So what’s new in DuhSantistan?

Although I would still disagree with the policy arguably Florida would have an interest in transporting migrants from the state to other locations since their presence could have a monetary impact on Florida taxpayers. Transporting migrants who have never set foot in the state as Ron DeSantis did when he transported the migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard at the expense of Florida taxpayers is nothing more than an expensive and absurd political stunt although I it wouldn't surprise in the least if the legislation is enacted considering that rational thought has taken a backseat to subservience to Dear Leader Ron among the Republican majority in the Florida legislation.

 

Yesterday a teacher from a middle school in Florida posted a video of the school library of empty bookshelves. Teachers were ordered by DeSantisize to "err on the side of caution" and remove all books to be reviewed. Teacher and principals who fail to comply will be charged a 3rd degree felony. If I were a student and suddenly the school library's bookshelves were empty, I'd be creeped out. A certified media specialist who has undergone state training on the new policy will be reviewing the books. One teacher said in her 20 years of teaching she has never come across inappropriate books that were in their libraries that had already been vetted. This is straight out of the dystopian book 1984. I truly hope people are finally getting fed up with this tyrant indoctrination not education governor. Ironically, this week happened to be Literacy Week.

 

Has anyone seen this before? Apparently, this is the slide from where the hard right conceived the strategy to dull American schools to history.



If the slides are accurate, it establishes that the entire attack in the so-called CRT was a contrivance at inception, and it’s followers were the victims of massive propaganda.

 

I can’t believe that some people fell for Chris Rufo hook, line, and sinker.

 

Right!! And I can’t believe it’s not broadcast to the people just how scheming, conniving and dishonest this man appears to be.

 

With housing and cradle to grave healthcare.

 

Kevin Drum links with approval top apiece by Ryan Grim on the Villages. Grim is not a reliable journalist so I'm going to wait until further reporting confirms this, although it sounds plausible

Here's a little taste. It comes after three dissidents have gotten themselves elected to the county commission in order to kill a tax plan supported by the owners of The Villages. One of the three was a retiree named Gary Search:

A top official with The Villages made clear to the commissioners how rough a road they were about to go down, Search later told a meeting of the Property Owners’ Association. The day he was elected, he said, “I had a higher-up here at The Villages put his finger in my face and say, ‘Search, just remember one thing: I’m a big person, you’re a little person. I can squash you anytime I want.’”

....The higher-up was Gary Lester, vice president of community relations for The Villages, Search separately told at least four other Villagers. Lester has been appointed to numerous boards by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and served on the commission that vets judicial nominations....Lester told Search that he had the personal phone number for DeSantis, telling him he could get the governor on the horn at any moment.

One of the others, a 72-year old man named Oren Miller, ended up in jail. The whole piece is long but worth your time. Just don't read it if you have a sensitive stomach.


Retirement in Florida is not for the weak of heart - Kevin Drum

 

This morning’s Times details DeSantis’ latest episode of casual racism and hatred of multiracial democracy.

Some background. Twice in recent years Hillsborough County voters have voted overwhelmingly for an increase in local sales taxes for a mass transit system/enhancement in the County. Twice, local Republicans have sued to invalidate the tax and succeeded, first in a defensible close call on obscure state Constitutional grounds by Judge Barbas, a good man, and after the next voter approved referendum using the precise language for a new referendum proposed by Judge Barbas, by MAGA Judge Moe saying the language was vague. Bait and switch.

Republicans/white people don’t like urban mass transit because it’s urban. They like to move to the suburbs and free ride off the economic engine of the City, and exact common funds to pay for facilitating infrastructure for their segregated lifestyle.

But what to with the taxes collected before the legal rulings. DeSantis takes over, saying the state will control, again invalidating local multiracial democracy, and says it can used on infrastructure but not mass transit.

Same as it ever was. The most American story out there. The type of systematic racism explored by CRT, which is why he outlaws it from being discussed.


