Florida's GOP legislators facing angry electorate

[seafan]

Just couldn't stomach the original title of this piece, so I took the liberty.

By JOE FOLLICK

Tallahassee bureau
November 25, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - To hear Republicans in the Capitol this week, one could easily think the party had fallen apart in Florida.
"The inability of our political process to confront and solve the issue of our days is an emerging crisis," said House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, "a crisis that leaves us on the brink of a tragic and dubious distinction - the first generation of Americans who may not leave for their children a life better than their own."
--snip
The reality is that Republicans still have the governor's mansion for at least four more years, two of the three Cabinet seats and a two-to-one advantage in both the House and Senate.


But for the first time since they took over virtually all state government in the late 1990s, Republicans are facing an angry electorate fuming over crises in exploding property taxes and insurance premiums.
--snip
For some members of both parties, the talk means a return to the middle after years of Gov. Jeb Bush's ideological crusades to enshrine school vouchers in law, battle popular limits on class size and force lawmakers to intervene in the Terri Schiavo matter.
--snip
"Let's face it, Jeb had a fairly dictatorial approach. It was his way or no way," said (Republican former Senate president Jim) King,...


snip


But Rubio's message of bipartisanship carries some contradictions.
He has based his two-year stint as one of the most powerful men in state government on a book called "100 Ideas" that was released last week. Despite his claims that it was generated by dozens of meetings around the state with input from average Floridians, it largely reads like a guide to GOP philosophy.


Among the ideas are stiffening FCAT requirements - a Bush-led battle that faces widespread public scorn. Other suggestions include staunch conservative plans to limit citizen initiatives, lease the state-owned toll roads to private businesses and require universities to start FCAT-like grading of their performance.
The book is being published by Regnery Publishing, a controversial firm that offered the Swift Boat veterans attack on Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and books from strident liberal bashers like Ann Coulter and Newt Gingrich.


snip


"To a certain extent, (Rubio) sounds like that guy who says he wants to stick it to the man until his assistant reminds him that he's the man," Gelber said. "They are the ones that got us into this mess. The first step to recovery is acknowledgement."

snip

We had a Schiavo *special session* forced down our throats, but Jeb sees no need to dirty his pudgy fingers by calling a special session before he leaves office in January to give Floridians some immediate relief from this property insurance crisis. It *isn't* his problem, he decrees.

Yeah, let's leave it to Charming Charlie to solve all these Bush disasters. Don't hold your breath, Florida. It doesn't look promising for us.

Charlie will roll over when this GOP Legislature continues implementing its marching orders, delivered from the micromanager, soon to be in Miami.

[William769]

1. I have given up on politics in Florida.

We seem to be a haven for idiots!

[bluestateguy]

2. At least the Democrats won a couple of statewide races this year

Nelson reelected, victory in the CFO race, Mahoney won, Klein won and a few gains in the Florida House.

It's a long road back, but a few small steps were taken this year.

[niceypoo]

3. The snarling, seething electorate boils like starving pirhanas...

...and the GOP legislators cower in fear as the Bush bullies prepare to toss them into the water...where their fate awaits.

[pooja]

4. That's why people are leaving Florida in droves...

The housing market is not going anywhere...At least for 2yrs. Citizen's Insurance is scheduled to rise 55% by March 01.. if that happens all insurance co. get to raise rates too. Property tax is off the hook... and when there was surplus, what did they do? Squander.. instead of giving it back...

I'm working on getting Community Centers in place... To provide a place for people to meet and act as a community building entity. People are so scrambled and discontent. If the information was easy to access, Florida would be so different.

PM me if anyone in FL is interested in Community Building..