I applaud the Florida Democratic Party for finally making the subject of cronyism and corruption in Florida an issue in statewide politics. For years, I have begged Democrats to make this the central issue of our state. A state where the GOP’s Soviet-styled control of every arm of state government. PolitiFact focuses on the claims in an Integrity Florida report. Some of the officials that were listed as having been convicted or jailed in that report were Democrats but the reality is that levels of corruption in Florida during the  years of the Crist administration reached a boiling point thanks to indulgence at the state level. It seems every other day the Governor had to appoint a new County Commissioner, or Countywide official as the previous one had been convicted, jailed or forced to resign due to pending charges. Crist himself was tied to some of the allegations and to multiple associates who ended up in prison.

On the state level, one-party control of Tallahassee since 1998 has led to unparalleled levels of arrogance in the capital city. At the same time Democrats have their own flaws that have been routinely on display in the Democratic controlled county governments in the southeast corridor of the state, counties which were named in the report prominently.

Florida Republicans have created a class of entitled politicians who lack intellectual curiosity or any governing wisdom. They are not conservatives as much as they are political whores for power and certain big business. They have lived for years on easy street being opposed by a previously impotent Florida Democratic Party that lacked organization or the courage in its own convictions to take the fight to the Republicans. But the Democrats have demonstrated with this ad that they are not going to indulge the corruption of culture any longer.

In southeast Florida, the Democrats have benefited from these same tendencies where it seems half the elected Democrats on the county level have been at one time or another linked to scandal. Similarly the Republican party in this part of the state is impotent and, worse yet for their supporters, cut deals with the Democrats all the time.  Even if they don’t cut deals with the Democrats they have trouble keeping the doors open and staff paid. 

I like where the FDP is going with this. Perhaps they should take Governor Scott out of the attacks, since the culture is one that Scott inherited and quite honestly his administration has not been as ethically challenged as that of his predecessor. But the Republican led Legislature, in their 17th year consecutive year of having a majority in both houses needs to be held accountable for the culture they’ve created and maintained; Thus the FDP perhaps should target attacks there and keep going on this theme.

The FDP deserves credit for having courage to take on the issue of corruption. Now let them get the accuracy of the ads right going forward.