efforts daily to spread some kindness to strangers as well as those I know. How about you?

Your Takeaway. Ask yourself these simple questions:

  • How would you feel if your were the recipient of the help?
  • Did it feel good or not so good?
  • If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.

Hope for Veterans Suffering from PTSD

New Treatment for Veterans with PTSD.

Since June is National PTSD Awareness Month, I though it appropriate to share my story and a list of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms from the PTSD Alliance:

  • Recreating the traumatic event over and over. These flashbacks can happen through nightmares or mental images that pop into the mind during the day.
  • Avoidance of people, places, or activities that trigger memories of the traumatic event. (For example, if the trauma was a deadly car accident, it may be difficult for someone to drive or ride in a car after the incident. Or fireworks may upset a veteran with PTSD.)
  • Vigilance and attentiveness all the time for danger. This can cause a PTSD sufferer to be irritable, angry, and easily startled.
Courtesy of CNN

This is where the story begins. You’ve seen the pictures and videos of women and children waiting to be reunited with their husbands, boyfriends and sons or daughters who have returned home from war. The tears begin to flow as they embrace each other and their children with long hugs, kisses and relief that they made it home safely. However, they quickly begin to realize that neither of them are prepared for what happens next. The flashbacks, noises that trigger aggressive behavior, screaming, crying and sleepless nights leave the whole family on edge and it seems to continue with no end in sight.

The husband’s extreme and heightened sense of continually surveying his surroundings leaves him on edge, angry and ready to jump like a tiger on his prey. One woman shared that her husband believed everyone in the grocery store wanted to kill him. He was prepared to fight at a moment’s notice. The wife felt embarrassed and soon does not want to take him anywhere. The relationship begins to unravel as the reality of living with someone suffering from PTSD affects the entire family. Quickly the wife realizes that the man who left for deployment is not the same man who returned home from the war.

Like many other Veterans, it is extremely difficult for military service men to assimilate back into the culture because of what they have seen, heard and experienced in war. For example, one man drove in the middle of a road while under a bridge with cars swerving, horns honking and brakes slamming to miss them because that’s how you had to drive in Afghanistan in order to stay alive. In Iraq, even children were used to throw explosives at the U.S. military. Unlike growing up in the United States, service men have to grapple with the reality that everyone was the enemy if he wanted to stay alive. This included women and children who were also recruited to kill American soldiers. Each day brought new challenges to overcome while coping with PTSD.

Statistics regarding PTSD and Veterans:

  • The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that nearly 40,000 Veterans are homeless with PTSD being the contributing factor.
  • Between 11 and 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom struggle with PTSD.
  • An estimated 12 percent of Gulf War veterans experience PTSD.
  • Approximately 30 percent of Vietnam veterans have experienced PTSD.

Fortunately, there are new treatments available using technology as well as psychology.

New treatment for Veterans using Virtual Reality. By using Virtual Reality, a person is able to confront situations that they fear most. Thanks to one group at the University of Central Florida, Veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD are getting help. The program is called UCF RESTORES. Early program results have proven so successful that the U.S. Army has now funded UCF RESTORES to establish programs at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Georgia, Naval Medical Hospital Portsmouth in Virginia and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

According to Deborah Beidel, a University of Central Florida Professor of psychology and medical education, “This is a wonderful opportunity to take this program to active-duty military personnel and treat them on their own bases, right where they are. Our early research results show our program to be more effective than traditional PTSD treatment, and this gives us the opportunity to get some additional data to demonstrate it on a larger scale, while providing treatment in a convenient way for our patients.” (Update: The program has received a $10 million grant in 2018 from the military to expand its work.)

The UCF RESTORES team has developed and combined virtual reality and exposure therapy for anger, depression, guilt, and social isolation since 2011. To-date, the clinic has treated first responders from multiple states, Pulse survivors (Orlando Nightclub tragedy), and 300 Veterans and active-duty personnel. The treatment results reveal significant improvements in most patients with two-thirds no longer meeting the clinical criteria for PTSD diagnosis. I believe this is an important step in the right direction for sufferers of PTSD and there are other programs out there who also offer assistance.

Do you need help with PTSD? If you’re a veteran and would like to know more about treatment or information, please contact the providers listed below.

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Student Loan Sharks #6

Using student loans for tuition, books and living expenses. Beware!

