Reject sheriff’s excessive demands | Letters to the editor

According to the Sun Sentinel, more than 50% of Broward taxpayers’ dollars are swallowed by the sheriff’s office and Sheriff Gregory Tony has the audacity to ask for more increases in 2026, with Pompano Beach facing the largest budget hike of all, a whopping $13 million, among the cities that pay BSO.

Pompano is already paying $63 million this year, up from $53 million in 2022. If we succumb to Tony’s demands, city residents will shell out $72 million next year.

It would be one thing if BSO were doing a good job, but they’re not, and they can’t prove it with any hard data points, either. Even if BSO did spew out some stats, could we trust they are telling the truth when they police themselves?

Why would Pompano Beach let our highest-paid contractor operate with so little oversight and unlimited funds? We’re the client. They have clearly forgotten that, based on how they treat us. We pay the sheriff, not the other way around.

I launched browardcopwatch.com to gather feedback from Pompano Beach residents about their interactions with BSO in the past year. Of the 100 responses I received, 55% had reason to complain about BSO. Of that number, 71% did not file complaints due to fear of retaliation or a belief that it would be useless.

Lauren Holliday, Pompano Beach

I always read with great interest your Opinion page, and I was dismayed by the editorial entitled “For Pines city official, no badge of honor.” It focused on a single incident without considering the broader context of Commissioner Jay Schwartz’s tenure in Pembroke Pines.

Was this an overreaction or rhetoric for voters? One lapse in judgment, though serious, should not minimize 13-plus years of excellent public service.

I understand that public officials should be held to a higher standard, but let a thorough review be completed. Then, more could be written with fairness.

Accountability is essential in a democracy, and his web page notes it: “The responsibility and trust you have given me I take very seriously,” he said. “I want to be a great public servant. Your concerns are my concerns and I will work tirelessly through positive and bold action to bring you the leadership we deserve.”

Ram Tewari, Ph.D., PE, BCEE, Pembroke Pines

It was pretty disappointing to read a recent Wall Street Journal article on cheating in law schools.

Apparently many law students get ADA disability accommodations under false pretenses, giving them twice as much time to finish tests. Our profession is about following the law, and in my mind, using a law specifically intended for people with disabilities to cheat is unconscionable.

Chad Van Horn, Fort Lauderdale

Letter writer PJ Whelan thinks we do Israel’s bidding when we attempt to protect the world from a nuclear Iran. If successful, that would pose a great immediate benefit to all of Iran’s neighbors including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Israel.

It’s a potential benefit to the U.S. and the rest of the world to eliminate a nuclear threat from a very aggressive, provocateur regime with a trigger finger, happy to see the extermination of all heretics.

If anything, Israel has done the world’s bidding. The U.S. finally stepped in to help.

What have we received from Israel for all of our aid? It is impossible to list all the benefits. Scientific and medical advancements alone may justify every dollar, but let’s remember that the aid we give largely gets spent here at home.

So our aid to Israel benefits American businesses, investors and consumers. Our interests coincide with Israel’s.

Lou Bluestein, Boynton Beach

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