Yesterday’s legislative “wage theft” vote (HB1125) which is essentially another power grab by a “small government” “conservative” House showed the power of unity that the Democratic caucus has created over the past two months. Earlier this week I speculated about the cohesion of the caucus on the upcoming session defining votes. The Democratic caucus remained completely unified on this vote which protects both workers and local government from the heavy hand of a power-hungry, entitled and arrogant legislative majority.

House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston deserves a measure of credit for the Democratic unity on the bigger votes of the session. The previous two sessions, Rep. Ron Saunders was less concerned about differentiating the minority party from the majority and more concerned about making deals and promoting his own political career. This led to a disjointed caucus and less consistent messaging.

One consistent message has to revolve around the failure of so-called conservative to adhere to conservative principles. Much like George W. Bush whose legacy is being reexamined, this legislature claims to be conservative but actually is simply interested in maintaining Soviet-styled control over all levers of Florida Government. Much like the Soviet Union, Florida’s Republicans have used institutional control to impose a one party system and use control of the state to crush dissent be it from the local level or in Tallahassee.

Conservatives love to pontificate about freedom, the constitution and loving America. Yet here in Florida, the Rick Scott Republicans who have established a Soviet style control of the state, will go to any end to promote their unconstitutional view of how to govern the state. Much like their forerunners, the segregationist  bourbon Democrats and the infamous “pork chop gang,” court decisions are only respected when they are in alignment with the ideology of the majority party, and local ordinances are overturned if they do not match the ideological talking points of the majority party.

The Republicans have pushed a unique brand of governing in Florida. This new Republican brand can be summed up by intolerance, cronyism, corruption and anti-intellectualism. The RPOF at one time attracted some of the best brightest minds in the state to its cause. But today, the Republican Party of Rick Scott is a narrow minded ideological party whose main concern is cronyism and political power.

In due time principled conservatives will leave the Republican Party of Florida realizing it is a political party that today exists solely for the benefit of lobbyists and other cronies of the legislature and governing class. Until then it is the obligation of Florida’s citizens to pick up the and work at a grassroots level to expose and defeat this arrogant, reckless and entitled majority. The future of state depends on it.