ALJACOBSLADDER.COM 

“ HERR VON DE SANTIS”

AVIATION COMPANY — VERTOL SYSTEMS INC USED FOR MIGRANT FLIGHTS CONTRIBUTED TO DESANTIS ALLIES  — ALSO HAS CONNECTIONS TO A FLORIDA OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF ITS CURRENT IMMIGRATION POLICY

The transportation service company that the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, used to arrange flights for migrants to Martha’s Vineyard has contributed money to the governor’s top allies and has connections to a Florida official in charge of its immigration policy.

Vertol Systems Inc, an Oregon-based aviation company that DeSantis used to fly asylum seekers to the affluent, liberal-leaning Massachusetts island, has connections to DeSantis’s political allies and has donated money to various campaigns, NBC News reported.

The company once had legal representation from the Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who was previously part of DeSantis’ transition team when he became governor, and Gaetz’s former law partner, Larry Keefe, who now works as the state’s “public safety tsar” and carries out the controversial relocation program, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Keefe has previously represented Vertol in dozens of lawsuits between 2010 and 2017, the Times also reported.

Florida state representative Jay Trumbull Jr, a Republican involved in obtaining funding for the relocation program as appropriations committee chair, received a $1,000 donation from Vertol during his campaign for Florida state senate this year, reported the Intercept.

The company also donated over $12,000 in total to various Florida political campaigns, including $2,500 to a Super Pac that supported Gaetz.

DeSantis’ administration has continually refused to release information on money it has given Vertol for its role in relocating asylum seekers.

So far, the company was awarded a $12m contract and has received more than $1m from Florida to fly asylum seekers to Democrat-led northern cities, reported NBC News, including migrants who are located in other states.

Public records have confirmed that Florida paid Vertol $615,000 last week to recruit about 50 Venezuelan migrants in Texas and fly them to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, with authorities noting that many migrants were tricked into going under the guise of receiving relocation resources like cash assistance and job training, when no arrangement had been made with the island.

The chartered flights are currently the subject of a criminal investigation in Texas as well as a civil suit from the asylum seekers themselves who say they were deceived into going.

The company was had also been expected to fly another group of asylum seekers on Tuesday to an airport located near Joe Biden’s beach house in Delaware, but the charter flight never arrived, though Florida gave Vertol an additional $950,000.

As a result, 20 migrants who were hoping to travel to the state were left stranded in San Antonio, reported the Miami Herald, with a source familiar with the governor’s thinking telling NBC News that the governor purposely left people in the dark about the flight’s plans.

DeSantis’ administration has not released details of the contract it awarded to Vertol, or disclosed why Vertol was selected to conduct the relocation program, or answered inquiries as to whether multiple bids were solicited in regards to the program, as is required by law, reported the Times.

While DeSantis has defended the program, his administration has faced intense criticism that they did not have budget authority to fly asylum seekers, reports Politico, and Florida lawmakers have questioned whether the flights were legal.

Lawyers representing the migrants have also argued that their clients are not “unauthorized aliens”, but are asylum seekers, which is a distinct, legal category.

Florida migrant flight money went to company tied to DeSantis adviser  —  Vertol Systems Company was paid $1.56 million by Florida for work it usually doesn’t do, but state officials are mum on why it got the job.

Earlier this week, we speculated that the saga of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ migrant flights was bound to look uglier with time.  And so it goes.

In a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Massachusetts, the immigrant aid group Alianza Americas put meat on the bare bones of what’s been known about the DeSantis-sponsored flights of nearly 50 migrants to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

‘The problem is we’re not seeing mass movements of them into Florida. It’s just coming in onesie-twosies.’

— Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, lamenting the absence of an immigration problem in his state

What had previously been reported was that the migrants had been told before boarding two planes in Texas that they were being taken to Boston or Washington, D.C., where they would be given jobs and receive a host of immigrant services.

Instead, they were dropped off on the island, which is reachable only by air or sea, where no one capable of providing such services had been warned of their arrival.

Naming DeSantis, Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue and the state of Florida as defendants, the lawsuit states that they “manipulated” the migrants, “stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process, and equal protection under law.”

DeSantis responded to the lawsuit Tuesday by making public a consent form purportedly signed by one of the passengers. If it’s genuine, the disclosure must rank as a spectacular self-own on DeSantis’ part. It’s in English and Spanish, but the Spanish text — the part bearing the passenger’s signature — is an incomplete translation from the English.

Consent form released by the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, purportedly signed by a migrant passenger on Florida’s flight to Martha’s Vineyard. The Spanish translation lacks the English paragraph holding the perpetrators harmless.(State of Florida)

Missing is a Spanish translation of an entire paragraph attesting that the passenger agrees to “hold the benefactor or its designated representatives harmless of all liability ... relating to any injuries and damages that may occur during the agreed transport.” The document states only that the flight would originate in Texas and land in Massachusetts, with no further specifics.

The three named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, who are identified by pseudonyms, all crossed the U.S. border to seek asylum from crime, civil unrest, terrorism and other such conditions in their home country, Venezuela.

They surrendered to U.S. immigration officials, who allowed them to remain in the U.S. while their asylum applications were being adjudicated, a process that can take more than a year. In the interim, they’re legal residents in the U.S.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs were approached outside a migrant resource center in San Antonio by two individuals identified only as “Perla” and “Emanuel,” who haven’t been further identified or found. The lawsuit says they gave the migrants $10 McDonalds gift certificates and told them that if they were willing to be flown out of Texas, “they would receive employment, housing, educational opportunities, and other like assistance upon their arrival.”

 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference with U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., left, Brian Mast, R-Fla., third left, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., second right, and others at a stormwater treatment area in western Palm Beach County, Fla., on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. Column: The ugly historical roots of the GOP’s sadistic migrant transports

Sept. 19, 2022

Perla and Emanuel gave them their supposed cellphone numbers and told them to call if any problems arose. The lawsuit says they kept the migrants in hotel rooms for as long as five days, separated from any legitimate migrant assistance workers, while they rounded up enough passengers to fill the planes.

Only during the flight were the passengers told they would be landing on Martha’s Vineyard. They were handed a packet of information about refugee resettlement programs in Massachusetts, which the passengers, in fact ,didn’t qualify for.

Perla and Emanuel didn’t travel on the flights, according to the lawsuit. The cellphone numbers weren’t answered, the lawsuit says.

The passengers were dropped off on Martha’s Vineyard “in the evening, with no food, water or shelter,” the lawsuit asserts. “No one on Martha’s Vineyard — or ... anywhere in Massachusetts — knew they were coming.”

DeSantis and his co-defendants haven’t filed an official response to the lawsuit. But in public statements, including an appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program Tuesday, he has spouted a heap of balderdash about the migrant flights.

Martha’s Vineyard, he told Hannity, “said they wanted this. They said they were a sanctuary jurisdiction.”

That’s a lie. Massachusetts has never enacted legislation identifying itself as a sanctuary state, which is normally taken to involve a formal designation.

The Massachusetts high court has said that state law enforcement officers can’t arrest anyone merely on suspicion of being in the U.S. illegally. But efforts to pass a state law establishing Massachusetts as a “sanctuary state” have consistently failed.

 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. The site at C. B. Smith Park will offer monoclonal antibody treatment sold by Regeneron to people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Column: As Florida remains pandemic hot spot, DeSantis places a ‘COVID crank’ in charge of its response

Sept. 23, 2021

Several communities in the state, including Boston, have designated themselves as sanctuary jurisdictions, but Martha’s Vineyard isn’t among them.

Had the flights landed in Boston, especially with advance notice, officials and advocates would have been on hand to receive them. As DeSantis and his agents undoubtedly knew, that wasn’t the case on the island.

DeSantis has acknowledged, in effect, that Florida doesn’t have a problem of mass migration of undocumented immigrants. “The problem is we’re not seeing mass movements of them into Florida,” he said at a news conference Tuesday. “It’s just coming in onesie-twosies.”

He said “we’ve had people” on the border who have determined that between one-third to 40% of those crossing are interested in coming to Florida. “If you can do it at the source and divert to sanctuary jurisdictions, the chance they end up in Florida is much less.”

That brings us to the latest iteration of DeSantis’ infantile stunt. On Tuesday, a plane chartered by the same company DeSantis used for the Martha’s Vineyard flight appeared set to take off from San Antonio, with a flight plan showing it was headed for Delaware, President Biden’s home state.

Delaware officials and immigrant advocates scrambled to receive it. Instead, the plane landed in Teterboro, N.J., with no one aboard but the flight crew.

Coverage of the episode raises doubts about whether our political news media will be prepared to see past the inanities of political campaigning in the coming elections and focus on what’s important.

At MSNBC, the episode was covered as a big joke in which the White House, Delaware officials, “the news media and political onlookers” were “punked.”

MSNBC framed this as a “ ‘Waiting for Godot'-like spectacle” highlighting “the intractable politics around immigration, as well as DeSantis’ knack for getting headlines.” Is that really what this is about?

