The Slant

Boy! You Americans can put away food.

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:13:04 -0500

By Jaideep Hardikar

After they had consumed enormous quantities of salad and something that looked like fish, I expected the couple on the next table in an Italian restaurant to pay the bill.

But no, they weren’t finished. That was just their appetizers! The ever-so-smiling waitress came back to take the order for their main course!

When I was half way through my thin-looking Caesar salad, I asked the waitress, rather embarrassingly, to give me “a box.” And she did it smilingly. I just made sure no one looked at me while I stuffed what would be my dinner into the “box”.

Just curious to find how much the couple finally ate, I sat there reading a book. When they were done with their main course, I wondered if they would now seek the bill. Nope. It was time for dessert. The woman also asked for “one more Diet Coke please.”

Nothing has amazed me more on my first trip to the United States than how much an average “calorie-conscious” American actually eats at one go.

I know it’s not the rule, but generally I feel a young American would eat thrice as much as I do.

North Indians, I think, gorge such quantities and can match Americans. But I bet my fellow Nagpurians would find it hard to consume so much at one go.

I was perplexed when President Bush blamed Indians and Chinese for the global food crisis two years ago. They were suddenly eating more, he’d argued. Well… that’s another story. But I now have a fairly better idea of who eats more than whom!

The moment I landed in the United States, I had to make huge adjustments with food. I still can’t make any sense out of half the menu. And everything comes in enormous quantities.

I’ve therefore made it a rule. Go for lunch in a restaurant. Order a good dish. Eat half of it there – and that’s how much I can – and carry the remaining in the box for dinner.

And yes, I’ve re-discovered the importance of a box here. Whoever invented it!

Jaideep Hardikar is a visiting journalistin the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship from the DNA newspaper in Nagpur, India. From time to time, his observations on life in South Florida will appear in our blog, TalkBackSouthFlorida.

Why do Republicans support socialized medical benefits?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:41:33 -0500

By John Gudelanis

While Americans over 65 and members of Congress enjoy the benefits of socialized medicine, Republicans, who opposed socialized medicine, haven't rejected their socialized medical benefits.

Why do Republican politicians believe they are better than the average American? I want the same coverage, at the same cost, as members of Congress.

John Gudelanis lives in Wilton Manors, Fla.

Florida's fairly fit when it comes to obesity.

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:02:34 -0500

By Douglas C. Lyons

Well, at least we're not the "Fattest" state. That distinction belongs to Mississippi.

So, as we break for the long holiday weekend, which I'd imagine will include enough all things grilled, barbeque and cold beer to clog the capillaries of every resident of Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, Floridians can take some solace that the Sunshine State isn't the top dog for obesity. We've got other issues, but the home of the fat isn't one of them.

In fact, Florida ranks 39th in adult obesity rates and 17th in obese and overweight children. It's not Massachusetts, but it's not the Magnolia State either.

Bon appetite!

Note: This online feature allows editorial writers the chance to detach themselves from the institutional voice of the newspaper and express their personal opinions on a variety of subjects. This view belongs to Senior Editorial Writer Douglas C. Lyons. You can leave your comments here, or reach him at dlyons@sun-sentinel.com.

Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities has its own psychotropic drug problem

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:14:35 -0500

By: Howard M. Talenfeld and Maria E. Abate

The use of dangerous prescription medications for children and adults in residential and group home facilities licensed by the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is an alarming situation.

Two years before the suicide of Gabriel Myers, a foster child who was prescribed a “cocktail” of powerful psychotropic drugs, 12-year-old group-home resident Denis Maltez succumbed to serotonin syndrome after being given similar drugs.

Gabriel’s death brought to light the near-rampant use of these drugs among Florida’s foster children – and resulted in a sweeping review of the practice by the Florida Department of Children and Family Services. The APD should conduct a similar review.

