A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis, in remarks to the media Wednesday, extolled the city of Jacksonville as only he could do.
“For those who would say you’re morons,” DeSantis said, “I’d take you any day of the week and twice on Sunday.”
After Duval County opened beaches for limited purposes last week, the #FloridaMorons hashtag trended on Twitter, with the so-called “ACELA Media” blasting the decision, DeSantis noted.
Crowds, a subject of considerable debate among people on social media, thinned out as the weekend blurred into the week.
DeSantis, pushing to return the state to normalcy after a spring typified by coronavirus shutdowns, clearly has come to see Jacksonville as a validation of his approach, which has struck a middle ground between more coercive measures in blue states and more relaxed approaches to precautions in red states.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, who endorsed DeSantis ahead of the 2018 Republican primary, has been more closely co-branded with the Governor of late and was added to the statewide task force to reopen the economy.
Curry spoke to leaders around the state Wednesday about the challenges of reopening public spaces, such as beaches.
″Make sure you have a presence — just the presence of police, fire and rescue. People want to behave responsibly, sometimes you just have to remind them not to congregate, stop or get in compact spaces,” Curry said, according to WJXT.
“Just think it through. When you open. People have been in their homes now for weeks so you’re going to get a lot of people the moment it opens trying to get access. So you have to figure out locally how to manage that.”
Curry and DeSantis have repeatedly trumpeted “flattening the curve,” and with Jacksonville trending toward 5% positive testing rates, and short lines, at least sometimes, at the state testing facility at Lot J, there is potential for optimism.
Jacksonville has been celebrated on the national level also, as DeSantis noted previously.
On Monday, Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force gave an attaboy to Florida and Jacksonville for coronavirus response.
Birx noted that Jacksonville was well-positioned for opening the beaches.
“Most of the cases are in southern Florida,” Birx said. “If you look at Jacksonville they had less than 20 cases a day.”
10 comments
Ward Posey
April 22, 2020 at 6:42 pm
Morons endorse morons.
Frankie M.
April 22, 2020 at 8:53 pm
I want DeSantis to get in the ring on Monday nite RAW and say that. Pay per view! The reason we don’t have alot of cases is because our mayor is not a total moron and does not spell science with a y. Plus nobody is coming here for spring break. We canceled the player’s tournament before the weekend not after it was over. All it took was the pride of the Jaguars almost dying.
James
April 22, 2020 at 9:11 pm
No one goes toJacksonville anyway.The murder rate is more than the Coronavirus deaths.It looks like a war zone in most places.One of the highest welfare system in Florida.Have a Muslim who is buying up all the downtown waterfront,Bought a looser football team so he could right off his taxes.If you like the sound of gun fire To put you to sleep you found the right place…
Ty White
April 22, 2020 at 9:14 pm
Take me on. I voted for you and I’m going to do everything in my power to vote you out. Can we sue you went we get the coronavirus? You are making stupid decisions with people’s lives.
Csgetdegrees
April 23, 2020 at 8:10 am
Yeah, gosh, if only Gillum had won, then Florida would be doing great, amirite?
Barbara
April 23, 2020 at 9:36 am
I wish Gwen Graham had won.
Tired of morons
April 23, 2020 at 10:44 am
I did too and I’m done with his stupid self
He’s bringing to light the Doctors fears of a massive increase come September ugh
Concerned
April 23, 2020 at 1:20 am
Florida Governor DeSantis’ executive order 20-72 is set to expire May 8, 2020. It limits dental services to emergencies and postpones elective dental treatment due to covid-19 pandemic.
Since dental treatment carries highest risk, is it appropriate to allow dentists to resume elective dental treatment ?
https://www.perioimplantadvisory.com/periodontics/oral-medicine-anesthetics-and-oral-systemic-connection/article/14173521/covid19-and-the-problem-with-dental-aerosols
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-front-line-visualizing-the-occupations-with-the-highest-covid-19-risk/
Sonja Fitch
April 23, 2020 at 6:48 am
Stfu being defensive!!!! Make decisions on facts facts facts! Duffus Desantis (June 2) and lootin Lenny(May 5) tests tests test!!!!
Jane
April 23, 2020 at 6:17 pm
DeSantis = Moron
Comments are closed.