Here are a couple of questions that didn’t make it into MSNBC’s entertainment coverage: Why even pose at sending migrants to Delaware, since it’s not a sanctuary state? Also, how much time, effort and money were wasted by officials and immigration service providers forced to wait in vain for a flight from Texas, because their concerns were for the passengers, not for political point-scoring?

 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters and members of the media before a bill signing Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Brandon, Fla. DeSantis signed a bill that protects employees and their families from coronavirus vaccine and mask mandates. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

April 4, 2022

And did DeSantis spend Florida budget resources aimed at relocating immigrants on a flight with no immigrants aboard, and no purpose other than “punking” well-wishers at the destination? DeSantis’ precise role in the flight isn’t clear, though DeSantis refused to comment on the flight and an anonymous DeSantis aide quoted by MSNBC said the governor “purposely left people in the dark.”

USAToday’s framing was almost as myopic. The Gannett newspaper described the Delaware episode as part of “an ongoing spat between Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that has captured headlines and put a spotlight on Biden’s border policies.”

One would think that Biden and DeSantis have been mano-a-mano over immigration, but that’s just not true. DeSantis, like his fellow GOP governors, has no policy proposals to offer on immigration and, indeed, has admitted that Florida doesn’t have an immigration problem.

(My colleagues Andrea Castillo and Erin B. Logan also covered the episode, quoting immigration officials at length about their efforts, and without any of MSNBC’s jocularity or USAToday’s nearsightedness.)

Contrary to MSNBC’s framing, none of this is really about “the intractable politics around immigration.” It’s just performative stupidity masquerading as a serious policy debate, with vulnerable people being victimized. If the news media can’t tell the difference, we’re in trouble.

As the class-action lawsuit states, this is about abusing “destitute, stranded and immensely vulnerable” individuals and families who have sought succor in the United States and have followed all the rules to obtain it. Instead, they’re waylaid by agents of reckless and malignant politicians who defraud them and place them in situations where their legal and social problems are only magnified.

DeSantis is only one of the Republican governors engaging in this practice, albeit the one who appears to be best at grabbing the attention of a heedless press. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey have been at this for longer; they just lack DeSantis’ peculiar verve. People who defraud innocents of their money often face prison time when they’re caught.

In these cases, the victims are being deprived of much more, and by perpetrators who brag about their activities rather than hide them.

 

—  PORTRAIT OF A T-RUMP CLONE —  A smaller version of the ominous T-Rump narcississtic Nazi syndrome — a true copycat controversial GOP follower as long as it’s good for him,  the press,  and voters. It’s probably not good for honest everyday hardworking citizens and their children.

Florida’s  worst Nazi-fied Governor in decades fashioned in the T-rump imbecile tradition and excelling in sheer stupidity, ignorant views and political obnoxiousness.  

He  is portrayed to many as “ The T-rump mini-me man of the year”  and almost every day we get more Breaking Balls news from our Governor and we ask discretely “ When is a dumb person of poor judgement not a dumb  person”?      ANS: As long as the GOP base of morons is alive in Florida.  Never,  He's always in the wrong!  

And plenty is what an imbecile like DeSantis can do to hurt the people of  a state in a couple of years and the naive weak morons who put him in office should all be locked into an institution sound room having to listen to Sarah Palin and Donald T-RUMP speeches, insults and crappy  jokes for hours until they go mad with depression.

Bad enough we had all the other crooks and liars like Scott the Medicare Fraud,  The Whoriffic Gaetz,  Rubio, the Vanishing Magician, you can never find him,  and half the Florida Congress but he is the worst. 

Herr Von DeSantis Strikes Against the Rays Because they Supported and Spoke Out against Gun Violence And blocked Funding  In Pasco County

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blocked state funding for a new Tampa Bay Rays training facility partly because the baseball team spoke out against gun violence in the wake of back-to-back gun-related massacres in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, a source familiar with the internal conversations told CNN.

DeSantis on Thursday used his line-item veto powers to eliminate $35 million for a sports training and youth tournament complex in Pasco County, in the Tampa Bay area, which local officials hoped could serve as the new player development facility for the Rays. On Friday, he said he eliminated the funding because “I don’t support giving taxpayer dollars to professional sports stadiums.”

But a source said the Republican leader had not made up his mind until the Rays took an organizational stance calling for action in the wake of the latest mass shootings. 

Two days after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at a Texas elementary school, the Rays announced a $50,000 donation to Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that advocates policies to prevent gun violence. The Major League Baseball team also tweeted a statement calling for action.

“This cannot be normal,” the tweet read. “We cannot become numb. We cannot look the other way. We all know, if nothing changes, nothing changes.” 

DeSantis vs. Disney showdown bolsters Florida governor's standing in GOP

It would not be the first time DeSantis has moved against a company that took a political position opposite to him. DeSantis signed a bill in April to strip Disney of its special governing status in Florida after the company publicly criticized a new state law that bans certain classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity.

DeSantis on Friday hinted at his displeasure with the Rays’ remarks, telling reporters at a news conference that it was “inappropriate to subsidize political activism of a private corporation.” But he added, “Either way, it’s not appropriate, but we were not in a situation where use of tax dollars for a professional stadium would have been a prudent use.”

A spokeswoman for the Rays did not respond to a request for comment.

Pasco County had successfully lobbied state lawmakers to include $35 million in the budget for a sports complex in Odessa that would provide “community facilities serving general recreation, youth/amateur/professional baseball and softball participation, sports tourism, and other programming and events,” according to the budget request. It was hoped that the Rays would move their training operations to the complex.

DeSantis was skeptical of the proposal, the source said. The governor thought it might upset residents in Port Charlotte – home to the Rays’ current spring training facility – if he helped the team move to another part of Florida, and he didn’t believe it would provide much economic benefit to shift the Rays’ training operation from one part of the state to another.

The new complex also needed the Rays and local governments to each put up $35 million, which they had yet to officially commit to, another sticking point for the governor.

But DeSantis – who grew up as a little league star in Dunedin, not far from where the Rays eventually opened their St. Petersburg ballpark – was not entirely opposed to the project until the Rays made the donation to Everytown and commented about the tragedies on Twitter. That made it politically easier, the source said.

DeSantis has in the past opposed stricter gun laws.   As a candidate for governor in 2018, he came out against the gun control measures in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, signed into law by then-Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, after the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida. DeSantis recently vowed to support legislation allowing people to carry guns in public without a permit.

Kathryn Starkey, the chair of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, said she was not aware that DeSantis’ veto may have been tied to the Rays’ recent advocacy against gun violence and had no comment on that. But she said she was “disappointed” that the money won’t be there for a new training facility.

“Everyone I talked to in the community was excited about the possibility of the players development complex coming, but we’re going to continue to talk to the Rays and try to come to an agreement,” Starkey said. “This makes it more difficult.”

Signs Anti-Abortion Bill (CNN)  04/14/2022  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on Thursday a Mississippi-style anti-abortion measure that bans the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy without exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking. 

The bill, which goes into effect July 1, does allow exemptions in cases where a pregnancy is "serious risk" to the mother or a fatal fetal abnormality is detected if two physicians confirm the diagnosis in writing.

The bill makes Florida the latest Republican-led state to advance a 15-week abortion ban bill this session. Additionally, the Kentucky legislature on Wednesday overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a broad abortion bill that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. And in Oklahoma, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday signed a bill into law that makes performing an abortion illegal in the state, with an exception only in the case of a medical emergency.

The US Supreme Court appears poised to uphold the Mississippi law that bars abortion after 15 weeks. The fate of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, also hangs in the balance, and anti-abortion activists are hopeful that the court's conservative majority will strike it down. 

Previously, Florida had allowed abortion through the second trimester of a pregnancy, making it one of the most permissive states for abortion in the southeast. Abortion advocates said many women from neighboring states often traveled to Florida for the procedure, meaning changes to Florida's law could be felt all throughout the region.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida reported 71,914 abortions in 2019, or 18.5 per 1,000 women, the third highest rate in the country. 

"We are here today to defend those who can't defend themselves," DeSantis said Thursday on a stage surrounded by several female lawmakers, anti-abortion advocates and children. "This will represent the most significant protections for life that we have seen in a generation."

The signing of the bill comes days after a Tallahassee circuit court judge ruled that Florida can require a 24-hour waiting period to get an abortion, ending a seven-year legal battle over another contentious anti-abortion measure.

The state Senate passed the bill 23-15 on March 15 over the objections of Democrats, who shared painful and emotional stories of women who elected to have an abortion after a trauma. State Sen. Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat and the leader of the minority party, told colleagues she was a victim of rape and implored lawmakers to include an exemption for women who become pregnant as a result of sexual violence. 

Book broke down into tears after the proposed amendment was rejected by Republicans, who have a majority in the chamber. 

President Joe Biden, in a March tweet, called Florida's new abortion restriction "a dangerous bill that will severely restrict women's access to reproductive health care."