Such a survey would likely find what a review of Denis Maltez's death confirmed; some group homes allow these drugs to be administered to adults who are not competent to provide informed consent and to children whose parents or guardians have not provided such consent. These drugs often are prescribed without a full physician review or medical history, without parent or guardian consent, and in an “off-label” fashion not intended by the manufacturer.

Rarely are behavioral interventions exhausted and investigations undertaken to ascertain how the different medications will react to one another – or how the individual will respond to the regimen. The drugs also are prescribed and administered without appropriate follow up monitoring and blood testing, as was the case with Denis Maltez.

The DCF review found that 2,669 of Florida’s 20,235 foster children under the age of 17 were given one or more psychotropic drugs – with one in six, or about 16 percent, lacking required permissions. These findings only scratch the surface the use of these drugs.

We call upon the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities to join DCF Secretary George Sheldon in a review and scrutiny of these practices. APD should survey all licensed group homes working with the Agency to determine how many are administering psychotropic medications without appropriate consent, and how many are using these medications as chemical restraints. We are also asking that the APD take necessary actions to ensure appropriate procedures are in place to ensure the use of these medications is appropriate and only as a last resort after all behavioral interventions have failed. The APD must join in DCF'S effort to protect vulnerable persons like Denis Maltez.

Howard M. Talenfeld and Maria E. Abate are South Florida trial attorneys who are involved with child welfare issues. Talenfeld is also president of Florida's Children First.

Enough with the Michael Jackson already!

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:12:01 -0500

By Gabe De Sabatino

Your June 27 editorial on Michael Jackson fails to mention the absolute media frenzy over his death. Turn to CNN or any other TV news show and all you get is Jackson, Jackson, Jackson ad nauseam.

Hardly a word about what’s happening in Iran and elsewhere. My God, you’d think that the world had come to a standstill or that the president of the United States had been assassinated.

And who was Jackson? A popular entertainer with a questionable personal record which made of him a poor role model for young people. He was no Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi or Albert Einstein. So why all the fuss?

Yours for greater sanity on the planet.

Gabe De Sabatino lives in Coral Springs, Fla.

Change in Iran unfolding in unpredictable ways.

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:10:46 -0500

By Robert G. Rabil

As the Iranian regime suppresses the mass demonstrations over the presidential election, the international community, other than expressing indignation at the regime, has been confounded by the swift unfolding of events. Lost in that confusion is the scope and breadth of the crisis gripping the regime's levers of power.

Since its creation in 1979, the regime has unsuccessfully attempted to bring the different clerical ideological strands under Ayatollah Khomeini's theocratic doctrine Vilayet e-Faqih (Rule by the Just Jurist). Even though the clergy elite have been bound by their loyalty to Khomeini and his doctrine, they, generally speaking, split into two camps, the Traditionalist Right and the Islamic Left.

The Traditionalist Right supported the theocratic model for state and society, and favored an economic system founded on private enterprise and government subsidies for the poor. Besides supporting Khomeini's theocracy, the Islamic Left advocated a strict state control of the economy. By the early 1990s, drawing on the support of a clerical technocratic class, the Traditionalists were able to tip the balance of power in their favor. The alliance between the two groups sustained a balance of power within the regime. Led by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Traditionalist Right, supported by President Ahmadinejad and the military-security complex, advocated the transformation of Iran into a regional power with nuclear weapons. At the same time, Khamenei enhanced his power at the expense of the alliance he forged with the technocrats, led by Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, chairman of the Expediency Council and Assembly of Experts.

Paralleling this development, clerics of the Islamic Left began to move away from their hardline attitudes and espouse moderate positions based in the recognition that Iran faced urgent socio-economic and political problems. They, including former President Khatemi and presidential candidate Mir Hussein Musavi, believed that the urgency to address these problems preceded the Traditionalist's regional ambitions. Meanwhile, the disruption of the Traditionalist-Technocrat alliance and the confrontational policies of Ahmadinejad moved the technocrats in the direction of the moderate reformers.

