Jason Delgado
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday highlighted Florida’s economic recovery and touted it over states that took a “lockdown” approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a press conference in Fort Myers, DeSantis took a moment to praise the state’s growing revenue stream and fortified “rainy day” fund.
The recovery, the Republican Governor suggested, are fruits of his cavalier approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“None of that would’ve been possible had we done lockdown policies, had we blocked kids out of school, had we done a lot of the things a lot of these other states have done,” DeSantis told reporters. “There’s a reason why our unemployment rate is lower than the national average by a pretty significant amount.”
Indeed, Florida’s revenue is trending upward. In April, state revenue exceeded expectations by roughly $750 million.
Moreover, the state doubled its reserve fund without touching a cent throughout the pandemic, DeSantis noted.
State revenue, he further forecasted, will continue to exceed expectations in the months to come.
“The amount of revenue that’s coming in because of the economic strength in the state is unlike (what) a lot of the economists in Tallahassee have seen before,” DeSantis said.
The Governor’s remarks came Wednesday at the final leg of a three-stop trip across the state.
The trip, which comes ahead of National Police Week, is intended to highlight one of his top legislative priorities, $1,000 bonus checks to first responders.
Eligible first responders include law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, paramedics, institutional security officers and certain state agency officials.
At the various stops, DeSantis noted that first responders operated at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic despite great risk to themselves and loved ones.
Educators are also slated to receive a $1,000 bonus check.
While the Governor highlighted the state’s economic ascent, he also lamented the ongoing cruise ship restrictions implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Speaking at a prior stop, DeSantis noted the no-sail order’s toll on those dependent on the industry, including Florida’s service-service based economy.
“Just imagine if that was open,” DeSantis said in Fort Myers. “(There are) 10s of 1,000s of jobs that are affiliated with that.”
Florida filed a lawsuit in April against the federal government over the no-sail order.
11 comments
zhombre
May 5, 2021 at 7:05 pm
“…his cavalier approach to the COVID-19 pandemic…” Bullshit. DeSantis followed the science and established priorities better than governors who merely claimed to follow the science and made a wreck of their states. This isn’t reporting by “Jason Delgado’ this is editorializing.
Hayden
May 7, 2021 at 3:11 pm
Agreed, It’s like these guys can’t help themselves. They certainly don’t know how to look at facts and draw logical conclusions. They are brainwashed patsies for the socialist parties (democrats) in America.
Matt Terry
May 8, 2021 at 5:50 am
Exactly. Reporter should be ashamed of editorializing like that
Tim Mauro-Vetter
May 9, 2021 at 5:48 am
Agreed, Ditto to all comments above…
PeterH
May 6, 2021 at 10:20 am
There were no “lockdown states!”
No one in America was “locked down!” Everyone in America was free to walk around, go grocery shopping, ride a bike, take a ride in the car!
The only highly restrictive measures on personal freedom and liberty were imposed by DeSantis when he tried to shut down access to Florida by New York residents who owned homes in the Sunshine state. Wear a mask and get vaccinated! Businesses still enforce both!
Hayden
May 7, 2021 at 3:13 pm
I don’t know what state you are in (pun intended). In my state I was warned that if I drove in a major city I would be fined, and potentially arrested. I couldn’t even do business. You are mistaken. Our state even called it ‘lock down’. So I’m only using their own terminolgy.
Starman535
May 7, 2021 at 5:14 pm
You are spouting BS and lies.
PeterH
May 7, 2021 at 3:45 pm
Total nonsense!
Stop making stuff up!
PeterH
May 7, 2021 at 5:26 pm
You can’t name a single State or community in the USA where Americans were “locked down” and couldn’t leave their homes because of the pandemic. NOT ONE!
Trumpsters are so conditioned to repeatedly whining this lie ….. that they’ve come to believe the lie. No one was locked down anywhere. You and your family have always enjoyed the freedom and Liberty to exit your home, walk the streets of America, take a bike ride, go roller blading etc. STOP YOUR LYING ….. thinking Americans don’t believe you. You sound like twice impeached Trump with his 10,000 documented lies in less than four years of a failed presidency.
Hayden
May 8, 2021 at 8:28 am
This is what liberals do. You lose an argument so you focus on one semantic detail to distract from the fact that your argument is weak. To take the word ‘lockdown’ literally is absurd. Yes, people could leave their homes. The point is businesses were closed that brought havoc to the economy. DeSantis saw this and went in the opposite direction. And it worked.
Susan/
May 8, 2021 at 2:41 pm
Biden bucks! Facts matter. Then there is this:
https://www.rawstory.com/ron-desantis-busted-for-bogus-claim-that-florida-is-leading-the-way-on-recovery
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