DESANTIS SCOLDING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WEARING MASKS — 

The Florida Republican governor approached a group of students wearing masks who were standing behind a podium at the University of South Florida, where he was scheduled for a news conference Wednesday. 

“You do not have to wear those masks. I mean please take them off,” DeSantis said to, at first, polite laughter. But he wasn’t kidding around.

“Honestly, it’s not doing anything. We’ve gotta stop with this Covid theater. So if you want to wear it, fine. But this is ridiculous,” he continued.

He then sighed dramatically and began delivering his remarks.

Some of the students took off their masks, while others left them on. The Hillsborough County School District in Florida told CNN the students at the event were from Middleton High School. 

• DeSantis has been among the chief skeptics of the efficacy of mask-wearing as a means to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Last summer, DeSantis signed an executive order barring schools from requiring students to wear masks. Last month, he said he favored the ability of parents to sue schools that bucked his ban on mask mandates.
• It’s worth noting that while many states are in the process of undoing mask mandates as Covid-19 cases plummet nationwide, there’s still plenty of proof that suggests wearing masks – contra DeSantis – does have an effect.
• “Layered prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines and wearing masks — can help prevent severe illness and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system,” reads the latest CDC guidance on mask-wearing. “Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you.”
• And according to the CDC, Hillsborough County’s community spread of Covid is high, so wearing masks indoors is recommended there.
• Don’t expect DeSantis to acknowledge that fact. His aggressive positioning on the virus has won DeSantis a national following. In a 2024 straw poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend, he placed second to former President Donald Trump. DeSantis overwhelmingly won a second straw poll that did not include T-RUMP.
• DeSantis hasn’t been shy about his interest in a national bid. Unlike other names mentioned as possible candidates – such as former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley or South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott – he has pointedly refused to say a) he would support another Trump run or b) he would not run for president if Trump did.
• Trump has noticed. “If I faced him, I’d beat him like I would beat everyone else,” Trump said last fall about the prospect of facing DeSantis in a 2024 primary. “I think most people would drop out, I think he would drop out.”

Desantis Says He Regrets Not Speaking Out 'Much Louder' Against Trump's Recommendation To Stay Home —  
By Steve Contorno, CNN  Updated January 15, 2022 

(CNN)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said one of his biggest regrets in office was not speaking out “ much louder" in March 2020, when former President Donald Trump advised the nation to stay home to slow the fast-spreading coronavirus.

• DeSantis, a close ally of Trump, said he was involved in the early days of the White House's pandemic response and had been offering advice to the President. But he was surprised when Trump made the decision that led to much of the US economy shutting down. 
  
  
• "I never thought in February, early March, that (coronavirus) would lead to locking down the country," the Republican governor told the hosts of the conservative podcast "Ruthless" during an episode recorded Thursday. "I just didn't. I didn't think that was on the radar.”
  
  
• DeSantis blamed "people like" Dr. Anthony Fauci for advising Trump to consider a shutdown. Fauci, the country's top infectious disease expert, was part of a coronavirus response team that was led by Vice President Mike Pence and included other public health experts.  But the decision was Trump's to make, and DeSantis ultimately followed the White House's lead, closing Florida schools, government buildings, gyms, bars and restaurant dining rooms and advising Floridians to stay home.
  
  
• It's not the first time DeSantis has second-guessed actions taken by the Trump administration to slow the spread of the virus. In November, DeSantis questioned whether banning flights from China, the epicenter of the initial outbreak, was effective.   "I was probably the first governor in January of 2020 to call for travel restrictions from China. I supported President Trump when he did that," DeSantis said. "But we have to take a step back and acknowledge that those travel restrictions just didn't work."
  Trump considers the ban on Chinese travel one of the signature decision points of his pandemic response, and he kept it in place through the end of his presidency.   
  

Ed: Who Really Gives A Damn When Scumbags Argue Amongst Themselves 

•  DeSantis'  Thursday follows reports that Trump has privately grumbled about the lack of fealty from his former protege. In conversations with allies, previously reported by CNN, Trump has expressed displeasure that DeSantis, one of the Republican Party's most-talked about leaders, has declined to publicly rule out a 2024 presidential bid if Trump seeks another four-year term
• Indeed, days before DeSantis' podcast appearance, Trump seemed to call out the Republican governor during an interview released Tuesday night. Trump described politicians who won't say if they received a coronavirus booster shot are "gutless."   The quip was viewed as a thinly veiled knock on DeSantis, who declined to share his vaccination status during a widely shared December interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.
  
• "I watched a couple politicians be interviewed and one of the questions was, 'Did you get a booster?' Because they had the vaccine and they're answering like -- in other words, the answer is 'yes' but they don't want to say it, because they're gutless," Trump told OAN.

School Masks Dropped —  Miami (CNN)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on mask mandates in schools will not remain in place, Leon County's 2nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge John Cooper ruled Friday.    The court said that under the law the defendants “ did not have the authority for a blanket mandatory ban against face mask policy, that does not provide a parental opt-out. They simply do not have that authority," the judge said.   The order will not take effect until the written order is issued, Judge Cooper said. The court expected the written order to be issued early next week.   Judge Cooper cited evidence presented, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for universal masking of students and teachers. He called the health care agency "the gold standard" as part of his decision.     

• "I have heard significant evidence concerning the medical and scientific basis for face mask policies and I conclude this evidence demonstrates that face mask policies that follow CDC guidance at this point in time are reasonable," he said. 
• Two Florida counties double down on school mask mandates, defying governor's order
• One of the plaintiffs, Lesley Abravanel of Boca Raton, said she was elated.  "The judge clearly went on the side of science and medicine and our children and democracy," Abravanel said during a virtual news conference. "It was madness that we even had to sue the governor to get to this point, but I mean we did. And we prevailed. Thankfully the facts matter.”
• Attorney Charles Gallagher called the ruling, "significant in protecting the rights of children in Florida across the board.”
• "It's not surprising that Judge Cooper would rule against parent's rights and their ability to make the best educational and medical decisions for their family, but instead rule in favor of elected politicians. This ruling was made with incoherent justifications, not based in science and facts -- frankly not even remotely focused on the merits of the case presented.”
• The ruling comes after a four-day hearing in the case of parents from Miami-Dade, Orange, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Alachua counties who filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran, the Florida Department of Education, and the Florida Board of Education over the executive order banning mask mandates in schools.  
• The governor's executive order directed the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Department of Health to issue emergency rules that give parents a choice on whether their children should wear masks in class.  
• The ruling comes as a growing number of Florida school districts have issued local mask mandates that do not include a parental opt-out, as is required by the governor's executive order.  Ten districts so far, including Broward, Alachua, Hillsborough, Leon, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Sarasota, Duval, Indian River, Orange have mask mandates without parent opt-out options.  
• "While we are sure this is the first of many legal proceedings, the judge in this case basically echoed what Superintendent Hanna said to the school board Tuesday night: that we were in compliance with the Parents Bill of Rights," said Chris Petley, Leon County Public Schools communications coordinator.  
• "The actions of this school board when they adopted mandatory face coverings in schools is consistent with the judge's ruling. We will continue to make the health and safety of students and staff top priority," Hillsborough County Public Schools said in part in a written statement to CNN. 
• So far, the Florida State Board of Education had said it will cut funding to 2 of the 10 counties that issued mask mandates, Broward and Alachua.    The US Secretary of Education sent a letter to the districts last Friday stating that any financial penalties could be covered with federal dollars. It is unclear what effect -- if any -- cutting funds would have on the districts. 
• The legal team representing the parents suing the state has scheduled a news conference for Friday.   A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education echoed DeSantis' statement saying the ruling conflicts with parental rights
• "We will continue to fight to make sure every child has access to education. We are committed to the fundamental rights of parents and will push forward on appeal to ensure that this foundation of democracy is upheld.
• 'Mini-Trump' DeSantis 'more of a lunatic' than Trump, says Dr. Dean amidst surging COVID deaths  —  A judge has found that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cannot ban mask mandates in school. The MAGA governor remains isolated in his stance against COVID safety measures, and even Trump is now encouraging people to get vaccinated. Physician and former DNC chair Howard Dean joins MSNBC’s Ari Melber to discuss. Dean reacts to DeSantis' handling of the pandemic, asserting, "I think he may be more of a lunatic than Trump ever was.”

    Hitler - T-RUMP -Desantis  — Commonality  —  T-RUMP has done a lot of damage to Florida and he has created a stooge sycophant whom we refer to as Herr Von DeSantis.   Just as he qualifies as a supreme political hack and as cold blooded as T-RUMP and Hitler, we are amazed that people actually haven’t tried something like hanging him.  

He will destroy the State with his lies and hiding truth, favoring the rich Reptilians and denigrating the poor and if his thinking is are wrong we will be endangering  and harming our children. 