Tampa Bay Times

 

From today's paper:

ORLANDO SENTINEL AND SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL EDITORIAL
The pervasive threat of letting kids read the ‘wrong’ book
Florida hasn’t made reading a crime — not yet, anyway. But it’s doing the next worse thing by dangling threats of criminal charges against teachers and educators who share the “wrong” books with students.
What’s the wrong book? Only state-trained, certified media specialists can make the call. That’s the upshot of Tallahassee’s rush to clamp down on words, thoughts and images in classrooms.
Giving students obscene books has long been a third-degree felony. But in recent weeks, the state Department of Education red-flagged the risk as it implements a new law (HB 1467) signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The state unveiled book-vetting training emphasizing that making a wrong call on a book could net an educator five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The state Board of Education discussed the training, and the implied threat, in a meeting on Jan. 18 where representatives of groups including Moms for Liberty and County Citizens Defending Freedom argued that the possibility of arrest should be made more prominent, warned that educators and teachers might sneak books into classrooms and suggested that the criteria for criminal obscenity needed to be broader, the better to remove or restrict more books.

Orlando Sentinel

 

A teacher from Duvall County said today, Feb 7th, their certified media specialist has vetted only 1,400 books out of 4 million, and no books will be returned until all 4 million have been reviewed. She said that because the criteria that determines a book's "age appropriateness" is so vague and vulnerable to personal interpretation, 1 county's certified media specialist (CMS) may ban a book that another county's CMS has not, and has resulted in chaos, teachers having to modify their class curriculums, and students having no access to check out books. This will undoubtably affect students from lower income families who can't simply go to their local Barnes and Noble and purchase books. DeSantis claims this is necessary to protect kids from indoctrination and white kids from guilt or whatever? I don't think most Floridians really know for sure what's up? I don't think they don't understand what Woke means. I know most Floridians never heard of WOKE or CRT before DeSantis became governor, and most Floridians trusted teachers teaching and protecting their kids from any inappropriateness. DeSantis claims there are schools that are guilty of teaching CRT-they are not- or of indoctrination, but has never given any details The same with his general claims that all colleges and universities are suppressing conservatism and indoctrinating students, but has no details or facts that back up his accusations. I am shocked that there are no pushbacks, or teachers striking, or court orders to return the books immediately. So many laws are being broken, 1st amendment rights are being attacked, so much overreach by the governor. Where are the checks and balances? Why does DeSantis have so much power? I thought there are laws in the Constitution that restrict the President and governors' ability to amass too much power?

 

Well worth the ten minutes, especially now. From the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:

 

On environment, DeSantis charts a pragmatic path

 

DeSantis floats bill making it easier to sue news outlets

Gov. Ron DeSantis raised the possibility Tuesday of passing legislation that could lower the bar for prominent people to successfully sue news outlets for defamation.

In a roundtable discussion that featured complaints about the unfair “narrative” of the news media, DeSantis sat behind a desk similar to one of a news anchor with the backdrop of the word “Truth” on a screen. DeSantis spoke with six panelists including attorneys who litigate libel cases, libertarian journalist Michael Moynihan and Nicholas Sandmann, a conservative activist who has spoken extensively about his mistreatment by mainstream media outlets.

While the governor and the panelists weighed various policy options, the event concluded without DeSantis announcing any specific bill or action to be taken, only telling viewers to “stay tuned.”

Since he first ran for governor in 2018, DeSantis has kept traditional news outlets at a distance, preferring instead to grant interviews to conservative broadcasters while framing the general media as a political opponent. His reelection team included clips in campaign ads of him sparring with reporters at news conferences. More recently, DeSantis’ lawyers have argued in court that he possesses executive privilege, similar to a U.S. president, that allows him to shield records of his choosing from the public.

 

control the narrative...burn the books ...villainize and punish the opposition.....smdh

 

Just horrible. And Orwellian. He had the word "TRUTH" behind him when his goal is the opposite

 

My thought as well.

 

Sometimes public outcry works. This information had been a voluntary question for years, but was changed to mandatory this year, likely because of the presence of so many in state government who are primarily focused on pelvic issues, including abortion and gender nonconformity. Also, where it's collected other places, it is kept with doctors, not with school officials. Florida was relatively unique in wanting it to be mandatory and maintained with school officials. Glad that it didn't work