This is the first sentence of today’s editorial in Fort Lauderdale’s main newspaper, “The Sun Sentinel”. This is a paper, incidentally, that endorsed Mitt Romney for President in 2012.
This statement is followed by:
Exulting in a right-wing culture war, it neglected such meaningful issues as criminal justice reform, expanding Medicaid, climate change, condo safety, soaring rents and evictions and crises in homeowner and auto insurance. The agenda-setting Republican majority failed on nearly everything that matters to the millions of Floridians with more pressing concerns than racist or homophobic dog whistles.
It proceeds with describing how it was a good year for the usual suspects: Big sugar over Everglades water, Florida’s largest private electric utility over rooftop solar (in “The Sunshine State”!), Nursing homes over their residents, etc. And for Ron DeSantis’ presidential ambitions.
Women’s bodies were sacrificed to a post-15-week abortion ban that does not exempt the capital crime of rape, as well as incest or human trafficking (HB 5). Gays, transgender people and teachers are the foils for legislation (HB 7, HB 1557) to suppress sex education in schools and inhibit candid discussion of racism’s influence in our history and contemporary affairs. Immigrants were targeted to punish companies that transport undocumented immigrants, including children, even for the federal government (SB 1808). All of it is malicious and cruel.
It’s quite a discouraging summary, but worth reading to see how out of sync with our values a gerrymandered legislature and GOP governor can be.
Read the full editorial .
And for goodness sake, VOTE!!