Even down to the dispersal of COVID -19 Vaccines.  Even to dumping raw sewage in the TAMPA Bay and acceleration of the ‘RED TIDE” Poisoning fish and other wildlife in our pristine sanctuary.

He is a politician not a scientist, he appeals to the Republican right because that where both the money and the ignorance lie.  He supports both.  He is both a traitor and a liar, a TRUMP pimp.

FLORIDA LED THE NATION IN NEW COVID CASES BECAUSE OF HIM —  

Does this idiot understand kids do not live in school or their home entirely  24 hours a day  — by telling them to unmask he broke the importance and security of masking by giving the kids the perfect excuse and their dumbass parents who applauded this excuse “ Do I wear my mask outside playing with other kids”,  “ Do I need it at the mall or anywhere else”.  Under the leadership of this frickin moron Florida lead the nation in COVID cases.

He is against masking and want to send our kids back to class not-masked by mandate, against school officials and with Delta spreading faster than Chickenpox we will sustain losses of children.  If one child dies because of this I cannot defend what a parent would do and he needs to be removed, head or feet first. 

He is a moron asshole in the true T-RUMP tradition doing whats good for re-election and not for the people.  He is both combative and most of his decisions were based on political hacks and conspiracies.  He has blood on his hands because of his stupid decisions and prejudice just like T-RUMP for Covid.

Like T-RUMP, he needs to be a one time elected official and should not be eligible for a second term.  Or hanged… We prefer the latter… We have coddled the corrupt for too long… Our only choice should be limited based on Hemp Vs Polycord… 

Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a name for himself within the national Republican Party by spouting science-free statements about Covid-19 and its impact on his state of Florida.  Simply put he is a frickin idiot, a politician, not a scientist.

WITNESS DESANTIS ON WEDNESDAY ABOUT MASKING — "Politicians want to force you to cover your face as a way for them to cover their own asses. That's just the truth. They want to be able to say they are taking this on and they're doing this even though it's not proven to be effective they want to continue to do it.”  It's a good applause line! People in his base don't like politicians or wearing masks, so combine the two and -- voila! -- cheering.   Except that, well, DeSantis is totally wrong about masking -- specifically when he says "even though it's not proven to be effective.”

ONCE AGAIN THE SCHMUCK IS WRONG AND LIES —  Masks are a simple barrier to help prevent your respiratory droplets from reaching others. Studies show that masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.”

"Community mask wearing substantially reduces transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 2 ways. First, masks prevent infected persons from exposing others to SARS-CoV-2 by blocking exhalation of virus-containing droplets into the air. ... Second, masks protect uninfected wearers. Masks form a barrier to large respiratory droplets that could land on exposed mucous membranes of the eye, nose, and mouth."

There's lots (and lots) more studies that make the same point: While masks aren't perfect, they are one of the best ways we have of slowing the spread of the virus. That's especially true for the unvaccinated but also true for those who have already been vaccinated.

CNN  —  By Chris Crizilla  —   I can't imagine DeSantis is unaware of all of that data. But he'd rather get a cheap bit of applause rather than do the responsible thing, which is to tell people to wear masks as a way to slow the speed of the Delta variant.  This isn't some theoretical debate. According to The New York Times, deaths from Covid-19 in Florida have increased 123% over the last two weeks. Who's clapping now?

The Point: Masking is not a political issue. It is a public health matter. Except politicians like Herr Von DeSantis can't seem to grasp that fact. Or just don't want to.

RON DE SANTIS  —  
(AKA HERR VON DE SANTIS)

A PROFILE IN STUPIDITY EARNING FIVE STARS  ☆☆☆☆☆

Previous Screwups — Member of the US House of Representatives
Born:  Ronald Dion DeSantis  September 14, 1978 (age 41)
Political Party - DEVOUT T-RUMP MORON, The Reptilian Party  — 
Residence — Governor’s Mansion  Hopefully Alcatraz, I Know It’s Closed
Education  —    Yale University (BA)  Harvard University (JD)
US NAVY Lieutenant Commander - Judge Advocate General’s Corps
Hashtag  —   #FloridaMoron by Florida Voters
Most Commonly viewed As — 

• Hated By Parents of Children Over Mask Mandates
• Feeds the Rich and Starves the Poor
• Pretends to be A Scientist, Knows Little and Basically Stupid
• Big Fan Of FX News  — Fox Employees and other scumbags
• Accolades — None, Just A Fricking Idiot Who Will be known as T-RUMPS Mini-Me.
• T-RUMP DOES NOT WANT HIM AS A COMPETITOR, IT WILL GET DIRTY,  WONDERFUL !
  I HOPE THEY DESTROY EACH OTHER IN A MUD PIT AND BOTH COULD DROWN —  

Florida Loves Music And Deserves The Best Lyrics

THE GOVERNORS THEME SONG 

 🎵  The Jamaican SING-A -LONG 🎵  

Oh, I’m Sad to say, I’m on my way,  to silencing this dork the easy way…
We’ll put him in jail, and we’ll forget the bail,  Send him to Hell to shovel the shale...

I'd be remiss to play, we have to do it this way,  and in time good we’ll have to make him pay
He has nothing to sell, and so much he won’t tell, but the truth will prevail and we’ll watch him fail — 

His boss the T-RUMP will greet him and wish him well, Letting him do the shoveling  and ring the bell
With Scott and Rubio he won’t be alone, all of them picked Florida clean to the bone--
He used the vaccines as a means to his end, and lies and lies just like his T-RUMP friend —  

He takes our kids and denies them their protection, Everyone knows masks are nosy but sheer affection, 
He treats the school board staff  and parents alike with false information it’s high time this jerk took a hike —

He needs to be gone, and removed just like an itch,  So hanging him would be appropriate but missed by the rich..— 
He proved to us all how politically declined he is,  Acting  as some kind of  science genius whizz — 
But with his rules and prejudice   —  I cannot be remiss, This is one jerk I really would not miss...

Chorus

Oh, I’m Sad to say, I’m on my way,  to silencing this dork the easy way…
We’ll put him in jail,  we’ll forget the bail,  And send him with a shovel to burn the shale...

GREATEST SCUMBAG OF ALL TIME IN FLORIDA  —  

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faces questions over his vaccine distribution partnership with the Publix grocery store chain, which donated a total of $100,000 to his political action committee in the weeks leading up to the deal's announcement, 60 Minutes revealed Sunday.

DeSantis refused an interview with 60 Minutes, but was confronted by a reporter about the timing of the Publix donations at a press conference last month, where the governor denied any wrongdoing. 

"What you're saying is wrong ... That's a fake narrative," DeSantis said. "I met with the county mayor. I met with the administrator. I met with all the folks in Palm Beach County and I said, 'Here's some of the options. We can do more drive-thru sites. We can give more to hospitals. We can do the Publix.' And they said, 'We think that would be the easiest thing for our residents.'" 

DeSantis announced in January that Publix would distribute COVID-19 vaccines through their pharmacies. The chain receives almost 1 in 4 of all Florida’s shots, according to local media.  A county commissioner, Melissa McKinlay, told 60 Minutes that the governor never met with her about the Publix partnership. 

Publix responded to the criticism with a statement to 60 Minutes, calling the accusation that they paid for the chance to distribute the vaccines "absolutely false and offensive."

“The irresponsible suggestion that there was a connection between campaign contributions made to Governor DeSantis and our willingness to join other pharmacies in support of the state's vaccine distribution efforts is absolutely false and offensive. 

We are proud of our pharmacy associates for administering more than 1.5 million doses of vaccine to date and for joining other retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to do our part to help our communities emerge from the pandemic," the statement read. 

Insider reached out to both DeSantis and Publix for additional comment, but did not immediately receive a response Monday morning. 

FLAGS HALF STAFF FOR RUSH LIMBAUGH ORDERED BY VON DE SANTIS —  Florida’s governor announced he’ll order flags in the state flown at half-staff to honor the late conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, whom he called “an absolute legend” and “a great person.”  "Once the date of interment for Rush is announced, we're going to be lowering the flags to half-staff," Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday at a news conference in West Palm Beach.

The governor said the honor is “what we do when there's things of this magnitude."  The move doesn’t seem to fit the state's flag protocol, which calls for flags to be flown at half-staff "in the event of the death of a present or former official of the Florida State government or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from Florida who dies while serving on active duty."

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FLORIDA)  — CALLED the governor’s decision “  An embarrassment to Florida.”  "Rush Limbaugh weaponized his platform to spread racism, xenophobia and homophobia across the nation," she said in a tweet. “His constant hateful rhetoric caused untold damage to our political landscape."

DO AWAY WITH MAIL BALLOTS  — CNN — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a slate of voting proposals Friday that he wants lawmakers to pass in their upcoming legislative session, including restricting the mass mailing of mail-in ballots and access to ballot drop boxes. 

At a news conference Friday in West Palm Beach, DeSantis, a Republican, argued that the legislation proposals will increase residents' confidence in Florida elections, strengthen election security, and transparency in the election process. DeSantis continued to peddle false claims about election security, though there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. 