You are probably wondering why I am using the word “beware” when most students routinely use their student loans for tuition, books and living expenses. It’s pretty common, however, that extra $2,000 to $4,000 above the tuition easily slips through your hands for worthless things that you will regret later. Especially when you begin to realize the interest you are paying on that amount will capitalize causing the unpaid interest ($600) to double ($1,200) in one month, thereby increasing the total amount you owe (principal balance). It’s all because you had to have Starbucks every day, bought trendy clothing and shoes, and other things you really didn’t need as much as you thought.

I don’t know about you, but I have regretted taking the maximum loan amount for a few semesters while I was unemployed. I wish I would have done more that I did, especially knowing what I know now. As a matter of fact, I am about to make an extremely bold statement regarding my regret. Here it is…

I wish I would not have gone to college in my late forties. I also wished I would have done a little more research on how interest accrues and capitalization costs. Furthermore, the availability of scholarships and grants are almost non existent for single, white, females who are young seniors. I regret just “signing my name”.

Okay, I said it and I’m glad I got that off my chest. Looking back, I could have kicked myself for trading my future for the slavery of debt and for the rest of my life! Now you’re probably thinking that was a little harsh, but it is my reality and it will be yours too unless you wake up before it’s too late! My reality is that I will be paying my student loan debt well into my “golden years”. Yes, I mean retirement years! This just burns me and it is not a pretty sight!

The U.S. Department of Education makes it easy to obtain a loan and colleges are willing to sign up anyone with a pulse–or so it seems. Just signing your name didn’t require all the work I had to do to continue to make ends meet while unemployed. I felt like the rabbit while they had the perfect, orange carrot dangling on a string enticing me with only one little signature. Yes, I take full responsibility for signing something I didn’t really understand (capitalization) but I thought an education would make my life better. Add to that the stress of trying to find a job because I knew my situation couldn’t last much longer–I was on borrowed time. Do you see yourself in a similar situation and need some advice?

Here are some helpful tips for those who are struggling to stay afloat while in school OR are now repaying your student loan debt.

  • Tuition debt only. If at all possible, only take out loans for tuition.
  • Rent your books. This is the most cost effective way to significantly reduce your school expenses. Especially when you consider that after the semester is over the same book will only be worth half the amount you paid for it.
  • Financial Aid. Go and see the Financial Aid counselor and tell him/her that you will have to drop out of school unless you receive a scholarship or grant. It’s amazing how they seem to find other resources for you.
  • Visit the Foundation Office. Many students don’t even know that they offer scholarships based on need. (The money goes quickly, so get the details before the semester ends and the new one begins.)
  • Apply for grants and scholarships online. There is “free” money out there but it takes time and persistence. (Find the Stars Scholarship Fund for your state.)
  • For those really desperate situations. Sell some of your personal possessions, clothing and shoes. You’ll be surprised how much this can help. (I’ve used Facebook yard sale and Craig’s list.)
  • Rent out one of your rooms. If you live in a house this will really help. If you live in an apartment, inquire about adding a roommate to your lease.
  • Consider another side hustle. Many students and adults are supplementing their income with side hustles like Uber and Lyft or a part-time job.
  • Make interest only payments on your school loan debt. This is not the optimal situation, but at least the interest charged per month is not doubling. When interested capitalizes each month, you are paying interest on top of interest which increases your principal balance.

I hope this list helps and be sure to stop by for more student loan shark information you need to know!

Remembering Our Fallen Heroes on Memorial Day

(Photo: Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

America’s love for our fallen heroes is still alive and well thanks to private individuals and organizations who keep the tradition alive.

My sister and I were talking about Memorial Day and how when we grew up Memorial Day meant a parade honoring our military service men. It also meant that the graves of former military service men received flags every year throughout the state. My family tradition is that each year flowers would be put on the graves of loves ones who have passed. Each year the local veterans would quietly place flags on the grave sites of former service members in preparation for Memorial Day. Our family was glad to see the flag on my grandfather’s grave site to commemorate his service to our country.

Today, however, more Americans seem to be grumbling about almost everything in the United States. They fail or don’t want to see the kindness of others and especially those who have given their life so that we can be free! America is full of people who are sewing seeds of kindness and love, however, you just don’t hear it in the media. Why? If they keep us riled up, divided against each other and sewing seeds of hate and contempt, then we won’t have time to see the truth–that there is good happening at the same time. Everyone focuses on the negative and the good gets lost because it doesn’t sell newspapers or increase ratings. Meanwhile, good is happening all around us but we need to stop and pay attention. I would like to share a story about a self-less group of Americans and former service men who have been remembering our fallen heroes every Memorial Day since 1919.

