I promised a series of Cuban/Florida politics, I promise I will get back to that I will get back to that in due time.  

Two comments on Twitter got me to thinking last week. The first was Ms. Dionne Warwick asking the question, “what’s going on down there in Florida?” The second was Kirstie Alley basically eluding to the fact that she’s happy to be a Floridian because she can do whatever she wants. I’d be negligent if I didn’t mention the fact that Ms. Alley is a member of a cult with a history of violence against people who denounce them and politicians who stand up to them (as of this morning I could find no evidence that she’s no longer affiliated with Scientology). This is an opinion piece and not a critique of that organization specifically. I link the association of Ms. Alley as a matter of character, the type of character that leads a person to live a certain place because they want no responsibility or consequence for their actions, people with no redeeming qualities.

As a lifelong Floridian it’s hard to look at what my beautiful state has become and not think it’s the trashcan of the country. When Ms. Warwick asks the question,” what’s going on?”  I can see it, years of conservative government and deregulation attracting the worst of us.  The rest of the county is not sending us their best, we get all of your drunk uncles, racist grandparents, and the rest of your throw away people. In short the who’s who of damaged and opportunistic people.  I remember a quote from a Tim Dorsey book, (paraphrasing) “It was never the Marielitos, it’s always been the Ohiolitos who ruined us.  We’ve had our own collection of miscreants since the beginning of the state, now we have yours too.  Before the not all of us crew pop their heads up, enough that our state is the laughing stock of the country on a regular basis. (Insert Bugs Bunny Gif here).  Want more proof? See the pre and post Super Bowl festivities in Tampa and the surrounding areas over the weekend.

Understanding what people really mean when they speak is important. We hear politicians (mostly Republicans) talk about smaller government it’s a move towards authoritarianism, cronyism, and corporate control, hi NFL. (sorry Mitt, corporations are not people) where the people have less and less control. Conservatism of the past may have been about preserving resources, it’s now about conserving power by any means, thus their tacit approval for Florida’s latest garbage citizen (45).  I will keep speaking truth to that power in my own way, with my small Twitter account, and my columns for the Florida Squeeze, I so hope that you’ll join me. When enough of us have had enough and join our voices together things will change. #CleanUpFlorida