It was against this background that the election crisis unfolded. The regime may suppress the demonstrations, but its legitimacy and that of the supreme leader have been irreversibly affected. Fighting for its survival and that of the regime, the non-Traditionalist leadership elite has no alternative but to curb the power of the supreme leader and bring the military-security complex under the civil authority of the state. This is the fight for change in Iran, which could unfold in unpredictable ways.

Robert G. Rabil is associate professor of political science and director of graduate studies in the political science department at Florida Atlantic University.

Remembering the true legacy of Michael Jackson

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:53:42 -0500

By Barbara Cheives

“We can't go on pretending day by day that someone, somewhere will soon make a change. We are all a part of
God's great big family and the truth, you know love is all we need.” …We Are The World

– 1985- Michael Jackson

We have been glued to coverage of Michael Jackson’s death since we heard the sad news. I confess that when I heard that he was taken to a hospital, I thought it was a publicity stunt to bring attention to his upcoming London tour. When I realized he was really gone, I was stunned.

Trouble in his life notwithstanding, Michael was, without doubt, the single pre-eminent international spokesperson for UNITY!

Headlines from around the globe and clips from interviews from every corner of the earth all tell the same story. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, European, African…..no matter what race or country of origin, we mourn his passing and celebrate his music. From Gary, Indiana to the Eiffel Tower, to the Great Wall of China the shared sentiment is that he was an amazing talent.

There has forever been ‘white music’ and ‘black music.’ Radio stations are designed to play to specific audiences. Sponsors count on niche markets to pitch their products. Michael’s music, however, played everywhere and to everyone. He spanned race, age and ethnicity. He had the unique ability to bring races and nationalities together.

Michael Jackson’s music crosses generations. He lives on vinyl 45’s and LPs, 8 tracks, cassettes, CDs and i-pods. Grandparents can bond with their grandchildren over their memories of Jackson.

His songs have been translated to many languages. He was never classified as rock or R & B, but as music. At clubs, parties and discos all DJs have Michael Jackson’s hits in their repertoire.

My prayer is that Michael’s legacy will not be about rumors of wrongdoings, but his ability to unite a world. I invite us to reach across our self imposed barriers in the memory of the King of Pop.

Michael has shown us that we can sing and dance together to the same fabulous music. Since we know that to be true, I submit that we can work together to create a world of peace and unity….in the name of Michael.

Let’s live by the chorus of “We Are The World” –

We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving.

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me.

Barbara Cheives, whose picture graces this post, is a regular contributor to our blog. She is president and CEO of Converge & Associates, specializing in training and consulting on race relations and cultural competency. She resides in West Palm Beach, Fla..

Memories of MJ

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:55:06 -0500

By Rashida Bartley

Part of me doesn’t want to blog about Michael Jackson. If I do, I will have to give into the fact that he is gone. The King of Pop, dead at 50.

The world is shocked; my fellow 80’s babies are shocked. Growing up then, my friends and I would often talk about Prince vs. Michael Jackson. You were either a Prince fan or a Michael Jackson fan. I fancied myself a Prince fan hands down.

However, there were a few songs that really made me forget my devotion to Prince, Thriller, Pretty Young Thing, Say Say Say with Paul McCartney. And later when I discovered the Off the Wall album, even though it was pre Thriller and Bad albums, Off the Wall did it for me.

Even if it was only to donate my allowance to the school food drive the song multi-artist collaboration We Are The World, written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, produced by Quincy Jones, ignited the social activist in me. But my favorite MJ song, is Man in the Mirror from the Bad album. You could tell me nothing when that song was, playing. I would sing at the top of my voice, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking to him change his ways.” Oh that was the funk back in the day for me.

My fondest memory of Michael Jackson came on May 1, 2003.

My friend Ingrid and I were in Aventura, doing our usual afternoon mall run. We were trying to find something to wear out on the town for a hot night in South Beach. There he was, traveling with his entourage, right in the middle of our beloved Aventura Mall -- Michael Jackson.