James Otto and others at Brandon-Fairwater American Legion Post 378 of Wisconsin quietly place over 6,000 flags on the graves of former military servicemen every Memorial Day since 1919, according to FDL Reporter. Otto, now 86 and his comrades from the Post 378 place flags on the graves year after year because they want the families and Americans to know they will not be forgotten. It means a lot to the families who have lost loved ones when they arrive at the cemetery to honor their family members. These self-less men and others across the country provide flags for fallen service men, even if it means racking up personal debt. However, the men at Post 378 and others like them are aging. Who will continue the tradition after these men are gone?

Find out what military group, post or organization places the flags on former military grave sites and give a donation, offer to help, or ask what is their greatest need and then fill it.

  • Stop and remember our fallen service men and their families.
  • They have paid the ultimate price for your freedom–don’t take it for granted!

Remember: You don’t have to wait until Memorial Day to support them.

Photo Courtesy of Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Florida Disaster Preparedness 2019

Photo courtesy of the Miami Herald.

Financial preparedness is a must for any disaster as well as every day.

Disaster preparedness is a necessary evil when you live in Florida and even more so for South Florida and the Keys. For me, I previously lived Central Florida for 25 years in an area where no one even dreamed there would be one hurricane let alone three (Frances, Jeanne and Charley) in a six week period. It began with Charley on August 13th, then Jeanne on September 6 (Labor Day), and ended with Charley on September 25th. Storm rattled residents were beyond weary and unprepared as they were slammed one hurricane after another.

I learned a lot from this experience and I would like to pass along my personal tips for those seeking to prepare and those who are procrastinators. (Note, this is not an all encompassing list.) Here are some of my disaster preparedness items:

  • Cash, cash, cash! Luckily, my husband and I were putting away cash in a secret place in case of an emergency. It sure came in handy to buy supplies and food as there were no credit card machines operating in any store and cash was the only way to obtain anything! Bank ATMs were also not operating and banks weren’t open to get cash.
  • Battery operated radios, flashlights + extra batteries. Batteries run out quickly, so be sure to buy more than you think you need. You can also buy LED flashlights as well as LED lights with a stretch band to go around your head for hands free maneuvering. Old fashioned kerosene lamps also work great. Beware of using candles both for fire safety and because they contain paraffin a chemical and smoky odor.
  • Buy 2 gallons of water per day x 7 days = 14 gallons per person. Yes, this seems excessive, but it took a little more than a week to get the water and electricity back on, so 1 gal per person for 3 days won’t be enough. Some Florida Keys residents didn’t have water in some areas for a month or more.
  • Buy Blue tarps, tar paper, roofing nails and extra shingles. Buy them now before the prices sky rocket and store shelves will be empty. After 2004, roofing nails were like “gold” and were hard to come by!
  • Buy gas containers and fill them before the hurricane. Gas stations were running out of gas before the hurricane and then there was rationing, so prepare a week or so ahead of time.
  • Non-perishable food. These items were the “go to” foods that kept us alive. Gator Aid, water (previously mentioned), peanut butter or almond butter, nuts of any type, raisins, black beans, kidney beans, chick peas, canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned refried beans, tuna, instant oatmeal, cereal, etc. (Bread went bad too quickly.)
  • Gas grill and/or propane cooking stove. You would be surprised at the types of meals you can cook on camping stoves. Just remember to buy more than one gas or propane tank. We were able to cook inside during the hurricane with a propane cooking stove.
  • Weather tight file boxes with handles. These are meant for important papers that you’ll need in an emergency and you have to start all over again. You don’t need to take “all” your files with you–just the most relevant ones.
  • Portable Solar power panels. Staying connecting after a hurricane is even more important due to theft, vandalism and other emergencies experienced trying to clean up. Of course, this is assuming the cell towers still work. These devices charge cell phones and laptops and they have really come down in price. You can find solar panels at Harbor Freight for almost every budget.

Reflections Of Our Younger Selves

Photos courtesy of Tom Hussey.