VOTER SUPPRESSION — REPTILIAN THINKING  —  SIDEBAR — There is no voter fraud, only fraudulent elected officials, Florida like Some other Southern States is known for a Reptilian base of elected officials in their state and federal posts who lie cheat, steal, corrupt, use voter suppression,  are prejudiced and support many of the Fourth Reich components.

Though the details were thin about the proposed legislation, one of the measures would ban vote-by-mail ballots from being sent out to all residents, making it so only voters who request a ballot would receive one. Under the proposal, voters would need to request an absentee ballot each election year. 

Another proposed measure would "address the use of ballot boxes," which DeSantis called "a big problem" and argued that residents should either mail their absentee ballot or drop it off at an election office. 

DeSantis also wants lawmakers, when they convene in March, to bolster the vote-by-mail signature verification process and to not "shut out" Florida political parties and candidates from observing the voter signature matching process. 

And he hopes that the legislature will "address ballot harvesting" in the state as to not allow individuals to submit other people's vote-by-mail ballots unless they are immediate family. 

Other proposals would prohibit counties from accepting financial help from private organizations for "get out the vote" initiatives, require election supervisors to post "over-vote" ballots for the canvassing board to consider, and real-time reporting of voter turnout data.

Praising Florida's handling of the 2020 election, DeSantis told supporters, "We need to make sure that we continue to stay ahead of the curve."

"We need to make sure that our citizens have confidence in the elections, that they have the ability to vote. We want, obviously, everyone to vote. But we don't want anyone to cheat. And we want to make sure that we strike that appropriate balance,” he said during the press conference.

STATE REPTILIAN LEADERS ARE SYCOPHANTS OF THE FOURTH REICH  —  The state legislature’s Republican leaders said Friday that they  “ own the Governor in his efforts to continue to make Florida the national leader on election integrity” and “ look forward to working with him on this important issue.” 

"Rather than resting on our laurels and congratulating one another on a successful 2020 election, our time is best spent preparing for 2022 and beyond. We don't want to backslide," House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson said in a joint statement Friday. 

Other Republican lawmakers across the country have been pushing legislation to reform election procedure and limiting voter access in the wake of the 2020 election.

At least 28 states have introduced, pre-filed or are advancing 106 restrictive bills for the 2021 legislative session, according to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice.

Eliza Sweren-Becker, the Brennan Center's voting rights and elections counsel, told CNN that state lawmakers are using the "lies about voter fraud to justify policy proposals that will limit ballot access."

DeSantis' proposals are "unfortunately consistent with a rash of policies that have been offered to restrict voter access," Sweren-Becker said, adding that some of the governor's proposals appear to be based on the "faulty premise" and disproven lies about the 2020 election and voter fraud.

Former President Donald Trump pushed the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him and was fraught with widespread fraud. The Trump campaign seized on minor incidents of fraud and irregularities, which were caught or addressed by state election officials. In October, Florida elections and law enforcement officials detected and stopped a scheme that sought to register dozens of dead people to vote in Broward County.

But there was no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, and state election officials — even elected GOP officials who supported Trump for election — denied the claim from the former President.

"I think these proposals will strengthen us even more. And I think it will put us in the catbird seat as these other elections come up and people will continue to really look for Florida," DeSantis said Friday.

By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN 02/19/2021, Maria Cartaya, Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeld

DESANTIS FACES CRITICISM OVER COVID VACCINATION CLINIC SITES  — 

(CNN )  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is denying the state had any involvement in a vaccine drive at a private, gated community after questions arose about a $250,000 donation from a resident to a PAC supporting him following the drive.

Ocean Reef Club resident and former Illinois governor Bruce Rauner made the massive donation to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC on February 25, after a vaccine drive was held in January. That donation makes Rauner one of the PAC’s top donors.  CNN has reached out to Rauner for comment on the timing of the donation but did not immediately receive a response.   The Florida official who set up a vaccine site for affluent ZIP codes and created a VIP list is under investigation, sheriff's office says

The news of the donation comes as DeSantis has drawn significant criticism after the state helped set up vaccine drives in other wealthy communities in Florida.   "We had nothing to do with it," DeSantis said at a news conference on Thursday morning, refuting allegations he initiated the drive. "The state was not involved with that."

DeSantis went on to claim it was a South Florida hospital system -- which he did not identify -- responsible for the vaccine drive. "They thought it made sense to go and do 65-plus. I think it was a smart decision to do that," DeSantis said.   Monroe County spokesperson Kristen Livengood said they were not aware of the vaccine drive at the time, but identified the hospital system as the Medical Center at Ocean Reef. 

"They received the vaccines as part of the Governor's program to vaccinate communities with a population of 65+ with a homeowner's association and onsite medical center with the ability to administer the vaccines," Livengood told CNN in a statement. "The allocations were coordinated through Baptist (Church hospital system) and the State of Florida, not through Monroe County." 

CNN has not been able to confirm how many vaccinations were distributed by the Medical Center at Ocean Reef, or whether they were restricted to residents living at Ocean Reef Club.

CNN reached out to the Medical Center at Ocean Reef for comment.   According to Florida Department of Health statistics from January 22, the vaccinations at the Ocean Reef Club represented over 20 percent of all vaccinations in Monroe County, which spans the entire Florida Keys and parts of mainland Florida. Those statistics also show that with at least 1,200 vaccinations reported by the Miami Herald, the Ocean Reef Club had more people vaccinated at the time than eight Florida counties. 

CNN confirmed there was a vaccine drive at the community through another edition of the community newsletter from January.   The Miami Herald was first to report the donation and the vaccine drive, citing a community newsletter that said 1,200 residents of the community had been vaccinated as of January 22.   CNN has reached out to Ocean Reef Club for comment but did not immediately hear back. 

Democratic US Rep. and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked the DOJ to investigate DeSantis on February 21, and whether the vaccine drives benefit DeSantis' political allies and donors.

Meredith Beatrice, DeSantis’ director of strategic initiatives, previously sent an email to CNN saying, in part, "The insinuation that politics play into vaccine distribution in Florida is baseless and ridiculous."

Bottom Line:  He is a liar, cheat and scumbag, who suffers from terminal T-RUMP MINI-ME SYNDROME —

DESANTIS DEFENDS CONTROVERSIAL VACCINE DEAL WITH DEVELOPER — AND THREATENS TO PULL VACCINES IF OFFICIALS DON’T LIKE IT….    

Konstantin Toropin, CNN February 17, 2021 

(CNN)  Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has threatened to move a pop-up vaccination clinic that his state has set up in an affluent community in Manatee County after he was confronted with allegations of political favoritism and preference for the wealthy at a news conference Wednesday.

Manatee County announced on Tuesday that Florida's Division of Emergency Management would host a "pop-up" vaccination spot at Lakewood Ranch this week for 3,000 Manatee County residents, according to a statement from the county.

The vaccines, however, would be limited to people living in only two zip codes — 34202 and 34211.   Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia, a Republican, criticized the selection of these two areas at a Board of County Commissioners work session on Tuesday.

“You’re taking the Whitest demographic, the richest demographic in Manatee County and putting them ahead of everyone else,”  Servia said.   " The optics are bad ... very bad -- I'm really disappointed," she added.

Commissioner Reggie Bellamy, a Democrat, also noted that he's been "fighting like hell to show people that the (vaccine) lottery is equal and we cannot compromise the system."

"And now all of a sudden someone is telling me that we were able to go in and pull names out -- pull a certain demographic out -- and say, 'These are the people that we're going to serve,'" he added at the Tuesday meeting.

Board of County Commissioners Chair Vanessa Baugh, a Republican who is a strong supporter of DeSantis, said that the clinic “ as done strictly by the Governor who called Rex Jensen ... they wanted to do a pop up session in Lakewood Ranch."  Jensen is the CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, the parent company of Lakewood Ranch, according to the company's website. The development is an affluent community that boasts new home prices "from the $180,000s to more than $1 million," according to its website.

DeSantis, however, defended the choice when confronted with the criticism at a news conference on Wednesday.  “It wasn't a choice about zip codes, it was a choice about where's a high concentration of seniors where you could have communities provide the ability for them to go on (to get vaccinated)," he said.   He also pushed back at the suggestion that the choice was politically motivated, saying he didn't "understand the accusation."

DeSantis fired back at the county officials who had concerns with the choice.  "If Manatee County doesn't like us doing this, then we are totally fine with putting this in counties that want it," DeSantis said.

"We're going to look to do more and more with the additional doses but anyone in Manatee ... if they don't want us doing it, then just tell us, and we'll make sure that that that we send those doses to folks who want it," he also repeated later in the news conference.

The governor also noted that the doses that will be distributed at this location are in addition to the doses allocated to the county as a whole and that he has set up two of these vaccination events every week in places like The Villages,  Kings Point and Sun City in Hillsborough County.    