We saw him in a store before the real mass hysteria started and people really noticed he was there. I can’t remember all the details, but he was about twenty feet away from me. So close that I thought I was delusional. My friend Ingrid says I screamed like a 12 year-old, and I have to admit I did. In public, without any inhibitions a guttural scream came out of me from no where.

It was Michael Jackson. The King of Pop. In the mall.

Are you kidding me?

I never screamed like that for Prince.

Rashida Bartley M.A., whose picture graces this post, is a new contributor to our blog. She is a South Florida freelance writer, journalist, poet and pop culture maven who has written the book, Justice Before Love, a collection of poems.

Print divas: Take your head out of the sand.

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:16:27 -0500

By Jack Furnari

Today I received an interesting, original graphic from Jim Graham, a reader of mine and a gentleman who sends out his own political graphics to a list of local conservatives.

Graham, who by his own account subscribed to The Palm Beach Post for 50 years, canceled his subscription because he could no longer stand what he believes to be reporting and commentary with a liberal bias.

Back in April, in a post titled, "Liberal bent misses the point of today's newspapers," I wrote: "In this case, the conservative theory on the downfall of the print media is more schadenfreude, directed at an age-old antagonist, than actual analysis." In the same post, I also credited the conservative movement as having an impact on the downfall of the liberal media, just not as large a one as they always think.

I stand by that post. The dinosaur liberal print media is dying the slow and painful death of a thousand cuts, and I still believe the majority of those cuts are because the Internet has destroyed the business model of print journalism.

But, and this is a big "but," the general unwillingness of the print media divas to even consider that an ingrained liberal bias has anything to do with the downfall of print makes me want to pull all the hair out of my head, and I have a lot of hair.

I post Graham's graphic, not to single out in this particular instance The Palm Beach Post, but in a probably futile attempt to get the print divas to take their heads out of the sand.

Graham may be but one voice crying out in the wilderness, but over the years, I have learned that there are many Jim Grahams out there.

When the Grahams of the world stop reading local newspapers, then the world of liberal print will exist, if it exists at all, in an economically unsustainable, progressive echo chamber of its own creation that talks only to itself. In fact, it is this already-existing liberal progressive echo chamber that has finally driven Graham to seek an alternative source for news.

And that is not the fault of the Internet.

Jack Furnari, whose picture graces this post, is a regular contributor to this blog. He is a conservative activist and writer from Boca Raton, Fla., and he can be reached at jacktda@yahoo.com

Financial services industry still fights against consumer protections.

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:01:41 -0500

By Denise Richardson

We’ve all been taught that history repeats itself. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of the past they will continue to occur, right? Then can someone please tell me why it is business as usual in the financial services industry these days?

With any luck — and more than a little consumer outrage — it won’t remain that way.

Consumers continue to complain that lenders are back to doing business as usual. Business as usual means the playing field is far from being level, with consumers at the muddy end and lenders sitting high and dry. A steady flow of borrowers continue to report that their requests for loan modifications go ignored or neglected. Mortgage servicing companies continue to operate without regulation or oversight.

With the economy brought to its knees, with corruption and fraud rampant, and more and more people without jobs but with empty savings accounts and stock portfolios, those who both played a role in the mortgage meltdown and credit crises and received a handout from taxpayers still don’t want to see any new rules, regulations or reforms of their industry. Instead of finding ways to recover from and prevent another economic crisis — the largest since the Great Depression — they are spending time and money lobbying against efforts to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency. They want to continue the status quo.

Many homeowners and credit card holders have stated they accept responsibility for their part in over-spending or taking on mortgage payments they couldn’t afford. Of course in some instances the consumer bears the personal responsibility, but they aren’t responsible for the fraud, corruption and undeniable greed that prompted and exacerbated the crisis in the first place. How easily special interest lobbyists can spin the facts and how easily we lose sight of that fact. Thank goodness someone is focusing on the real story and ignoring the spin.