Recently I came across these pictures on the internet and it was a reminder of how I’ve been feeling. I’ve heard it from others and totally let it go in one ear and out the other, but now I am beginning to reconsider the comments that I’ve heard from adults in their fifties and older. Comments like age is only a number until you start feeling your age; or one woman’s shock to see wrinkles and facial hair that seemed to grow overnight; to vows made to fight the aging process while others indulge with beauty treatments and exercise.

Even now I look into the mirror and see the swimming athlete I used to be and even after two children I was a size 6. But those days are long gone. Do I want them back? No, not really. What many of us baby boomers are realizing is that we think we can do the same things we used to do, but our bodies are telling us a different story through aches and pains. Some of my friends tell me things they used to do in their past like standing on his/her feet for 8 hours, swimming a 200 or 400 meter freestyle competition without being winded, running marathons, welding sculptures, climbing ladders and kneeling to pull weeds and plant flowers. Some retirees are running marathons in their 50’s and 60’s, bicycling 100 miles per day, boating and doing things they love. So does it really matter that you can’t do some of these activities any more when you’ve had an opportunity to take up new hobbies?

My answer is no. Why? Because we’ve learned many new things which have taken the place of these strenuous activities and we are wiser overall. What I see is that Boomers are realizing that time matters more now than when they were in their 30’s. What’s even better is that we now have the time to do something significant and make a difference. Some are mentoring young children, working in nonprofits to make a difference in their community, became care givers, driving seniors to doctor appointments and grocery stores, while others are continuing to work until they are 70.

Who am I today? I’m an individual who will make a difference in the lives of those around me. I’m still adventurous, full of life and can tackle anything. I’m a better version of my younger self. Who are you today?

Lying Eyes

Many of us having lying eyes and don’t even know it.

You are probably wondering what I mean by “lying eyes”. First let me say that it is a real thing that happens to millions of people every day. How do I know it’s real? I will begin by describing how I came to know this term first-hand and boy was I shocked.

How many times have you looked in the mirror and said to yourself, “I’ve still got it” or “Lookin good!” while observing your hair and makeup? Many times, I’m sure. We are confident and like who we are and that’s good. But the same face staring back at us in the mirror doesn’t seem to have those same flaws in our skin, bags under our eyes and wrinkles. You are probably thinking that mirrors don’t lie and I would agree with you. So why does this happen?

The problem isn’t with the mirror, its with our aging eyes! When you look in the mirror you don’t see the wrinkles here or there, or even worse the black hairs that seem to have sprouted overnight along your upper lip and and under your chin. Why? Because you aren’t getting a close up look in the bathroom or bedroom mirror to see all the hairs and wrinkles. Meanwhile you’ve been sporting around town in your new fancy shorts and no sleeve summer top and people have been checking you out. You like the attention and then you hear some old song that reminds you when you were younger and the feel good hormones keep coming.

While you’re strutting down the street feeling good, you suddenly get a glimpse of yourself in a store window. It makes you stop in your tracks and you are shocked by what you see! Needless to say you aren’t looking so hot as you thought in that outfit. Then you ask yourself, “How could I have bought this outfit?” Or the reality of your weight makes you look much larger in the glass. Then you look down and catch a glimpse of some dark spots on your legs. Was it lint from the dryer or cat hairs? Actually, it’s neither one. It’s runway stripes of black leg hairs you missed while shaving because you didn’t wear your glasses in the shower. Like any self respecting good women would do, you blame it on those cheap, no good razors you bought from the dollar store. In an instant, that confident, sexy woman is reduced to a wreck who wants to crawl in a hole and disappear. Especially when you realize that the looks you received were not from guys flirting, it was due to your runway stripes of black hairs on your legs! You just couldn’t see them.

One incident that really began to drive this point home involved putting on makeup in the car (of course I wasn’t driving). The bright morning sunlight was streaming into the car which made it easier for me to put on makeup. The handy magnifying mirror really helped put on eyeliner and that’s when I caught a glimpse of hairs on my upper lip and a few long, black hairs that were under my chin. I was “horrified” and totally embarrassed that everyone at work have been seeing this for days and no one said anything. I was so embarrassed. After this incident, I vowed to go on “hair patrol” every morning before I went into the office.

The medical term for the “lying eyes” phenomena is called Reduced pupil size and it happens gradually as you age. It begins in your 40’s and by your 60’s you may notice it even more. The muscles that control our pupil size lose strength as we age, but it also affects the pupil’s reaction to light. You may have noticed needing more light when you read and that is because our pupils become smaller and less responsive to changes in natural light in a room. All About Vision says that Someone in their 60’s will need three times more ambient light to read than a 20 year old.

