Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 6-15-18

Features
School Board Member Resigns From Post
Last Friday, Susan Valdes, a longtime member of the Hillsborough County School Board, District 1, sub- mitted her letter of resigna- tion. Craig Lattimer, Hillsborough County Super- visor of Elections received the letter at 7:30 p.m.
The resignation was sub- mitted on the deadline for an elected official to resign from office.
The vacancy allows the members of the community
residing in that District 1, an opportunity to elect a repre- sentative. It also allows any- one interested in seeking the office, a chance to qualify.
The district include parts of West Tampa, Town N’ Country, and Carrollwood.
Anyone wishing to seek the position will be required to complete pa- perwork with the Hills- borough County Supervisor of Elections Office.
The official qualifying period begins at noon on June 18 and ends at noon on June 22.
Because of the time frame, all fees must be paid.
The candidate who wins the election will complete the term of Ms. Valdes. That per- son will then be required to run for office in 2020 during the election to win a regular 4-year term.
Information about Hills- borough County’s local can- didates, including their financial contribution re- ports, can be found in the Local Candidates section on www.VoteHillsborough.org.
Blame It On Global Warming
SUSAN VALDES
BY SAMUEL KINSEY
Over the past number of years, we have experienced extreme changes in weather patterns that cause the earth to become hotter. There have been severe storms when it is not supposed to rain or ex- treme droughts in times when rain is expected. It snows when it is not sup- posed to, and sea levels are rising causing our beaches and shore lines to erode.
It is extremely hot when it is supposed to be cold and cold when it is supposed to be hot. These weather pat- terns are affecting our econ- omy and our lives in unexpected ways. Scientists define this phenomenon as “Global Warming.”
Perhaps global warming is also at fault for some other things that scientists have not yet examined. As hu- mans, it’s our nature to look to place blame on something or someone else for all of our failures and shortcomings. So, to all the absentee fathers who fail to live up to your pa- ternal responsibilities, blame it on global warming.
To parents who fail to provide proper guidance and discipline to your children, allowing them to become dis- respectful, or neighborhood, or school yard bullies, it’s not your fault; to people who re- fuse to work, your lack of work ethic is not your fault; blame all of these things on global warming.
To all who show disregard for your neighbors by playing loud music, trashing the neighborhood, keeping inop- erable cars in your yards, re- fusing to maintain your property and other un-neigh- borly actions, your inconsid- erate behavior is not your fault; blame it on global warming.
To all of our young men who walk around with your pants hanging down expos- ing your underwear and on occasion your rear end think- ing that it’s cool, your mis- guided fashion statement is not your fault; blame global
warming.
To speedsters who race
up and down our roads en- dangering other drivers, cy- clists and especially pedestrians, it is not your fault. To those who cheat or fraud the government and/or innocent consumers, your greed is not your fault; to scammers, spammers and robo-callers who disrespect our privacy, it’s not your fault; all of you can blame your bad behavior on global warming.
To unscrupulous politi- cians who use your political power and authority for per- sonal gain for yourselves, your families and friends or who help the rich become richer at the expense of poor and middle class Americans, it is not your fault; and to those politicians who are so afraid of the NRA that you refuse to enact sensible gun controls to protect the inno- cent from mass shooters, your cowardice and incom- petence is not your fault; to the few police officers throughout the country who use your authority in unjust ways against the public, it’s not your fault; all of the above can be blamed on global warming.
To Roseanne Barr, your racist tweets are not your fault. To all who voted for Donald Trump because you believed he would be a good President, your error in judgment is not your fault; blame global warming; to Evangelical Leaders who condone Mr. Trump’s sins while preaching to others about the wages of sin, your hypocrisy is not your fault; it too can be blamed on global warming.
On a more serious note, we are facing perilous times. We must all do our part to secure the future for our chil- dren, our communities and our country. To all of us, in the upcoming elections, vote! There is no excuse for failing to do so.
Finally, if you see some- thing, say something. Just another view.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018