I have documented crimes committed against Florida by our right wing regime for nearly a decade now. Every day I wake up to see what atrocities are up to bat next.
Just one example: Rick Scott’s ever new and creative ways to suppress the vote. As one teacher learned the hard way, it can be a crime to register someone to vote if you don’t hand in voter registration forms within 48 hours. Scott also forces cities to close polling stations and remote sites for mail-in ballots, and refuses to extend hours after a hurricane. As a result, we have the longest lines to vote in the country. (And thanks to Rick Scott, you can’t use the bathroom, no matter how long the line is.)
At Netroots Nation in the Big Easy this year, I met Washington Governor Jay Inslee. He positively beamed about the right to vote, and this happened:
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a package of bills aimed at increasing voter access in Washington state, including a measure to preregister 16- and 17-year-olds and another that allows in-person voter registration to occur the same day of an election.
Wait, what?? Same-day registration is a thing? And what the hell is “preregistration”?
Just look at Washington Governor Jay Inslee, laughing at all those progressive policies
And it gets worse.
Jay Inslee and progressive legislators in Washington extended foster care to age 25, which not only reduced the homeless population, but showed tremendous compassion. In addition, Washington has completely reformed its mental health care system.
On the other hand, my governor, Rick Scott, is a monster who used emergency powers to cut programs that serve tens of thousands of residents with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, and other developmental disabilities with no warning. Disabled children in Florida where then thrown in nursing homes for adults.
I can go on and on. You Washingtonians have a governor who fights for clean energy and protects your environment. Your damn governor actually touts his environmental record on his official government site.
As an exercise, go to Rick Scott’s campaign site and see if there is anything on the environment. You won’t find anything, because Rick Scott has turned our state’s water into this sea of horrors:
But meanwhile, in Washington State...
Living wage? Check. Clean energy? Check. Progressive laws? Check.
All of this investment in Washington’s people and environment hasn’t been bad for the state, despite what conservatives say. In fact, they can’t say anything, because Washington right now has the BEST ECONOMY IN THE NATION.
Florida Man Rick Scott
The concept of having a governor who’s not mired in corruption and scandal, and one who looks out for his citizens, is absolutely foreign to me. I’m so used to viewing politicians as people to fight against that I forgot that they are supposed to make our lives better. Washington is a testament to what happens when Democrats are in charge. Florida, on the other hand, is a testament to the conservative principle of killing people, either from lack of medicine or getting gunned down by our infamous gun laws.
I am a little ticked.
Maybe my anger is misguided. Perhaps my ire should be towards the apathetic losers in my state that allow so many corrupt politicians to rule over us. Yet human nature is a funny thing. I want to lash out at those politicians in other states who are trying to save lives, instead of those who think up more ways to hurt us even more. I am both envious and angry. We don’t deserve this!
Or maybe we do. Me and my fellow Floridians are obviously a very irrational people.
Either way, I feel what I feel. So screw you, Jay Inslee. Screw you, Washington State!
And one more thing…
...please take me with you.