So what’s my solution to this “lying eyes” problem? First, tell yourself that everything will be okay and follow these simple steps. Second, continue to maintain a healthy self-esteem regardless of any incidents. Third, if you don’t have a full length mirror go out and buy one. Fourth, if you don’t have a makeup magnifying mirror go out and buy one right away. Lastly, look for facial hairs every morning while in the parking lot. You’ll thank me later!

Obama Quietly Nixed “Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program”

A little known and quietly signed Executive Order by former President Obama went into effect without much fanfare because it was signed at the last minute. While everyone was focused on the elimination of the wet foot, dry foot policy, Obama slipped in another program to end and its effect sent shock waves throughout the Cuban community in Miami and abroad.

The program is called the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program (CMPP). This program was designed to encourage and expedite Cuban defection to the United States through overseas mission aid. This program fast-tracked residency for Cubans and was brought into place by the George Busch administration as a result of Cold War politics. During the Cold War, Cuba refused to take back those who were to be deported from the United States. At the same time, any who tried to leave Cuba for the United States was treated as a political dissident and traitor which prompted viable asylum claims.

On August 11, 2006, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would allow certain Cuban medical personnel in third countries (that is, not in Cuba or the United States) to apply for parole at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Under the CMPP Program, doctors and other professionals in the health field, sent by the Government of Cuba to work or study in third countries, could request parole into the United States. In addition, the spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 of individuals meeting the program’s criteria could be included in the parole request. The family members could be present with the medical professional in the third country or could be residing in Cuba.

Cuba’s exportation of skilled medical professionals working in 67 countries has brought in $8.2 billion according to a 2017 article in Granma, the official paper of the Cuban Communist Party as reported by Statnews. This revenue is one of the most importance revenue sources for the country’s stagnated economy. However, the end of this policy has left those skilled workers with no other choice but to continue to work for slave wages while the Cuban government takes 95% of their wages. Furthermore, the Cuban embassy confiscates their passports once they arrive in their mission city so that they do not flee.

Sebastian Arcos, associate director for the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University’s campus in Miami reiterated this fact by stating, “The Castro regime keeps 95% of the doctors’ salaries that are paid for, even by the WHO,” Arcos said. “Then these doctors and nurses work essentially under slave-labor wage conditions. In countries like Brazil and Venezuela, which have very friendly relations with Cuba, those countries pay Cuba directly, sometimes in oil, and often times medical staff working in those countries get nothing.”

Even in Cuba, doctors are paid a mere pittance according to Lancaster Online. “Alejandro Prado, 28, of Columbia, was an oral surgeon in Cuba, earning a meager $35 a month in the Communist system. When the Cuban government sent him on a medical mission to Venezuela, he escaped and went to the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.” Doctors in Cuba now are having to perform “side hustles” in order to stay afloat and make up for their measly income of $40 to $67 per month. The pay is so bad that doctors are driving cabs while others are renting out rooms to tourists to make ends meet while servers and tour guides make up to $140 per month thanks to tips from tourists.

In South Florida, Omar Lopez, human rights director with the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami believes the CMPP program is comparable to America’s own Underground Railroad. Unfortunately, the move by former President Obama to nix the medical professional parole program now closes those doors to doctors around the world who are working under these conditions.

Omar Lopez, human rights director with the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami said, “Now Obama has slammed the door shut for the entire Cuban medical community from escaping the Castro regime. The only reason President Obama eliminated the medical parole program was to appease Raul Castro.”

Arcos further believes that all the ruckus over wet foot, dry foot was really a smoke screen Obama used to cover up the fact that he eliminated the medical parole program.

As of 2017 when the policy ended, more than 7,000 Cubans have entered this program according to the New York Times. Under this program there are only 11 cities nationwide who resettle Cuban doctors through the nonprofit Church World Service organization. Even though the program has ended, many more doctors were expected to arrive in 2018 who were already approved.

By September 2017, Cuban doctors realized that their options were quickly diminishing and revolted in Rio De Janeiro collectively defying their government and suing to break ties with the Cuban government. According to the New York Times, they are “demanding to be released from what one judge called a form a slave labor.” In 2018, a group of Cuban doctors filed a lawsuit in Miami federal court and in Brazil against the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) which is a United Nations agency. The doctors are claiming that PAHO, an international public health agency, played a “principal role in the human trafficking of thousands of Cuban doctors and other healthcare professionals” since 2013 to the tune of $75 million dollars.

