Daniel TilsonIf only marijuana decriminalization were the goal when Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli recently released a “joint agenda.” But no, turns out they were promoting their “5-point Work Plan 2015” for the in-progress legislative session.
The new Republican legislative leaders know issues such as health care expansion and environmental protection are the subject of serious disagreement between the archly conservative Florida House and more moderate Senate. So Crisafulli and Gardiner are preaching unity of purpose and shared top priorities.
That may sound good to people paying only passing attention to the 2015 legislative session – especially those praying partisan gridlock stops blocking people’s progress. But as usual, there’s deception in the details.
The first point is of course “Tax Relief.” If only that meant collecting some of the billions Florida loses annually in uncollected corporate taxes. If legislators stopped rubber-stamping loopholes, incentives and offshore tax havens that bring nothing in return except millions in thankful corporate contributions to their campaign committees, significant middle-class tax relief might be possible…if that were the top priority.
But it’s not. Florida Republican leaders want credit for “putting your money back in your pocket” – just the kind of double talk they heap so heavily on hard-working people overburdened and under-informed enough to buy such misleading malarkey.
Take 2014 (please). Big businesses and corporate advocacy groups spent untold millions on campaign contributions, then benefited from billions in “tax relief.” Us common folk, our tax relief amounted to an average annual $25 savings on auto fees.
Same game is in play this year. Gov. Rick Scott & Co. want to exempt thousands more corporations from paying income taxes, eliminate corporate sales taxes on manufacturing machinery and equipment, and eliminate taxes on commercial leases. We little people? A proposed cut on cell phone and cable TV fees would save us each an average of $43 a year.
With Republican tax relief like this who needs enemies?
The second work plan point is, “Economic Independence for People with Unique Abilities.” With all due respect and support for efforts to aid the disabled, how can that be your No. 2 priority when more than 16 percent of your state lives in poverty, and so many in the middle class are hanging in there on a slender paycheck-to-paycheck thread?
How about advancing “Economic Independence for Working People?”
Point 3 is, “Statewide Strategy for Water and Natural Resources.” It’s a worthy, critically important goal. But then the Florida House quickly passed a politically polluted water bill, revealing its “strategy” is for effective clean water protections taking a back seat to bigger profits for Big Sugar in particular and Big Agriculture in general.
Then there’s point 4, “Promote Adoptions and Support Forever Families” (foster care adoptions). Another worthy goal…which has much to do with balancing out Florida House Republicans’ extremist anti-choice/“pro-life” agenda, and little to do with helping millions of children in need.
The plan’s final point is to “Increase Investment and Accountability in Education.” More Miller Lite politics: Tastes great, less filling. Truth is, both Gardiner and Crisafulli have actively supported and advanced disinvestment in public schools.
They’ve helped expand diversion of students and funding to privately managed and religious voucher schools that are not held accountable to the same standards as public schools. And they’ve helped expand diversion of students and funding to privately run, for-profit charter schools. As the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recently wrote:
“Of course, charter schools are public schools that are privately run. They get public money. They just don’t have to live by the rules that hold regular public schools accountable.”
Let’s face it. This 2015 Republican work plan is built around manipulative language and misdirection plays. Worse, it intentionally bypasses opportunities to prioritize healthcare expansion, minimum wage increase, and other initiatives that rather than bamboozling millions of working poor and middle-class Floridians, would actually uplift them.
Daniel Tilson has a Boca Raton-based communications firm called Full Cup Media, specializing in online video and written content for non-profits, political candidates and organizations, and small businesses. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
