(09-15-2021, 08:27 PM)GMDino Wrote: I'm good with less emphasis on standardized testing.  I also don't trust DeSantis and the FLAGOP to not use this as a way to control teachers.

Maybe it's paranoia but they haven't been shown to care anything about actual education as much as caring about making sure they can control what is taught.

(09-16-2021, 12:33 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Good old school....learn what you can so you can replace it with BS you read on the internet as an adult.  

Quote:DeSantis proposes a new civilian military force in Florida that he would control

[/url]
[url=https://www.cnn.com/profiles/steve-contorno]By Steve Contorno, CNN

Updated 9:47 AM ET, Fri December 3, 2021

St, Petersburg, Florida (CNN)Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to reestablish a World War II-era civilian military force that he, not the Pentagon, would control.
DeSantis pitched the idea Thursday as a way to further support the Florida National Guard during emergencies, like hurricanes. The Florida National Guard has also played a vital role during the pandemic in administering Covid-19 tests and distributing vaccines.

But in a nod to the growing tension between Republican states and the Biden administration over the National Guard, DeSantis also said this unit, called the Florida State Guard, would be "not encumbered by the federal government." He said this force would give him "the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible." DeSantis is proposing bringing it back with a volunteer force of 200 civilians, and he is seeking $3.5 million from the state legislature in startup costs to train and equip them.

States have the power to create defense forces separate from the national guard, though not all of them use it. If Florida moves ahead with DeSantis' plan to reestablish the civilian force, it would become the 23rd active state guard in the country, DeSantis' office said in a press release, joining California, Texas and New York. These guards are little-known auxiliary forces with origins dating back to the advent of state militias in the 18th century. While states and the Department of Defense share control of the National Guard, state guards are solely in the power of a governor.

The proposal from DeSantis comes on the heels of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's directive warning that National Guard members who refuse to get vaccinated against the coronavirus will have their pay withheld and barred from training. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, had requested an exemption for guard members in his state, which Austin denied.

Democrats in Florida immediately expressed alarm at DeSantis' announcement. US Rep. Charlie Crist, who is running as a Democrat to challenge the governor in 2022, tweeted, "No Governor should have his own handpicked secret police."

State Sen. Annette Taddeo, another gubernatorial candidate, wrote on Twitter that DeSantis was a "wannabe dictator trying to make his move for his own vigilante militia like we've seen in Cuba."

The Florida State Guard was created in 1941 during World War II as a temporary force to fill the void left behind when the Florida National Guard was deployed to assist in the US combat efforts. It was disbanded after the war ended, but the authority for a governor to establish a state defense force remained.

"Reestablishing the Florida State Guard will allow civilians from all over the state to be trained in the best emergency response techniques and have the ability to mobilize very, very quickly," DeSantis said during a visit to Pensacola on Thursday.

State guards are typically deployed to respond during a disaster, though governors have found other reasons to call them into action.

In 2015, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott used the Texas state guard to monitor federal military exercises in his state, responding to what was at the time a fast-growing conspiracy theory that the federal government was using Walmart parking lots to prepare for a future state of martial law. Abbott said the guards were just collecting information to keep Texans safe during the multi-week exercises.

Florida law authorizes the governor to maintain a defense force as "necessary to assist the civil authorities in maintaining law and order," meaning DeSantis would have another force to respond to unrest that may erupt in the future. DeSantis swiftly deployed the Florida National Guard to major cities after protests and violence broke out in response to the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.

DeSantis has also stationed Florida National Guard troops at the Texas-Mexico border and sent them to Washington, DC, to help protect the US Capitol during the inauguration of President Joe Biden.

The announcement on Thursday came during a broader rollout of DeSantis' plan to bolster Florida's National Guard, which included $100 million in funding proposals to establish three new armories, build a new headquarters for the National Guard Counter Drug Program and provide support for Florida National Guardsmen seeking higher-education degrees.

(12-04-2021, 11:18 AM)GMDino Wrote: I'm starting to get why the right loves this guy so much.  They do love themselves a totalitarian.

For some reason, Ron Desantis now feels the need to create a state militia under his control. pic.twitter.com/q4EJUEGG4i

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) December 3, 2021

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/02/politics/florida-state-guard-desantis/index.html





Yes, I'm aware (because I read the articles I post) that he ONLY wants it to prepare for emergencies.  I am also aware that some you will be perfectly fine with another armed group of state controlled citizens "protecting" you because they are on "your side".

(12-15-2021, 01:23 PM)GMDino Wrote: Welp.

FL Governor Ron DeSantis quotes the late MLK Jr. while introducing the “Stop Woke Act” which would be used to prevent the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools throughout the state. Power move!pic.twitter.com/CN4atQiXlX

— Suburban Black Man ?? (@goodblackdude) December 15, 2021

 

(12-15-2021, 01:47 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: My understanding is that many states, including New York and California, have similar, if not identical set ups.