 

ALL REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLDS WHO VOTED FOR HIM  —  Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch, in a statement to CNN, said that their involvement in the clinic was only “ To help identify a site that could accommodate 1,000 people per day.”  " We reached out to Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and asked if the County-owned Premier Sports Campus would be an option," spokeswoman Lisa Barnott said in an email.

Barnott noted that Baugh coordinated the use of the site, as well as use of the Manatee County registry of people who had signed up for vaccinations.  State Democrats have blasted DeSantis for his remarks.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz said in a statement that DeSantis “ Must stop playing politics with the vaccine distribution here in Florida.”   “ Threatening retribution and less vaccine access for communities that criticize the vaccine rollout for its problems is shameful and inhumane,” Diaz added.

Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo said that “ It’s disgusting and unacceptable for the governor to politicize life-saving vaccines.”  " The Governor owes Manatee county residents an apology and a public statement reassuring the public that political games will not be used in the distribution of vaccines in our state.   Period,”  she added in a statement.

On the list of whom we would like to see boiled in oil Herr Von De Santis ranks right after Herr T-RUMP…

👺GOV. RON DESANTIS PLANS FOR RE-ELECTION

He is all in,  all his stupidity starting a war…  Herr Von de Santis is T-rump driven,  fascist,  gun-happy, NRA stooge for money and votes,  law and order and sounds a lot like Heinrich Himmler and Dr. Goebbels from NAZI fame…

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is a 2nd Edition T-RUMP Mini-e Clone Right From the Factory,   proposed legislation that would provide harsher penalties for people convicted of participating in un-permitted or violent demonstrations. 
• By the Florida Channels —  it’s shaping up to be another ugly era in Florida.  Call this the first chapter of the “Ron DeSantis Without T-RUMP in the Big House” saga.  We called him the Penis without his balls, since T-RUMP lost, they were suddenly cut off.
• The nation has clearly spoken with its votes — more than 80 million, the most ever cast for a U.S. presidential candidate. It is a rejection of what President T-RUMP has stood for: racism, division and the road to American-styled fascism.  
• But then, here’s Florida, home to the defeated president.  In Florida, 51 percent of residents who voted, 5,658,847 out of a population close to 22 million, gave T-RUMP the state win — and packed the Florida Legislature with Republicans. 
• His  idol dethroned, and emboldened by the solid majority wins in the House and Senate, Gov. DeSantis is taking steps to fashion a fascist, gun-happier Florida and hide from many press questions.
• He’s proposing legislation that would treat civil-rights protesters getting out of hand at demonstrations without permits or participating in demonstrations that turn violent like hardened criminals.  Most of Florida’s demonstrations have been peaceful.
• But DeSantis wants to make it hard for arrested protesters to get bail —  And when they do get it, he wants “a rebuttable  presumption on bail,” which means the law would require the court to presume that what’s on the arrest report is true until proven otherwise.  That’s usually reserved for dangerous criminals accused of murder, sexual assault, rape and all sorts of other serious felonies. 
• DeSantis also wants to make it a felony to “incapacitate a highway” by taking a demonstration there, as we’ve seen happen in Miami.   And get this: He would make “people participating in violent or disorderly demonstrations” forever ineligible for government employment — or for state benefits.
• So how does a citizen who wants to exercise his or her right to free speech know ahead of time when a demonstration is going to turn violent? 
• The American Civil Liberties Union is going to have to move its headquarters from New York City to Florida and hire the Mafia to get rid of some of our really, really sad dorks and schmucks we call Florida Politicians.
• Public Harassment A Crime —  DeSantis also wants to make “harassing people in public” a criminal offense.  So no more yelling at people inside a restaurant or a store over politics.   He didn’t think that one through very well as most of the viral moments caught on video are about T-RUMP supporters harassing people for things like speaking Spanish and wearing a mask. 
• But, more likely, DeSantis is looking to put on the books a law to be able to arrest truth-telling Miami rights advocate Thomas Kennedy, who has interrupted DeSantis press conferences to call him out on his mishandling of the COVID-19.
• “Shame on you,” the Florida director of United We Dream told DeSantis. “You are an embarrassment . . . We’re getting record-breaking cases every day, and you are doing nothing.”   “You should resign!”   DeSantis doesn’t want people heckling him for the terrible job he’s doing.   He doesn’t want “law and order.” He wants to stifle free speech.   But his threats and erosion of home rule are OK.
• The governor is also threatening cities and counties with any intention to “defund the police” — whatever that means beyond the world of hashtags — with withholding of state grants and aid funding.
• Expanding Stand Your Ground  —  But most telling of all is DeSantis’ call for an expansion of the troublesome and controversial Stand Your Ground Law to allow business owners to shoot looters or anyone involved in “criminal mischief.”   He calls it “anti-mob” legislation, but it’s an endorsement of vigilantes and of murder for a minor criminal offense.
• Desantis Pushes Stand Your Ground Law As ‘Anti-Mob’ Crackdown  —  It’s as if Florida, which let George Zimmerman get away with murdering a Black teen, didn’t already have enough vigilantes and wannabe vigilantes. But these are criminals the GOP likes because the ones we often hear about are Trump supporters.   In DeSantis World, they, instead of their victims, need to be protected.
• What’s next?    Banning the books Republicans aren’t fond of, sending writers to the slammer. No, it’s not preposterous. The GOP already campaigns fiercely to oust newspaper writers from their jobs.  

FOLLOW THE MONEY THAT SUPPORTED THE RIOT!

Publix Says Heiress’s T-RUMP Donations Don’t Reflect Its Values  —  The Washington rally that preceded the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol — and led to the second impeachment for President Donald Trump, now a Florida resident — was arranged and funded by a small group. 

—  That group included a top T-RUMP campaign fundraiser who has family ties to the state’s most popular supermarket chain, according to a Wall Street Journal report released Saturday, which said Julie Jenkins Fancelli, an heiress to the Publix supermarket chain, committed about $300,000 through a top fundraising official for Trump’s 2020 campaign.  

—  And that sum reportedly paid the bulk of the $500,000 rally at the Ellipse in Washington where T-RUMP spoke.

—  The Ellipse rally is where President T-RUMP told his supporters “fight like hell” and to march to the U.S. Capitol where there was about to be a confirmation of President Joe Biden’s election victory. This is credited as the seed that incited a mob to storm the Capitol. 

—  Fancelli’s donation was facilitated by far-right radio show host Alex Jones, the Wall Street Journal reported, and it has embroiled Publix in its latest controversy over its longstanding association with conservative groups and its political donations.  According to Federal Election Commission records, Fancelli has donated more than $1 million to Trump Victory, the former president’s campaign and the Republican National Committee since 2018, ProPublica reported. 

PUBLIX’S PUBLIC POSITION  —  Publix’s communications director Maria Brous released the supermarket chain’s response to the Miami Herald:   “Mrs. Fancelli is not an employee of Publix Super Markets, and is neither involved in our business operations, nor does she represent the company in any way.  We cannot comment on Mrs. Fancelli’s actions.”   “The violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 was a national tragedy. The deplorable actions that occurred that day do not represent the values, work or opinions of Publix Super Markets.”

OUR SCUMBAG GOVERNOR ONCE AGAIN INVOLVED  —  Publix is coming under fire on the public stage social media, naturally — after the news broke regarding Fancelli’s contribution as the hashtag   #BoycottPublix begins trending.  

—  “Is it any surprise that DeSantis is rolling out the vaccine only in Publix stores, the heir of which gave $300,000 to the incitement to insurrection January 6th?

—  Coincidence  — Florida Division of Emergency Management will be delivering COVID-19 vaccines to Palm Beach County’s Health District and DOH after outrage over Publix being sole distributor. 

—  Fancelli is at the head of the Julia J. Fancelli Living Trust that donated $25,000 to the political action committee Friends of Ron DeSantis in October, the Miami New Times reported.

—  On Friday, after a growing public outrage by Palm Beach County residents and local government officials over COVID-19 vaccines only being administered at Publix stores — under order by Gov. DeSantis — the Florida Division of Emergency Management changed its position.

—  Vaccines that had been solely directed to Publix’s 67 stores in Palm Beach County now go to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County and Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County.  DeSantis’ pilot program had been criticized because Publix stores were not near low-income neighborhoods, thus causing a hardship for many seniors who are eligible for vaccines.

TWO YEARS OF PLANNING TO DUMP HIM  —  We have two years to slam the crap out of this moron.  We will start a grass roots campaign to dump De Santis and make Florida civilized again and get rid of the Junior Edition Of The Fourth Reich.  We got rid of that schmuck and this one has less supporters… 

Unfortunately his bullsh*t has killed many of the good people with COVID and he’s gonna kill a lot more.  We were hoping this election would mark a new era of national civility. But there’s not going to be any moderation to the political discourse from Florida’s Republican leadership. 

There’s no end in sight to the mean-spirited pursuit of legislation that targets and marginalizes minority groups.  There won’t be any respite from far-right conspiracy theories and falsehoods, which DeSantis and other T-RUMP operatives in Florida are peddling on Fox News, nor from demonizing political opponents and politicizing the coronavirus.