On the Nightly Business Report, there was a lively discussion about the reforms that are being discussed for the financial industry. After a lot of wishy-washy finger pointing, Ira Rheingold, the Executive Director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, injected a little plain speaking into the conversation:

“That the banks sit here with a straight face as we American people have bailed them out with hundreds of millions of dollars and saying oh, but we're good guys, you can trust us, is beyond absurd. And really it's almost laughable except that in Washington, apparently, it's not laughable because there are people in Congress who actually listen to that nonsense. We need to create a new entity whose sole responsibility is consumer protection, whose world eye view is to protect all the homeowners and all the consumers in our country as opposed to protecting the banks who they have become way too comfortable with.”

The entity needed is the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

"This proposal provides strong federal oversight, but it also restores the ability of states to enforce strong consumer protection laws," said Kathleen Day, a spokeswoman for the Center for Responsible Lending.

States have long been sidelined in the fight for consumer protections because many banks that sell financial products to consumers are federally chartered, and so are only subject to federal oversight. House Financial Committee hearings this week will offer testimony from several national consumer advocacy groups who are ready to battle toe-to-toe with the powerful lending financial industry lobbyists who, as usual, are gearing up to fight against any type of oversight and regulation of their industry.

Consumers Union produced a short video explaining what the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency is all about. You can view it and if you agree it’s time to deter financial fraud, corruption and greed by demanding reforms, oversight and accountability, take action and let your legislators know. A Consumer Watchdog agency would ban products that don't meet safety requirements and ensure a level playing field between lenders and borrowers.

The truth is, without oversight and reforms what will stop these economic crises from reoccurring? Enough is enough, isn’t it? Join Americans for Financial Reform, a coalition of nearly 200 national, state and local consumer, employee, investor, community and civil rights organizations that have come together to spearhead a campaign for real reform in our banking and financial system. It’s time to put some teeth (and eyes) into consumer protection.

Denise Richardson, whose picture graces this post, is one of our blog's contributing writers. She is a consumer advocate and author living in Hollywood, Fla. She can be reached at www.Givemebackmycredit.com

Help save Florida. Pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:42:14 -0500

By Ann Vanek Dasovich

The new report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program holds no punches in laying out future climate change impacts for Florida. In addition to the stark impacts we have heard before—sea level rise, hotter temperatures, more intense hurricanes and water shortages—the report sounds the warning bell on several ecological thresholds we are close to breaching.

From the sudden loss of coastal landforms that serve as storm surge barriers, to widespread, rapid saltwater intrusion into our coastal forests and freshwater aquifers, to an abrupt decline of fish and shellfish populations, we face multiple tipping points.

As a hunter and angler, I am deeply concerned about what these changes would mean for our outdoor way of life. I worry that the Florida I call home today will not resemble the Florida of tomorrow. Fortunately, the scenarios laid out in the report do not have to come true. As the report states, “future climate change and its impacts depend on choices made today.” By taking bold action we can avoid the most catastrophic consequences and pass on healthy communities, wildlife and natural resources to our children and grandchildren.

Legislation currently moving through Congress gives us all the tools we need to meet the challenges of climate change. By “capping” global warming pollution, the American Clean Energy and Security Act will drop our emissions 83% by 2050. Doing so could mean the difference between a 4.5 F temperature increase and a 9 F temperature increase. It could mean the difference between a 1-foot sea level rise and 3-foot sea level rise.

The bill also invests in safeguards that protect ecosystems for people and wildlife in a warming world. Without conservation, many coastal communities will lose freshwater supplies and protections against higher seas and storm surges.

In addition, many of Florida’s commercial fishermen and countless other businesses rely on healthy coastal ecosystems for their livelihoods. By investing in large-scale conservation projects such as wetlands and mangroves restoration, the ACES Act can help build resiliency into Florida’s ecosystems so both people and wildlife can continue to thrive.

