A.G. Gancarski
House Speaker José Oliva believes that the state is ready to move forward from coronavirus.
The Speaker’s daily COVID-19 update email, sent Saturday, offered the latest evidence, just hours after Florida passed 30,000 confirmed cases and 4,800 hospitalizations from the novel coronavirus.
In the email, Oliva, a conservative with a strong libertarian bent, prominently linked to an opinion article entitled “The Pandemic Is Over.”
Hot quotes abound in the piece, which seemingly reflects Oliva’s position on the subject.
“Let’s stop the economic suicide and get back to work,” the article from conservative essayist George Gilder contends.
Gilder’s piece pulsates with purple prose, including describing politicians (presumably including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis) as having embarked on a “vandalistic lockdown of the economy.”
“Flattening the curve was always a fool’s errand that widened the damage,” Gilder writes. “President Trump had better take notice. He will soon own this gigantic botch of policy and leadership.”
For Oliva, a member of the Governor’s Re-Open Florida Task Force, this continues a theme of contrarian commentary dating back well before the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders that have characterized life in Florida, and most of the world, for over a month now.
Even before the Legislative Session ended, Oliva expressed grave concern that the budget may have to be adjusted given drastic changes in the economy.
Oliva offered another cautionary social media comment in the “don’t let the cure be worse than the disease” vein on Mar. 21.
“At what point is the cure worse than the virus? We are all deeply concerned but should we all be deathly afraid?”
The Speaker has also raised concerns about the recent full-bore Keynesian expansion of the money supply, even as it looks likely to help bail Florida’s budget out.
Oliva took to Twitter to predict that the federal commitment, already at $2.2 trillion from the giveaway-laden CARES Act, will end in tears.
“The economy is shuttered, unemployment at historic highs but the stock market is having a great week. No amount of ‘forward-looking’ can account for this disparity. The financial sector is again the greatest beneficiary of this stimulus. This will not end well in the long run,” Oliva tweeted earlier this month.
Jobless claims continue to pile up.
More than half a million Floridians filed for unemployment last week, bringing total claims to 1.16 million since coronavirus precautions wrecked the economy last month.
Meanwhile, most Floridians who have filed wait for checks.
33 comments
John Kociuba
April 25, 2020 at 10:13 am
It was never a pandemic! What was Florida’s fatality ratio out of 21.3 million people? 0.02%
Florida must prepare for Civil War against unconstitutional ENCROACHMENT by a NEVER ending CORRUPT Federal system hungry for power!
The CDC, NIH, FDA predicted 455,000 infected Floridians with these draconian lockdowns!
Only 30,000 infected with 1,200 fatalities average ages in 70s.
YES! THIS IS WITH LEFTIST COMMUNISTS INFLATING THOSE NUMBERS TO JUSTIFY DESTROYING INDIVIDUAL WEALTH, PROPERTY RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES!
THIS CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!
Andre
April 25, 2020 at 11:34 am
John,
You are paranoid dude who watched too much t.v.
Communism rants about people in this country because they think differently than you?
Had this been handle correctly from the start it would not have come to this. The big boys are losing money and they don’t like it!!!
Carrie M Christman
April 25, 2020 at 5:58 pm
You don’t know the difference between Infringement of the Constitution, and what Communism/Socialism is?
I suggest you research the countries who have had to live under it.
China is going to have a Revolution. Except their folks have to arm themselves with what ever they can.
John Kociuba
April 25, 2020 at 9:34 pm
Really? Which would you like to discuss ya filthy witch?
1. Fabianism
2. Menshevism
3 Bolshevism
4. Fascism (which is Menshevism)
Fact is YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT COMMUNISM NOR AMERICA’S CONSTITUTION!
Communist prey on weak minded surfs as yourselves. Human waste without souls begging lawless subjugation.
Ocean Joe
April 27, 2020 at 1:23 pm
The “filthy witch” was actually taking your side. You guys are hilarious!
Vinnie StJohn
April 25, 2020 at 12:23 pm
You’re dead on. Liberals who live in ivory towers have no care in the world about the masses being financially murdered. It will simply be there 202 Campaign montra: Its Trump’s fault.
This is their opportunity to create a nation of dependence through bypassing the 14th amendment.
Carrie M Christman
April 25, 2020 at 6:02 pm
It is Trump who is going to save this country from those who have sought to destroy us.
This is not a pandemic. It is a Flue that is going around.
What we need to be afraid of is how ignorant people are in this now Nanny state, Government Pets, mentality.
Those in power were elected as employees of the People. They are not our Masters.
Those who did this to this country, and the world need to be arrested and tried for their crimes against Humanity.
Gates, Rauci, Brix, Soros, Kissinger, Hillary, Obama, Kerry, et al. All of those associated are guilty.
lawrence malman
April 27, 2020 at 11:58 am
the flue is in your chimney, wacko conspiracy nut, no facts from you!