Rather than persuade people to wear masks to thwart the new surge of a virus that has killed more than 18,500 Floridians and infected more than one million, DeSantis is throwing a match onto all sorts of fires. 

The state is going to supposedly fight “scraggly-looking Antifa types,” as he called demonstrators in Portland, of which we don’t see much of in Florida. But the governor insists that we do and that they’re a problem.  He’s a frickin liar.  The measures, a threat to civil rights, are steeped in racism.

At a time of national reckoning on the sins of our past, DeSantis is trying to make things more comfortable for white people scared of Black and Latino people.   His intention to arm the population more than it already is — and to threaten, deter and disenfranchise free speech — should alarm everyone, no matter the party affiliation.

He’s not the governor of all Floridians with independent thinking, like the puppet rulers the NAZIs used in Europe ( Czech  Croatia, Monrovia) during WWII and over the French Viche…  He’s an operative of Trump’s Republican Party with no mind of his own. But no more,  T-RUMP to wipe his tears and tell him what a great friend he is…  

Most of this “very robust package” of laws, which DeSantis admits will be “the harshest” in the nation, is a direct attempt to stamp out the peaceful anti-police brutality Black Lives Matter movement in Florida.  That’s why one of his laws specifically penalizes the vandalizing or “toppling of monuments.”

The governor says it’s a mandatory six months in jail if you throw a brick at police — plus additional penalties for any mischief if you’re from out of state because . . . I guess the U.S. Constitution doesn’t help you here?  “If you do it and know there’s going to be a ton of bricks rain on you, then I think that people will think twice about engaging in this type of conduct,“ 

DeSantis said at a recent press conference surrounded by an all-white cast of law enforcement officers.  Start a war and without thinking you go tough the opposition will go tough.   Hey dumbass,  it won’t be bricks,  it will be bullets and you are like a twelve point deer…  All this, from a governor who launched his campaign using dog-whistle language to refer to his African American opponent — and now vows that this attack on civil rights will be “the focal point of the legislative session.”   

Up for reelection in 2022, DeSantis doesn’t think he has anything to fear from Florida voters.  Lets not discount that thought, T-RUMPS not even gone yet and teams are targeting DeSantis…  bigly enough time as the former asshole-in-charge T-RUMP is not there to help and will be in court hopefully most of the rest of his life…Herr Von Santis will make many enemies than he thinks he has … we have two years to plan… 

👺  WE THOUGHT T-RUMP WAS DANGEROUS, THEN WE MET DESANTIS…

• There are new CONCERNS that more people in Florida may be dying from the pandemic than we thought.  Really ?  According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our state’s official death toll could be off by thousands.  Researchers are not saying that Florida is being deceptive, but what does constitute a COVID-19 death?  in case you don’t know Ron lies a lot… we believe he is being deceptive.
  
  
• We asked Jason Salemi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology at USF, to help us crunch the numbers and understand COVID-19’s true toll on our community.  “We believe these people would be alive if it were not for the pandemic, what caused their death?”   “It’s things like heart failure, pneumonia or influenza, stroke diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease,” said Professor Salemi.  Combinations matter but bottom line is death with COVID present, that matters.
  
  
• According to the CDC report, it’s also likely Floridians have died from COVID-19 but that information wasn’t put on the death certificate.  So, it wasn’t counted in the state’s official numbers.    Right now, it’s unknown how often true under-reporting has happened.  This is not new, Ron Desantis has lied about numbers before, not mistakes, lies, there a difference, he need to be removed.
  
  
• HERD MENTALITY   Ron Desantis … Our super stupid Governor was considering using Dr. Scott Atlas, noted X-Ray Technicians Idea of Herd Mentality in Florida.  Any of this who follow this theory are like the anti-vaxers wit Hep-A and Measles.  It will kill many of innocent people.   Thats where the give 65-70% of the population are given the disease and we become immune.  This is not true.  Atlas is no longer with the WhiteHouse and Stanford University wants nothing to do with him —
  
  
• A DANGEROUS DUMB MOVE —  Statewide school closures because of COVID-19 concerns are not a viable option, and they will not be considered, said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday.  DeSantis also saluted private and charter schools for pressing forward with teaching their curriculum in person, while knocking public teachers' unions for playing politics with COVID-19, in an effort to keep classrooms closed.  “A lot of our charters really led the way,” he said. Thats a crock.
  
  
• THE GOVERNOR CLAIMED UNIONS’ ATTEMPT TO KEEP PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLOSED was to make sure students were kept out of the classroom, " And they were wrong."  DeSantis' remarks come more than a week after DeSantis made an appearance on Fox News' "Life, Liberty and Levin," to discuss his COVID-19 policies, and why he pushed for a phased reopening while choosing not to issue a statewide mask mandate. 
  
  
• "YOU CAN'T KNEECAP YOUR OWN SOCIETY AND THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE A PANDEMIC,"   he said. “  We think this is really important, we wanted society to function."And we have kids in school in person. Parents have the option to opt for virtual learning if they want, but they have the in-person option, which is very, very important.
  
  
• HE ADDED THAT FLORIDA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.  “We have everything — like theme parks, all that have been open for months,” DeSantis continued.  TRUTH - Only 25-30%…were open and 28,000 were laid off —
  
  
• AND THE MORTICIANS ARE THRIVING…
  

His Quote:   You Can’t Burn Down The Village In Order To Save It  —   

“  But if we burn down the Florida Governors Mansion with Ron  in it… We could save the state…”

👺  Herr Von De SANTIS — Kisses Our President Goodby — Touching  —  

Get the schools open  —  T-rumps battle cry with schools Florida and the willing idiot that listened. they were not ready and were threatened…  Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his administration are doubling or tripling down on opening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and keeping them open even when cases of the disease are diagnosed.  

On a phone call with school district superintendents late last week, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran urged them to be “surgical” when dealing with covid-19 cases, as opposed to “sweeping” — and told them not to close a school without calling state officials first to discuss it.  Thats just pressure, this T-RUMP loser brings to the table.

A Florida school district wanted to wait to reopen school buildings. Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to cut it’s funding.   —  In my world he would be instantly tossed off of the Suncoast Skyway bridge above bull and hammerhead shark-infested  waters after chumming.    

He should be thrown out for such a threat  —  —  Who does that mini-nutcase think he is…T-RUMP?

Cases of covid-19 are being reported in some Florida schools that have already opened —  —  In Martin County, for example, where DeSantis said Superintendent Laurie Gaylord had told him recently that she viewed the reopening of schools as a mission “ Akin to a Navy SEAL operation,” more than 230 students have been told to quarantine because of possible exposure to someone with the disease.  OK it’s a tough thing to handle…

Then the dork Governor added his two dumb cents  —Herr Von DeSantis, in an address on school reopenings, then expanded on Gaylord’s comment, saying, “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so, too, would the Martin County school system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning,” according to a transcript on a state government website  —  And these are the people teaching your children?

THE FATHER AND SON OF CHAOS, CORRUPTION, LIES AND MORE LIES

The Bottom Line, We Fired The President And Will Go After Desantis Next…

WARNING:  The Overall Death Toll In The FL State 09/03/2022

😳🤔😰👹🤖🤕👳🏻👱👸🏼👼🏻👷

“THE ART OF THE FOLLOWERS” 

T-Rump Said:   Just Insert A Uv Lightbulb 
Desantis Said: What Can I Say, It Was Warm
Third Guy Said I Can Smell The Roses,
The Fourth Guy Said I Don’t Think Those Were Roses

AUTHORITARIANISM IS NOT A GOOD DIRECTION 

OUR NEW GOVERNORS LICENSE PLATE

👺  LIES A DIME A DOZEN…TRUTH ABOUT HIS LACK OF LEADERSHIP

√ A month into an international pandemic, the leader of the nation’s third-largest state has confounded with conflicting orders.  DeSantis has made erroneous claims — like on Thursday when he suggested no one under the age of 25 has died from the coronavirus in the United States.   

√ He has pushed unproven quack medical cures while dismissing advice from health experts. He has shared wrong information, potentially affecting millions of people, that went uncorrected for hours. Suggested by T-RUMP Hydroxychloroquine, in some cases is a death multiplier more than a cure.  More on this below…

√ Unlike other governors, DeSantis doesn’t hold regular public briefings. He has ceded the biggest decisions, like whether to close beaches, to city and county officials, yet he hasn’t talked to many of them. Early on, he clashed with federal officials over whether Florida had community spread of the virus. Now he’s tried T-RUMP boring dialog meetings and thats not working…

√ He did nothing when millions came to Miami Dade for the Super Bowl  and that sent 100,000 potential spreaders back to their states.  He did nothing to curb the “ Spring Break” crowds congregating on all the states beaches violating the safe distance rules and fifty of them when arrived back in New York were tested and contagious and spreading the virus. He was more than a week too late.  Then the local boaters cause problem number two…

√ He never shut down the outer-barrier islands and left them vulnerable to boaters who came by the thousands and again caused spreading of the disease as they did not observe any rules at all.  THUS Hillsboro county and Pinellas County, lots of boats are three and four in the state in number of those that are sick and dying.

