Ron DeSantis' colossal COVID-19 gamble: schools, vaccinations, masks -- and his political future

[babylonsister]

Sun Sentinel
Ron DeSantis’ colossal COVID-19 gamble: schools, vaccinations, masks — and his political future
Anthony Man, South Florida Sun-Sentinel 16 hrs ago

snip//

The school battle is attracting the most attention. But what’s happening now with DeSantis and Florida’s struggles with COVID could ultimately impact not only his political future, but the 2024 presidential contest. DeSantis has bet the house, gambling that his approach is the right one, or at least good enough to keep his supporters enthralled.

Parents’ views

The denouement may be far off, but many Floridians already have rendered their verdicts, with energized supporters and outraged foes.

“I think he is more concerned about his public image than the safety of our children,” wrote Jaye DeCapua, parent of two students at Western High School in Davie.

Melina Degelsmith, a Broward parent of three children, wrote that DeSantis is “playing a dangerous, political game with our children’s education and health.”

DeCapua, Degelsmith and dozens of other parents described at SunSentinel.com how they, and schools, are dealing with COVID-19 as the school year starts — and of the governor’s handling of the issue.

“Our children are just pawns in his quest to become president. He doesn’t care about Floridians or the children of this state. They are collateral damage. A fundraising opportunity. It’s abhorrent,” wrote Christie Bisbee, parent of a Palm Beach County kindergartner.

snip//

“My biggest concern is that my child will continue to be forced to wear a mask,” wrote Stephen Duane, father of a first-grader. “Gov. DeSantis has been a steadfast and strong leader on this issue.”

Annie Cooper, parent of two at Hollywood Hills Elementary School, wrote that “I applaud him for trying to defend our parental and constitutional rights to make decisions for our children.”

more...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ron-desantis-colossal-covid-19-gamble-schools-vaccinations-masks-and-his-political-future/ar-AANEcNL?

[snowybirdie]

1. Just reported

Today, that a Lee County bus driver died from covid. Schools have been back two weeks. Bus Drivers Union is getting into this controversy now. Also, A local school has 20 teachers out, and substitutes won't come in to replace. A real mess here in SW FL.

[Phoenix61]

2. A lot of subs are/were retired teachers.

I could be working in the school system now but I’m 60 and it’s just not worth the risk.

[bedazzled]

3. Amazing how they don't mention that the antibody manufacturer

Is his biggest campaign donor

[Johnny2X2X]

4. We're getting to see what would have happened last year if Republicans had gotten their way.

Florida's reporting on numbers is a joke now, there's a lag and it's being done to keep their numbers out of the headlines. I also think they're trying to all out lie about deaths, but that's hard to do.

The truth comes out in the end, they're currently at 228 deaths a day in the rolling average, with the number of hospitalizations they're seeing that couple triple or worse in the coming weeks. This is the worst it's been there for the whole duration.

The lag in reporting is all about DeSantis's PR, but it's not going to really matter soon. They start losing 800 people a day every day and all the reporting tricks in the world isn't going to sav him.

[babylonsister]

7. Seems to me he's killing his constituents, or

at least not even trying to protect them. Yea, that will bite him in the ass.

[Johnny2X2X]

8. It's worse than that

He's not just not trying to protect them, he's actively stopping others from protecting them.

They have over 17,000 people hospitalized there. That's higher than NY at the peak during the first wave. I think we've gotten a lot better at treating it, but you could still see FL with several hundred deaths a day for an extended time. They'll pass NY for deaths this Fall and maybe Texas and CA too.

If this keeps going how it's going, Florida will be the tragedy everyone holds up as an example of not how to do it.

[babylonsister]

9. I happen to live in FL and I am

seriously afraid to go out of my house, even to shop. I mask up and go, but as infrequently as possible.

I am so damn angry at the morons out there who apparently never watch the news, and the governor who has such a cavalier attitude about other people's lives. And don't get me started on the children who have no say in the matter. It's a crap shoot.

[Johnny2X2X]

10. Question

With the schools wide open and mask mandates banned, are there learn from home options available to parents and kids right now? They aren't forcing kids to school are they?

[babylonsister]

11. I don't know.

I have to believe there are parents who are doing their due diligence with their kids and not allowing them to attend school. I also imagine there are home schooling programs online that will help.

[NoMoreRepugs]

5. Blind ambition has consequences it seems.

[viva la]

6. The parent's biggest concern is that his child should have to wear a mask

Not his child catching covid and being put on a ventilator and infecting other children the children. He isn't concerned about that.

That level of stupidity and and callousness makes him unworthy.

[Midnight Writer]

12. I believe the tide is turning on the Republicans in regard to Covid.

People are tired of the pandemic and are realizing these Quazies are prolonging the suffering just to "own the libs".

[ScratchCat]

13. They've painted themselves into a corner

And have nowhere to go. They can't back down now, because they'd have to admit they were just full of shit and playing politics. I mean, this guy DECLARED AN EMERGENCY - not because of covid infection numbers - but because county school districts were planning on mitigating the pandemic the same way as last year by mandating masks. Please re-read that if you don't live in Florida or are only tacitly following this. He claims the provision in the State Constitution that gives the Governor "Emergency Powers" allows the governor to ban mask mandates as a "State Emergency". Again, Covid is not the emergency; Preventing mask mandates is.

How do you go forward from that? You can't. These idiots would never stand in front of a judge in a court of law and argue the nonsense they have put in press releases(like ignoring the mask mandate ban is the same as a district deciding to not teach math - the DOE head actually said that) or argue parents can decide if their kids have the required vaccinations to attend school. Everyone except the hardcore idiots see through DeSantis at this point and his future is done.

We have had an eight-year old third grader and a four-year old die here in Leon County. When these death tolls start climbing, its going to get real ugly for Ron.

[orwell]

14. His ace in the hole...

...they cook the case numbers, hospitalization numbers, and deaths.

He will declare victory no matter what happens.

Who are you going to believe, me or your own lyin' eyes...