Brazil’s President-elect Jair Bolsonaro’s response (Nov. 2018) ordered Cuba to pay its doctors a fair salary or take them home. Havana responded by immediately ordering the doctors to return home, though many have decided not to do so. Bolsonaro has promised any doctor who wishes to stay in Brazil political asylum from the regime.

According to the Miami Herald, Cuba’s response was police visits to the doctor’s families with news that doctors who accept Brazil’s offer to pay their full salaries will not be able to see their relatives for eight years. They were not allowed to accompany the doctors as a way to discourage defections.

Understandably, the doctors feel like they have been indentured slaves and I would agree. However, Cuba’s response holding their families hostage as a way to ensure the doctors return home was even worse. The Cuban community desperately longs to see their loved ones, but they know it is not possible with the current regime. We’ll have to wait and see what happens either with our government by reinstating the medical professional parole program or a regime change in Cuba.

In the meantime, if what the doctors claim is true that PAHO pocketed $75 million from the deal with Cuba, then it would appear that a U.N. agency has indeed run a for-profit slave trade business. That is criminal in my opinion!

*Photo courtesy of New York Times.

Florida Keys Rental Housing Dumped for Airbnb!

Affordable housing has always been a problem for many Florida counties, but now it’s a crisis. Apartment communities who originally built their units using federal or state grant monies agreed to set aside a certain number of units to be used “only” for affordable housing. Many grant units have now expired and no one is building more affordable housing because it isn’t profitable for the builders. As a result, those apartment communities are no longer under obligation to keep those units for low-income affordable housing. I’ve seen it happen in Vero Beach, St. Petersburg and Miami and there are probably more counties with the same problem. Then you’ve got vacation rental housing depleting rental units and increased costs to own housing, especially in Monroe County (Florida Keys).

To make matters worse, landlords have caught on to the Airbnb wave offering tourists a “home away from home” while making more money renting by the week than with long-term rentals. For example, Monroe County has seen an increase in the number of vacation rentals of private homes by 27.1% or 502 units from 2017 to 2018 according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. This doesn’t even include those homeowners who do not register their vacation rental with the county.

The Florida Keys already had a rental housing shortage and after Hurricane IRMA blew through in 2017, it is now a severe crisis! Many homes were destroyed and residents were forced to relocate out of the Keys. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that nearly 3,000 people have left the Florida Keys after Hurricane IRMA. As the demand for housing increases, so do the prices which only exacerbates the situation. The Keys lost 2,000 housing units after Hurricane IRMA.

Now take into consideration your minimum wage workers like CNA’s, bank tellers, hotel workers and fast food chain employees. Where are these companies obtaining their workforce since the workers can’t afford to live in Monroe County? The answer is that they are being bussed in from Miami daily using Dade County transportation. Some are even sleeping in their cars so they don’t have the long commute each day. I have personally seen the fast food and grocery workers get off the bus with their blankets and small pillows or sleep in their cars because it is a two-hour drive by car and even longer on a bus that makes many stops. Yes, they sleep on the bus on the way to work and on the way home. That’s 4-hours a day getting back and forth to work and 20 hours per week! That’s another part-time job. These workers cannot afford to live in Monroe County with rental rates for efficiencies starting at $1,400 and two bedrooms running from $2,200 to $3,000 depending on the location. On the mainland, apartments in Miami high rises start at $1,400 a month with luxurious cabinets, granite and many amenities.

The people of the Keys are paying a high price to live in “paradise”, but how long before everyone but the rich are forced out? Who will clean their house, serve them their favorite food or pour them drinks at a local bar in the future? The cost to own a home has also increased significantly due to mandates for flood and wind coverage by mortgage companies. Then the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) administered by FEMA is up to its eyeballs in debt to the tune of $25 billion with no way to pay it off but increase premiums. FEMA even stated that it would take them more than 20 years to fund their 1% statute required reserve. When you consider that almost all of Monroe County is in the highest flood zone rating, it’s a recipe for disaster now and even tougher times in the future.

How will the Keys survive this challenge? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, businesses can’t open or stay open due to a lack of workers along with a lack of affordable housing. Many businesses have thrown in the towel and simply closed. We will see what community leaders and government officials do to resolve the problem, but they must act quickly!