LOCAL and Florida Politics

[aent]

3 hours ago, JFW657 said:

That is only part of the story.

Some charter schools have done a good job, but others have performed miserably, some even going out of business.

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/other/473782-failed-charter-schools-cost-federal-government-almost-505m-in-nine-years

https://districtadministration.com/charter-schools-fail-at-astounding-rate-report-says/

While the article referencing charter schools that scammed the government and never opened is no doubt a problem that should be solved, bad charter schools failing seems like a good thing. As the article says, its new ones that are likely to fail... perhaps they can try something new, find out if it works, and if it doesn't, we shouldn't keep doing it. But lets not take that away from all of the great charter schools, especially all the ones that helped minorities succeed when they otherwise would have been forced to go to a public school that SHOULD have been shut down long ago for failing to teach the students anything.

[orange87]

@spenser1058

You'll probably be interested to know that I just changed my voter ID party affiliation from Republican to No Party Affiliation.

[spenser1058]

The idiots in Tallahassee have held sway for 20+ years now, and a big way the’ end been destroying Florida is by installing their cronies on their boards (remember the debacles at CFX and GOAA?).

Here’s a look at how their incompetence is killing one of the state’s most valuable assets, the environment:

Water management boards have enough people now, just not the right ones | Editorial
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/editorials/os-op-florida-water-boards-need-environmentalists-20210205-7lydyilg5benrb6zvbjza7qrni-story.html

From The Sentinel 

 

[spenser1058]

When it comes to politics, Winter Park has all the fun as war breaks out between a mayoral candidate and the local Chamber of Commerce:

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/401871-winter-park-mayoral-debate-ends-in-brouhaha-with-chamber

From Florida Politics 
 

[spenser1058]

Scott Maxwell says, “There you go again” to the idiots in Tallahassee:

Lower Florida wages! More parents should have to work two or three jobs! | Commentary
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/scott-maxwell-commentary/os-prem-op-florida-minimum-wage-scott-maxwell-20210210-4c23k6ze6vdb7ip4k4g6wissre-story.html

From The Sentinel 

[JFW657]

Both my parents worked when I was a kid. 

I still maintain that too many people nowadays don't know how to manage their money and don't know how to say no to themselves when it comes to costly but unnecessary purchases.

While it's certainly necessary to have a cell phone for most family members these days, it's not necessary to have an iPhone or some other state of the art high end phone.

But a lot of the people who complain about not having enough money to get by, probably have several pricey things they don't absolutely need. 

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Both my parents worked when I was a kid. 

I still maintain that too many people nowadays don't know how to manage their money and don't know how to say no to themselves when it comes to costly but unnecessary purchases.

While it's certainly necessary to have a cell phone for most family members these days, it's not necessary to have an iPhone or some other state of the art high end phone.

But a lot of the people who complain about not having enough money to get by, probably have several pricey things they don't absolutely need. 

And as Scott Maxwell notes, there are far more low-wage jobs in Florida than there are teenagers living in two-parent households that don’t need the money. Leave It To Beaver isn’t real and probably never was.

In any event, both my brother and sister worked hard while going to hs to earn money to buy cars that would allow them to drive to college once they graduated and to pay for tuition and books when they got there. And we lived in a nuclear, two-parent household. Why would you make them work for subpar wages to meet those goals? 

Edited February 10, 2021 by spenser1058

[orange87]

Florida Senate Democrats Call for Medicaid Expansion in Response to Pandemic

Article: https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2021/02/09/florida-senate-democrats-call-for-medicaid-expansion-in-response-to-pandemic

[JFW657]

34 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

And as Scott Maxwell notes, there are far more low-wage jobs in Florida than there are teenagers living in two-parent households that don’t need the money. Leave It To Beaver isn’t real and probably never was.

In any event, both my brother and sister worked hard while going to hs to earn money to buy cars that would allow them to drive to college once they graduated and to pay for tuition and books when they got there. And we lived in a nuclear, two-parent household. Why would you make them work for subpar wages to meet those goals? 

I worked in high school too.

I just don't think kids need $15 an hour working after school 20 hours per week for date and party money.

If they want to make it for 18 or 21 year old adults who work a minimum of 32 hours per week, fine with me.

And specify that the business must have a certain minimum number of employees so that small mom & pop operations who are already operating on razor thin margins aren't driven out of business.

This across the board, one-size-fits-all method will hurt as many as it helps,

32 minutes ago, orange87 said:

Florida Senate Democrats Call for Medicaid Expansion in Response to Pandemic

Article: https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2021/02/09/florida-senate-democrats-call-for-medicaid-expansion-in-response-to-pandemic

Good idea but it will never happen with a GOP controlled state legislature.

[AmIReal]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

I worked in high school too.

I just don't think kids need $15 an hour working after school 20 hours per week for date and party money.

If they want to make it for 18 or 21 year old adults who work a minimum of 32 hours per week, fine with me.