√ DeSantis’ uneven response has made him an outlier among his counterparts across the country. The approval ratings of most governors have soared during the crisis. DeSantis, one of America’s most popular governors a few months ago, has seen his support plummet. One poll found him the third-worst rated governor at handling the coronavirus in the country.

√ The governor has taken some statewide measures, closing parks, bars and gyms; restricting visitations to nursing homes; and limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery. He also eventually decided to close beaches in two South Florida counties. Still, he’s left many decisions to counties and cities, an approach that has garnered praise, confusion and derision. Almost nicknaming him “ No-balls DeSantis”

√ DeSantis’ directives include:  On March 9, his Department of Health issued a sweeping advisory that anybody traveling from abroad must self-isolate for 14 days. The department later clarified that it only applies to people from coronavirus-affected countries.

√ On March 12, DeSantis said “mass gatherings” in the state were canceled, but he didn’t define how many people made up a “mass gathering.”  Some thought it meant “ Catholics only”

√  In the biggest bad move, Desantis declared Professional Wrestling the WWE, of Orlando and Vice McMahon’s an essential Florida business, great for steroid sales and teaching bullying to kids.  he must believe Pro wrestling is real…

√ Some city officials are marching ahead, no longer waiting for direction from DeSantis.  “We’re just not spending a lot of time on trying to pick that apart and decipher it,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said.   Meanwhile, local leaders can’t get the governor on the phone. 

√ DeSantis hasn’t talked to Kriseman or Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer either, they said. DeSantis is participating in regular conference calls that Vice President Mike Pence holds with governors across the country, but he hasn’t done the same with Florida mayors.  ” Sen. Rick Scott, a fellow Republican, called the lack of information coming from DeSantis’ administration “alarming” during a March 7 interview. 

√ Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, also a Republican, said March 12 on Twitter he was “disappointed” that he learned of his city’s first positive coronavirus test from the news, not the state Department of Health that DeSantis oversees.  “Transparency & Communication is the way forward for our citizens,” Curry tweeted.

√ Florida is spending up to $110 million to back up its failed unemployment website, more asleep at the switch and not knowing whats the “ F” is going on… the stupid bastards could have voluntarily fixed it by volunteers and used the money to help the people…

√ Ron DeSantis noted for Stupid Moves and T-RUMP following like a trail of horseshit after a parade, instead of questioning Uncertified Drug Use,  dedicated most of a news conference to his efforts to secure shipments of the unproven drug named Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that T-RUMP often touts as a COVID-19 remedy despite unproven findings.  It aided in the killing of over 180,000 Brazilians after being donated by T-RUMP to Brazil. It has been non-certified in the US for COVID-19.  The same day he endorsed it for T-RUMPS benefit

👺That same day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed from its website guidance telling doctors how to prescribe and treat COVID-19 patients with the untested drug not approved and dangerous to some patients especially with cardiac conditions.  

TWITTER CALLS HIM THE  # FLORIDA MORON

( What does Florida Think… TWEETS…some profanity cleaned up and combined for brevity )

√  I am all for letting T-RUMP supporters, mask haters, Evangelicals, racists and Nazi’s congregate, protest, rally and hug the sh*t out of each other and with luck all around the GOP Conventions and rallies and with T-RUMP there, no masks. Thats so that many will get sick and die if that what they want.

√  Make sure Stephen Miller,  T-RUMPS writer of hate speeches is there.  Hopefully many of the T-RUMP haters and anti-mask liars, Acolytes and Sycophants, all contact the virus simply for abetter understanding of how they are helping T-RUMP kill others  --  80,500 in Florida -- and we thought alligators, snakes, lightning, bad drivers and recluse spiders were bad. 

√  Quoting Darwin, Natural selection is wild and sometimes death is the result, both good and bad, hopefully more Trumpets will die off and improve the breed  —  When better idiots are made T-RUMP will lead the cause…

√  It might be easy to point & laugh at how stupid Florida is. But please think about those of us who just happen to live here, have been trying our best and are getting dragged along by idiots. That spike you’ll see in a couple weeks might include me or one of my loved ones… because some idiot is not real with truth…true…

√  ‘Very, Very Scary’: Officials Dumbfounded as Florida Beaches Reopen, 3 Days After Death Spike  and “This move is so dumb that I had to make sure it wasn’t fake news,” a city commissioner tweeted.  I understand the desire to not be caged.  I also understand the desire not to suffocate on my own phlegm.

√  Let the MAGA people do whatever they want, that’s a good way to turn Florida blue and again I say let all the 
“ Make America Great Again”  people gather and party like it’s 1999, go to beaches, church, T-RUMP rallies, hugging, kissing, etc.    It will be MAGA Genocide, that’s one way to clean house of the Republicans, if they aren’t alive to vote they can’t harm us anymore.  Me and my SW Fla. neighbors continue to social distance and stay safe.  

√  I love Florida, especially the Keys, but I say this sincerely: . Aerial snapshots of people flocking to a reopened Florida beach made waves on the Internet.   I understand the push to get back to work. We all have bills to pay. 
Problem: The Dead don’t pay bills… I don’t remotely get the rush to the beaches in some sort of childish own-the-libs hissy fit.   

√  Public demonstrators for Liberate Florida movement, open beaches and bars should be required to wear permanent wristband with message if infected: DO NOT INTUBATE OR VENTILATE.  Just pump him full of Hydrochloroquionone,  Lysol or Bleach till he blows up.  Life’s a beach—then you die.  

THE T-RUMP CLONE  ( MANY CONTRIBUTORS TO CNN ORIGIN)  Also known throughout the Southeast Coast as the mini T-Rump Clone… and he and Pence are as close as T-RUMPS Hemorrhoids to T-RUMP.    The horrific and incompetent handling of the spread of COVID-19 in Florida has finally exposed Governor Ron DeSantis for what he is: an extremist ideologue who is also not very good at his job.  

From the very beginning of his ascent to the Florida governorship, DeSantis ran as a Trump acolyte. He received his endorsement after repeated appearances on Fox News in which he defended T-RUMP against any sort of criticism. 

• His platform while running was extremely right wing.  
• Opposing common sense gun policies that would prevent tragedies like the Parkland shooting
• Criminalizing undocumented immigrant families
• Supporting for-profit prisons and immigration detention centers, 
• Opposition to any sort of meaningful regulations for industries that are destroying our environment
• He fostered a T-RUMP Bill on taking office, through the Florida Legislature a bill to criminalize immigrants
• He signed a bill restricting some Floridians who paid their debts to society from getting their right to vote back under Amendment 4. 
• He supported arming teachers in our classrooms and defunding our public schools. 
• He started a “presidential protection fund” to “protect” T-RUMP from impeachment.
• It’s the abysmal handling of unemployment benefits for those who are suffering through this crisis that has catapulted DeSantis to national disgrace. There seems to be an endless amount of stories from people struggling with the state’s unemployment system, which was set up for failure by DeSantis’ Republican predecessor Rick Scott.

COOKING THE BOOKS, LIEING ABOUT THE VIRUS NUMBERS, CAUGHT  — Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s faltering response to soaring new COVID-19 numbers in his state is descending into acrimony, after an accusation his administration is “cooking the books” in an effort to hide the true impact of the devastating pandemic.

Rebekah Jones, who says she was fired from her job in charge of the state’s official Covid-19 database in May for refusing to manipulate its figures, claimed on social media to have evidence that employees at Florida’s department of health “ Have been instructed this week to change the numbers and begin slowly deleting deaths and cases so it looks like Florida is improving next week in the lead-up to July 4,  like they’ve made it over the hump’”

“They’re only reporting all these cases now so they can restrict reporting next week to make everyone think it’s over,” she said.  DeSantis, a Donald T-RUMP loyalist who has refused to slow Florida’s reopening or implement a statewide mask mandate, angrily dismissed the claim, calling a reporter from the Miami Herald who asked him about it“embarrassing”.  

HE REALLY DOESN'T ACT STUPID, HE REALLY IS STUPID

A month after berating reporters whom he said.  “ Waxed poetically for weeks and weeks about how Florida was going to be just like New York,” that scenario has been realized, with New York joining New Jersey and Connecticut this week in ordering visitors from Florida – among other badly affected states – to quarantine.

Hospital systems around Florida are reporting steep drops in the availability in intensive care and other beds, even as the department of health changes how it records such figures.

Perhaps more wounding is veiled criticism from fellow elected Republicans.  While DeSantis resists calls for a statewide mandate on masks, municipalities including Miami have enacted the requirement; Miami’s mayor Francis Suarez is proposing $250 fines for those who refuse.

02/01/2021"