Protecting natural resources from the impacts of climate change means ensuring that our children and grandchildren have the same outdoor experiences that we have had. Passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act now will help conserve our outdoor heritage, our hunting and fishing traditions and the wildlife and landscapes that help make Florida beautiful and unique.

Ann Vanek Dasovich is regional director of the Florida Wildlife Federation.

Get in on the conversation with ...

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:53:03 -0500

By Barry Epstein

Neil Rogers' former sidekick Jorge Rodriguez, will be the opening guest on "barry epstein live", this Friday morning at 10:06 AM on WBZT, 1230 AM on the dial or at www.wbzt.com and click on listen live. Stay tuned for

Tune into Barry Epstein live Friday to hear our opening guest, Jorge Rodriguez, the former sidekick of lNeil Rogers. Fans of Neil will be interested to hear about Neil's recent retirement and some behind the scenes discussions from Jorge's first public interview.

We'll also be joined by FAU head football coach Howard Schnellenberger, Bob Norman of the New Times, Henry Pisano from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and our regulars, the Sun-Sentinel Dueling Columnists, Stephen Goldstein and Kingsley Guy, along with Lynn University political professor, Dr. Robert Watson.

The fun starts at 10:06 a.m. on www.wbzt.com
on the dial or www.wbzt.com, and click on listen live to discuss the day's important issues, and then go to www.sun-sentinel.com/slant to enter your comments.

If you have a topic you want our guests to discuss, send me an email to pr@publicrelations.nu. We welcome your input on this interactive discussion.

Local governments can speak, but not with tax dollars

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:21:19 -0500

By John R. Smith

Sometimes government gets it right. These days, state government seems to get it right more often than local government.

Case in point: Last week, Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law that says local governments can no longer spend taxpayer money to campaign for or against ballot issues.

Governments in South Florida have been famous for abusing the system to jimmy referendum items. What can be fouler than government spending your money to promote political issues you disagree with! It wasn't always this way. There was a time when government reasonably "educated" voters on pros and cons of a referendum issue. But politicians began polluting the process, twisting education into propaganda that advocated the politicians' viewpoint.

The issue is simple: Governments shouldn't use tax money for political campaigns. Spending public money on an ad blitz to advocate a political point of view is irresponsible and needed to be banned.

There are many affordable and efficient ways that governments can inform taxpayers about policy issues. They can post information on their websites. They can issue press releases to the media and post them on Internet sites. Officials can speak at public meetings or participate in TV and radio shows. They can hold public workshops, blog, or use electronic media to engage taxpayers in give-and-take sessions to air both sides of an issue.

So, the Legislature saw the unfairness and changed it. They rectified a situation that was the ultimate in arrogance: spending your money to persuade voters to tax your money some more.

But wait. The Florida Association of Counties announced it's considering filing a lawsuit to block the new law. They say it "could limit free speech." Well, the truth is that politicians can express their opinions on any subject, any little ol' time they want to. But they shouldn't be allowed to make taxpayers pay the tab.

This is a dangerous road for a democracy to travel, and the Florida Association of Counties needs to back off. The danger is that government has huge resources, which it can use to drown out other voices. We taxpayers need to hope this "Big Brother" issue stays buried in the political graveyard.

John R. Smith, whose picture graces this post, chairs the Palm Beach County BizPac, and he is the owner of a financial services company.

Driving in South Florida is a piece of cake

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:14:32 -0500

By Jaideep Hardikar

From the moment I arrived here in South Florida, I’ve been warned by my new friends and colleagues to be careful of rash drivers on the road. “Traffic here is rough,” they keep telling me. Readers of Sun Sentinel also frequently shoot letters to the editor complaining about atrocious driving.

It took some time to come to grips with the new traffic culture of South Florida. But, from what I’ve experienced so far in just about a month and a half of my stay, I’m not sure if the “rash traffic” here would come anywhere close to the one in my home town, Nagpur.