And specify that the business must have a certain minimum number of employees so that small mom & pop operations who are already operating on razor thin margins aren't driven out of business.

This across the board, one-size-fits-all method will hurt as many as it helps,

I appreciate the angst, but the voters spoke very decidedly about this issue. What is the purpose of having voter amendments if the legislature is then going to decide if they want to enact the amendment? It reminds me of the felon voter act that was passed overwhelmingly with very specific language, but has been so watered down as to become useless. This is actually a problem with the voter specified amendment process, which has a lot of flaws and needs fixed. But in the meantime do what the overwhelming majority of voters voted for.

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

it's not necessary to have an iPhone or some other state of the art high end phone

This sort of reminds me of Reagan's welfare moms and their fancy Cadillac and fur coats. I'm not sure it is a prevalent as maybe your experience suggest it is.

 

[JFW657]

I probably am generalizing a tad, but I think it probably happens fairly often.

People are being seduced by ever increasingly slick advertising campaigns that convince them they can't live without certain things that in reality, they could.

But like I said.... I'm OK with raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but target it so that it goes to those who really need it and so that it doesn't hurt those who can't afford it.

[spenser1058]

The Sun-Sentinel looks in-depth at who may run for governor or senator next year on the light side of the Force:

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/fl-ne-democrats-florida-governor-2022-early-outlook-20210220-56n7sowyufd6jh2hpsvqnmbzly-story.html

[spenser1058]

Phil Anderson took on the status quo in WP and won. Could Orlando finally be next?

[jack]

21 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Phil Anderson took on the status quo in WP and won. Could Orlando finally be next?

I don't know if a former commissioner beating another former commissioner could be described that way. If anything, a developer replaced the other developer as Mayor. 

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, jack said:

I don't know if a former commissioner beating another former commissioner could be described that way. If anything, a developer replaced the other developer as Mayor. 

Scott Maxwell and I are in agreement on this one:

https://twitter.com/scott_maxwell/status/1369483643702435847?s=12

Of course, WP is a very small pond so there’s definitely overlap. Nevertheless, it’s a bit of progress.

Edited March 11, 2021 by spenser1058

[jack]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

Scott Maxwell and I are in agreement on this one:

https://twitter.com/scott_maxwell/status/1369483643702435847?s=12

Of course, WP is a very small pond so there’s definitely overlap. Nevertheless, it’s a bit of progress.

I suspect they are not that different at the core, besides my beef with him was that debate that spiraled out of control. It made me think the Trumpification of politics has made it to WP. 

Edited March 11, 2021 by jack

[spenser1058]

7 minutes ago, jack said:

I suspect they are not that different at the core, besides my beef with him was that debate that spiraled out of control. It made me think the Trumpification of politics has made it to WP. 

We’ll have to see but a couple of folks who know him seem to think he lost his temper and is now contrite rather than being a premeditated Trump bit of performance art. I sure hope they’re right as I’ve never met him.

[spenser1058]

Woohoo! Checks will begin appearing as early as this weekend if you have direct deposit.

[jgardnerucf]

Hard Rock here I come! Lol

[orange87]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

Woohoo! Checks will begin appearing as early as this weekend if you have direct deposit.

Good! I can pay for the PODS and movers for my upcoming move to Connecticut.

[spenser1058]

26 minutes ago, orange87 said:

Good! I can pay for the PODS and movers for my upcoming move to Connecticut.

Connecticut is a lovely blue state and the home of ESPN which keeps my Disney stock plugging along!

[spenser1058]

It’s interesting that Winter Park of all places is aggressively looking at ways to bring itself into the 21st century while Orlando seems content to lock itself in place to that halcyon day in 2003 when the Buddytopia began...

Advice for Winter Park’s new mayor: Embrace inclusion | Commentary
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/guest-commentary/os-op-winter-park-new-mayor-opportunities-20210314-o7cs7rlxkfe4bmbywckgxgjvhm-story.html

From The Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

Every now and again I remember great moderate Florida Republicans like Lou Frey, Toni Jennings, Dan Webster (before he went to DC and went rogue) and Jack Eckerd and wonder how the party turned into wackadoodles like Anthony Sabatini. Thank goodness I saw the handwriting on the wall early with Paula Hawkins, even if she’d be mild by today’s standards...

Edited March 15, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Oh, Dear God, just no. Alan Grayson’s threatening to run for the US Senate again:

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/415612-alan-grayson-exploring-run-for-u-s-senate

From Florida Politics 

[spenser1058]

There they go again - the idiots in Tallahassee just won’t quit. Apparently, trying to take our kids’ scholarships away and running an incompetent government for years isn’t enough:

Florida bill would join Georgia in banning giving water to people in line to vote
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-florida-water-line-election-20210329-5rokjxuzjfgcpnxveeplzfzqre-story.html

From The Sentinel