Vicki Sparrow
April 26, 2020 at 10:20 pm
Amen, brother! Amen!
lawrence malman
April 27, 2020 at 11:57 am
wacko crazy right wing conspiracy nut, nothing factual, of course.
Heidi
April 25, 2020 at 12:19 pm
It’s high time to open Florida up. It’s been for a long time now. This whole virus is a sham. It was never as bad as they predicted. Open up the state NOW.
Sherry
April 25, 2020 at 4:09 pm
Thank you!
Rich
April 25, 2020 at 1:55 pm
When this is over. I’m contacting the appropriate people and I will be encouraging many others to do the same. To bring up legal proceedings and lawsuits from everything that has happened so far.
Margaret Blustine
April 25, 2020 at 4:31 pm
Florida flattening curve huge lie.is still tracking straight up. Many countries states show not true lockdown does not slow spread. Only thingworks.obvious de santis not lockdown caused huge numbers fla 1 worst states hit.open now while still 1000 increasing will be very very short business as numbers surge daily hugely months after months way past november.no tourists come state still increasing numbers.economy will crash
On surging as still cases increasing and flood of week after week more workers sicken.young
people recover have strokes organ damage can get reinfected. Economy will crash much faster opens anything while consistent still high cases deaths.treasure coast only left any possible tourists now if open it also destroy economy there too.treasure coast cases increasing fast just like Miami will end up as bad.started later so now increasing daily up up.no customers no tourists small businessincrease than they crash for much longer time. Only thing shownglobally slow it is strictly lockdown which didn’t happen.facts proven.workers sick weeks on end open now.lies flattening peaked.maybe june.otherwise result in economiccrash much worse
John Kociuba
April 25, 2020 at 9:37 pm
What? Are you smoking crack? Did you fail math in school? Jesus!
Mask Free
April 25, 2020 at 9:54 pm
What is/are your sources, Margaret? I have not seen any reports to confirm your claims.
What I DO know is free people do not allow fear (real or imagined) to dictate their thoughts or actions. I am very sorry if you are a victim of the media hysteria campaign to destroy this country.
This nation was not founded on fear. This nation has not survived on fear. This nation has not thrived on fear. Fear is a tactic of evil. Fear thrives in darkness and lies. I am very sorry you have been misled.
Patriotic Vet
April 27, 2020 at 11:15 am
LOL, Republican policy and politics are based on fear. Fear of women, fear of brown people, fear of foreigners. Endless need to build the biggest military on the planet out of fear. Fear of taxes, fear of vaccines, fear of truth. Ya’ll are afraid to look at your shadow if you aren’t holding a gun.
slick fidy
April 25, 2020 at 5:26 pm
open up … thin the state s population … allow large gatherings of Trump supporters only!
supply plenty of BLEACH ….
putin trump 2020
make America DUMBER
DRINK THE BLEACH!
Mimhausen
April 26, 2020 at 3:28 am
Wow dude you’re a dumbass
Name
April 25, 2020 at 7:13 pm
Been to NYC, yet? Mass graves of unclaimed bodies! If your Mom, Dad, Grandmother or Grandfather was one of them… I’m sure you’d be whistling a very different tune! Florida ‘s economic problems will recover; dead people stay dead and can’t work! Period.
John Kociuba
April 25, 2020 at 9:40 pm
NY Covid 19 fatality rate is 0.56% with average age 84
PROPAGANDIST EVERYWHERE! THEY WANT TO DESTROY AMERICA! REMEMBER HALF DEMOCRAT PARTY ARE SOCIALISTS!
Mimhausen
April 26, 2020 at 3:30 am
Yes and this is a cleaning of the masses it’s Bible! Take out the old for the new to arrive
Mask Free
April 25, 2020 at 7:43 pm
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
LET’S DO THIS!!!!
NOW.
Not Doubting Thomas
April 25, 2020 at 10:19 pm
I look forward to soon reading about Representative Oliva returning to Tallahassee and snuggling up close with the rest of the republicans as they renegotiate the Florida budget. Appears his concerns for COVID personally impacting him/his family/citizens of his district especially “host body” pregnant women is nil. I know he’s originally from NJ but perhaps he has some Texas Lt governor blood in him too or is blood kin to Miami Beach Commissioner Ricky Arriola and he will “take one for the team” also? And to save money when they return to Tallahassee, they can share rooms at a sister facility of evacuated Freedom Square of Seminole????? ;…< {
Marshall
April 26, 2020 at 6:09 am
Why can’t everyone see what is going on here. Many people have bee after the USA for decades to destroy her. The skinny Manchurian candidate started the ball rolling in 2008. Chinese are buying up American companies, that’s right a COMMUNIST REGIME is buying businesses. Now the constant attacks on our President and finally this SCAM-Demic! ENOUGH! Not sure where we are headed but if you pay attention to history it isn’t good. Be prepared. I fear harm will come to our President since they tried every other damn thing. Be warned, all of you leftists, harm him and you will rue the day you did.