Those of you who’ve been to India would know what I’m saying.

Consider driving on a packed street, where you have to navigate through vehicles of all hues and pace: trucks, bicycles, cycle-rickshaws, public transport buses, two-wheelers, cars, auto-rickshaws and also pedestrians who have no patience to wait for their turn to cross the road.

Don't forget the cow or buffalo, always standing in the middle of the road. We have to factor in the animals; they are part of our traffic culture. And I have absolutely no qualms about it.

Consider this too: the road you are driving your beautiful and brand new car on is just about 30 feet wide, and the vehicles you share that road with might come from both directions, left and right.

At least the drivers here do, at most times, allow pedestrians to cross the road first. I find that absolutely fascinating. I enjoy crossing the road while a four-wheeler waits for me to pass.

I took my first driving lessons in India, navigating through chaotic and often unruly traffic.

That fun can’t be had here.

To me taking to the left wheel and driving right side of the road is opposite of what I am used to. In India, we drive on the right side of the car and on the left side of the road. We follow the Brits for the legacy they left behind.

I also find the streets and highways here more overwhelming too. Take the numbers for instance: I-95, I-595, I-75, US1, A1A. And let's not talk about the exits! Of course, it gets easier as you learn, but until that time, I miss my exits almost every time. I kept circling the Fort Lauderdale International Airport the day I got my car from the rental agency, because I could not read the exit signs directing me toward the city.

Driving and trying to figure out which exit to take to reach a destination through a web of connecting highways, streets and flyovers has been a bigger challenge to me than the speeding drivers who change lanes without any signals. Despite its infamous reputation, the traffic here doesn’t seem all that bad to me.

Driving has its own pitfalls and the potential for accidents, which are inescapable parts of traffic. People tend to believe that the grass is greener on the other side. I believed that too before coming here. Now I can appreciate my country in a better way than I did before.

Driving and traffic are better here. If you don’t think so, you are welcome to try your luck on the streets off India.

Smoking cessation saves lives, money

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:46:41 -0500

We would like to commend the Florida Legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist for their efforts to pass legislation to increase the cigarette user fee by $1 per pack.

Previously, Florida ranked 46th in the nation for cigarette excise taxes and effective July 1, we will rank 22nd. That, coupled with the 62-cent increase in the federal tax, will drive more and more people to quit smoking and will provide the greatest disincentive for children to take up smoking.

A study done by the Washington Economics Group indicates that smoking costs Florida more than $20 billion per year. That cost is equivalent to $6,942 per smoker. About half of this costly burden falls on government, private employers and non-smokers through increased medical expenditures and reduced workplace productivity.

With the increase in the cost of cigarettes and other tobacco products, we will see an increase in people wanting to quit. We should make every effort to make sure services are available to help them break their nicotine addiction. To provide smokers with the greatest chance of success, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that smoking cessation coverage include:

At least four counseling sessions of at least 30 minutes each,

All FDA-approved prescription and over-the-counter nicotine replacement treatments, and

Counseling and medication for at least two cessation attempts per year - with low or no co-pays or deductibles for counseling and medications.

Every dollar spent on smoking cessation programs will yield $1.90 to $5.75 in economic gains for Florida, according to the economic study. When a smoker quits successfully, 25 percent of the total financial benefits go to his or her employer in increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. By following the CDC guidelines, Florida could save as much as $394.7 million in costs associated with smoking.

Smoking affects not only Floridians' wallets, but also their lives. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and contributes to more than 440,000 deaths each year. We encourage all health plans, the state of Florida employee health program and Medicaid to cover proven smoking cessation programs, and by doing so, we will save Floridians money and lives.

Brenda Olsen is the CEO of the American Lung Association; Tad P. Fisher is executive vice president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians; and Stephen R. Winn is executive director of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association.