Guest AuthorHere are two simple questions. The right answers will save the state of Florida; the wrong answers — I don’t want to think of them or their disastrous consequences. As things stand, which way things will go is a toss-up, which should give people who see beyond their noses heartburn.
First, are Floridians, especially voters, as dumb as the state’s Tea Party-Republican-dominated elected officials think they are? In this election year, the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott have morphed into proverbial wolves wearing sheep’s clothing, larding the state budget with payoffs and giveaways to fool voters into thinking they really care about them.
Will Hispanics forget that Scott wanted an Arizona-style, draconian roundup and deportation of the undocumented? Or will they fall for the just-passed law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities, after they read the restrictions in the fine print?
And will they believe the governor when he denies he flip-flopped, that he was against the law in 2011 — though he’s on tape saying so — and that he vetoed a bill in 2013 that would have allowed the DREAMers, undocumented people brought here as children, to obtain driver licenses?
Will teachers read about how much money is in the budget for public schools, forgetting how much has been taken out in the past nearly four years — and how the governor is using charter schools and vouchers to gut public education?
Will Florida women continue to do nothing while Republicans take away their health and reproductive rights?
Second, will the Florida Obama coalition — young people, minorities, and the elderly — vote in sizeable, even record, numbers? Or will they not bother because this isn’t a presidential year, and so continue to allow Tea Party Republicans to dominate the Legislature — and worse, give Scott four more years? If they do, they will have fallen for a bait-and-switch. My father always said, “The leopard doesn’t change its spots.” As soon as Scott and members of the Legislature swear the oath of office they’ll forswear it — and go back to being anti everything they’ve embraced to fool voters.
No surprise. Scott has said he wants to raise $100 million for his re-election. But what will that buy for his contributors — and take away from average Floridians? The Koch Brothers, through front groups, already unduly influence the Legislature. In a Scott second term, they’ll plot to “own” the state — and they will.
This is no time for the self-satisfied or politically anemic, for duff-warmers, people who grouse but don’t come out to vote or who are too easily fooled. The estimated 800,000 Floridians who have been unable to qualify for Medicaid because Scott doesn’t have the political muscle to get the Legislature to accept $51 billion from the federal government must vote for Democrats in record numbers.
The estimated one million Floridians who signed up for Obamacare, in spite of Scott’s relentless efforts to kill it, need to vote for Charlie Crist, his likely Democratic opponent. If they don’t, Tea Party Republicans and Scott, if he wins, will still try to take the benefits of their Obamacare away.
The two questions are simple; their right answers, a toss-up.
The wrong answers should give you heartburn and motivate you get to work to save the state.
Stephen L. Goldstein is the author of “The Dictionary of American Political Bullshit” and “Atlas Drugged: Ayn Rand Be Damned.” He lives in Fort Lauderdale. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
3 comments
Skip Ferrera
May 4, 2014 at 10:25 pm
I hope that Context Florida will continue to provide Mr. Goldstein’s insightful commentary, he is an asset to the progressive movement!
Sandy Oestreich
May 5, 2014 at 11:49 am
Dear Skip,
I hope you listen to me, as I have worked nonstop, for free for you for FOURTEEN NONSTOP YEARS.
I want to appeal to your better senses, Skip. While all of us out here FIGHTING FOR YOU with the FL legislature WHICH WANTS TO DO NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL, AND DESTROY FLORIDA’S MIDDLE CLASS so they can move on and do the same overseas, may I please suggest: DROP THE TEPID RESPONSES AND GO TO THE BARRICADES TO REVOLT NOW AND THRU ELECTIONS to:
DUMP THE GOP, THE REPUBLICAN politicians who will continue to drain your assets, your hopes for the futures IF IF IF you Let them!
The time is overdue for folks like you perhaps who believe in the sweet approach to Republican politicians. The reason is — FACE IT, YOUR REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS/POLITICIANS do not CARE ABOUT YOU–THEY THINK they do not need your votes.
IF they did, they would not have joined ALEC and the Koch Brothers to drain your private assets and prevent you and your family, your children to have an objective school process that shears away any political or religious church proselytizing so you can no longer think for yourselves!
PLEASE WAKE UP, YOU average, decent Republicans and VOTE AGAINST ANY AND ALL REPUBLICANS in order to stem their take-over of your assets, your rights and your ability even To Vote!
The Republican Party wants to drain you and your assets for THEIR OWN BENEFIT; they work Hard to make sure you VOTE FOR YOUR OWN DEMISE so that you remain in the Florida Republicn!
Beyond that being stupid, self-defeating for You, it is just Plain Tragic for FLORIDA AND THIS NATION.
We 300 000 are very serious. IF you plan to vote Republican again, you perhaps readjust your thinking that there’s a whole bunch of us out middle-class-ers out here who are stealing your hardwon assets.
YOU have been duped.
Actually it’s the Republican Party, dear ones, who are even now stealing those, planning to defraud you of all your holdings while quite happy, actually, getting ALEC bills passed that literally destroy you and your family while they play their exit from America, slamming the door, to repeat the same thing in underdeveloped countries.
To Republican Voters, nice folks as We know you:
DO NOT VOTE REPUBLICAN if you want any kind of quality of life here in America.
Broad statement, but our analysts and others, and economists elsewhere Do agree.
Life is a “cra..shoot”, but YOU don’t have to actually Encourage it, do you?
VOTE ANYTHING BUT REPUBLICAN OVER THE NEXT 20+ YEARS,until you see a Return to Sanity prevailing.
As for us, WE are leaving for Distant Lands where there are Real StatesPeople governing.
Liz
May 5, 2014 at 12:16 pm
I don’t understand your logic. You argue against the death penalty, yet you think it’s ok for women to have abortions, a much more painful death penalty.
Without Republicans to keep things sane, we’d have more people in this state on welfare than working. Where do you think that money comes from? It doesn’t grow on trees.
You talk about the Koch brother, but trying looking at campaign contributions. The Koch brothers are way down on the list of big campaign donors. Check opensecret.org, a non-partisan site. The biggest donors…funny, they all give to Democrats.
If you want to make a meaningful difference, don’t just spout off. Try doing some research and actually speaking the truth!
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