G.I.JO
April 26, 2020 at 8:07 am
I agree 100% Marshall, we are behind our President and if the angry scum from the left screw around and harm our President it will be war. They are already pushing the limits with their hate filled rhetoric and lies.
G.I.JO
April 26, 2020 at 8:15 am
Please see this article for what is going on:
“Tying It All Together: China, Dr. Fauci, French Company Sanofi Pasteur, George Soros and the Gates Foundation
By Jim Hoft”
Published April 17, 2020 at 8:02am
Also check out the Gates “Event 201”.
We are being played.
G.I.JO
April 26, 2020 at 8:22 am
Must read:
https://nationalfile.com/president-trump-vs-bill-gates-on-treatment-fauci-has-a-100-million-conflict-of-interest/
May
April 26, 2020 at 9:58 am
What I have seen is the people who ate against reopening the state are either scared of their own shadow or they just want to sit back, not work and collect a paycheck! This is Unsustainable to give everyone esoecially thosw who could work money! This Socialist Utopia type thinking is going to end up on thebacks of the working middle class screwing us Again with high taxes! But the politicians continue w their pet projects! How much Millions will your new sign cost Largo Commissioners?
Charles Lammers
April 26, 2020 at 11:30 am
Jose Oliva is not a serious man.
Jose Orlando Padron is
Michelle K
April 26, 2020 at 12:34 pm
After reading many of the comments under this article, I’m more than a little frightened that many of my fellow Floridians feel this way about non-Republicans and people who are on the more cautious side of the fence when it comes to treating this pandemic with the care and seriousness it deserves. A deadly virus doesn’t care which political party you belong to or support, and it certainly doesn’t care if you believe it’s a “communist hoax” or choose to ignore it and pretend it will go away. Reopening society too soon, as has happened in other countries around the world where a second wave of COVID-19 is already hitting their citizens, could be not only irresponsible and foolish, but deadly.
What disappoints and bothers me more about these comments is that they don’t seem to recognize the humanity in their Florida neighbors and fellow American citizens who have a different political philosophy than they do. We’re working people, unemployed people, parents, grandparents, and students just like you are–all who have to struggle to pay the bills and worry about our children just like you do. I’m a hard-working parent of two sons who is blessed to be able to work from home during this pandemic. I worry about my children’s health and futures–just like you do. And you seem to have it out for me to kill me in a bloody civil war if one were to come to pass. That saddens me, and it horrifies me. What kind of country have we become that our political differences make us want to harm and kill each other, and subject each other to harm from a deadly virus?
It seems that many of you are chomping at the bit, looking for any excuse at all, to kill us. Your fellow Floridians and American citizens. Solely because we aspire to a different vision of our country that involves ensuring everyone in our country has healthcare, a decent living wage, and a strong social safety net to help us when we’re down. Just like Canada, Ireland, Australia/New Zealand, much of Europe, Japan and Costa Rica. All civil societies and social democracies–not the autocratic communist hellholes that Republicans love to demonize.
I have relatives in Ireland of whom I’m a bit jealous–they were all able to finish college with no student debt, buy homes much sooner than we in the States were, and travel the world with no worry about going into debt or blowing all of their savings. That’s because Ireland has a strong social safety net that protects all of its citizens. Yes, they may pay a little more in taxes, but that’s money they DON’T have to spend on high healthcare premiums and co-pays, medical costs, student loans, and the list goes on. They are all hard workers who don’t take “handouts” from anybody, but they do have a great society that protects and looks after them. Were it that we could replicate that kind of society here.
Is that really so wrong? Is that really a reason to demonize and aspire to kill us?
Moreover, is that really a reason to want to open up society and expose many to a virus that can endanger their lives? People point out that shutting down “the economy” can be just as bad, because that means people will be out of work and won’t be able to provide for their families, so will put themselves at the risk of death in another way. Why does this have to be a binary choice? Why can’t we DEMAND more from the government that purports itself to be “of, by, and for the people”? Why can’t we ensure that people out of work still are able to feed themselves and support their families, the way Denmark, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, and so many other countries are able to do as they guarantee out-of-work payment for their citizens? Are the people in *these* countries lazy and unwilling to work, or are they just laying in wait so that they don’t get themselves sick and overwhelm their medical systems?
Before we “open things up for business,” we really need to think things through and ask ourselves what kind of society we want to be. One where we leave each other to the wolves, or one where we look after each other and ensure that all can be lifted up? The choice is ours. I hope we choose wisely.
Eddie
April 27, 2020 at 10:31 pm
I think you have already answered your own questions. You see clearly that our country is divided nearly to the breaking point. The more important question you should ask is why should one side force the other side to live under a system they detest? Why not just admit that the country is broken and agree to a separation? You can live in a system that you want and they can live in a system that they want.
The Great COVID Panic of 2020
April 27, 2020 at 8:23 am
Sorry you lost your job, your house, and your community, but at least we saved you from a cough with a 0.2% death rate!
Comments are closed.