Parents must fight gutting of child labor laws | Letters to the editor

Florida Republicans Attempt to Weaken Child Labor Laws

Florida Republicans and their wealthy donors will be hard at work trying to gut child labor laws when the legislative session begins Jan. 9.

The Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative think tank funded in large part by Dick Uihlein, a wealthy billionaire and founder of Uline Shipping Co., is behind this effort to decimate existing laws protecting children from working more than 30 hours a week, from working overnight hours and in dangerous jobs on school nights.

The FGA is notorious for sponsoring legislation to restrict access to anti-poverty programs such as food stamps. It also opposes Medicaid expansion and pushes states to cap unemployment benefits. Republican Rep. Linda Chaney of St. Pete Beach, who lists a net worth of $1.4 million, sponsors the bill (HB 49).

It’s bad enough that Republicans will try to water down public school requirements for graduation. Now, they want children to work as much as their parents while still going to school. How will that work out?

Republicans will try to steamroll this bill, but as a parent, you can stop it. Call and email your Republican representative and tell them to let children be children — not “youth workers.”

PJ Whelan, Orlando

A Teenage Workforce

My immigrant grandfather came to America at age 8 and worked with his rag-picker father until he saved enough money for barber school. Now, I am living his American dream.

Recently, I ate at my favorite diner, which used to be filled with chatty waitresses where the owner was the chef. Every diner employee was a member of a racial or ethnic minority. If immigration is prohibited and massive deportation begins, who’ll be left to cook and serve your food, clean your houses, staff your nursing homes, pick and process your food, work at your convenience stores and fast food restaurants, build your houses, cut your lawns and do all the work now done by immigrants?

The Florida Legislature thinks it has found the answer: Teenagers.

Jim Infantino, Delray Beach

Missing from Health Care Plan

In the Florida Senate’s proposed $900 million health package, not a word is mentioned about how advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) can be a part of expanding access to health care. These providers are prepared at the master’s or doctoral level and provide primary, acute, chronic and specialty care to patients of all ages.

Nurse practitioners have been providing cost-effective, high-quality patient-centered care for more than 50 years with documented favorable outcomes; millions of Americans choose them as primary care providers.

As highly educated clinicians, APRN’s blend clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating health conditions with an emphasis on disease prevention and health management. The real and anticipated threat looming in Florida is a major shortfall of primary care providers in a state with an ever-growing population. I ask, why are APRN’s left out of this important part of legislation?

Vicky Stone-Gale, Davie

FSU has No Case

Florida State University’s decision to file a lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference directly conflicts with FSU’s longstanding obligations and violates legal commitments to other ACC members. They all willingly and knowingly re-signed the current Grant of Rights in 2016, which is enforceable and binding through 2036.

Each university benefits from this agreement, receiving millions of dollars in revenue. Neither FSU nor any other institution has ever challenged its legitimacy. As a league, the ACC is proud of the successes of its student-athletes. They have won the most NCAA national championships in the past two-and-a-half years while achieving the highest graduation success and academic performance rates among FBS conferences. So it’s especially disappointing that FSU would take this unprecedented, overreaching step.

The ACC is confident that the Grant of Rights will be affirmed by the courts and the conference will victoriously enforce the agreement in the best interests of ACC members.

Paul Bacon, Hallandale Beach

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 8.7: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
• No specific indicator mentioned for SDG 16.6.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: sun-sentinel.com

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