From what I know and have heard from the man I don't think MLK would be a "progressive" today or find many of its tenants acceptable.  For example, race specific "safe spaces" are directly antithetical to his stated beliefs.  Or is your issue that its a Republican quoting him?  

(12-15-2021, 01:54 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: MLK wouldn't have been a fan of the "virtue signaling" (to steal a term from the right) that we see by modern liberals. But he was a workers' rights kind of guy, so he may have actually fit in with some of the more leftist folks.

(12-15-2021, 01:58 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Possibly.  I think it's equally likely he'd be cancelled for his stated position on homosexuality. 

(12-15-2021, 02:08 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Quite possible. It would be interesting because his views on homosexuality were pretty normal for the time; they matched society's views. I wonder if he had lived on if that would have evolved, or if he would have stayed the course. Like seeing the same arguments used in Loving being used against the LGBT community were eye opening for some folks I know.

Towards the end of his life, he saw the need to come together. He saw that the real issue in this society was one of class. He was starting to bring poor people of all races together to help them recognize that race was just being used by those in power to keep their power and divide the working people. That's when he was assassinated. I doubt he would have turned away the LGBT community in that effort.

(12-30-2021, 11:32 AM)Nately120 Wrote: We have a long way to go, but I assume DeSantis is watching Trump go soft on the evils of the vaccine and he's getting ready to snatch the anti-vaxxer vote which will be crucial to getting the nod to represent the GOP in 2024.  He can just stay the course on ignoring covid and he and his PR team and Bobert and MTG can just assure everyone that the death toll in Florida is next to zero and that everyone there who is sick and dying are sick and dying from everything other than covid.  Hell, he can even say that he loves personal freedom so much that he stood by and allowed his constituents to sacrifice themselves to live free in Florida.

Reasonable republicans are going to be like democrats in 2020 where they shrug and say "We don't like him, but he's got the best chance of getting the other party out of the white house."

Quote:Gov. Ron DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, acknowledged Thursday that 800,000 to a million COVID tests had expired in a state stockpile, with the omicron variant spreading and residents facing long lines for testing.


The acknowledgement came during a press conference Thursday, when reporters were asking the governor questions following an announcement related to getting COVID-19 test kits to senior citizens in group living.


The expired testing kits had become an issue earlier, when Florida Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a Dec. 30 statement: “It’s come to my attention that Governor DeSantis’ Department of Health has a significant number of COVID-19 tests stockpiled that are set to expire imminently.


“Given the Governor’s lack of transparency throughout this pandemic, there’s no known public information about these tests or how soon they expire. With omicron infections exploding throughout Florida, I beg of him to release these tests immediately to local counties and cities, and to stand up state-sponsored testing sites. To let these tests expire while Floridians anxiously wait for hours in testing lines is negligent at best, and heartless at worst.”
On Thursday, Guthrie explained what happened:


“We had between 800,000 and a million test kits, Abbott rapid-test kits, in our warehouse that did expire,” Guthrie said in answer to reporter questions at the press conference in West Palm Beach.


Guthrie said demand for the tests was low in the fall, prior to the emergency of the omicron variant.


“We tried to give them out prior to that but there wasn’t a demand for it,” Guthrie said. He said the state secured an extension on the expiration dates, from September to December, which expired, and have requested another one, which is pending.


On Thursday, Fried, a Democrat who is a 2022 gubernatorial candidate, blasted the governor about the expirations.
“It’s bad enough that Governor DeSantis has deprioritized testing, with omicron exploding across Florida, but it’s an absolute disgrace for the Governor and his communications team to have lied and covered up the massive failure of a million unused tests while Floridians wait in hours-long lines for local tests that are running out,” Fried said in a press statement.


“Now the Governor has to beg President Biden for another waiver to even use these expired tests – should they still be safe and effective. The Governor’s executive failure during this pandemic continues to hurt Floridians. This is why I speak up.”
In DeSantis’ intended theme of the press conference, he announced that the Division of Emergency Management had procured a supply of at-home tests that will be prioritized for senior-living facilities.


“We’ve been able to secure nearly 1 million at-home tests and make them available to nursing homes and long-term care facilities,” DeSantis said, reprising his “Seniors First” theme from early in the COVID pandemic.


Guthrie said shipments of “starter kits” based on each facility’s bed count would begin today, arriving at their destinations this weekend. They are intended for use only in people exhibiting COVID symptoms.


Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Simone Marstiller said Florida is home to 700 nursing homes and 3,000 assisted living facilities.


Asked by a reporter whether nursing homes and ALFs are experiencing outbreaks, Marstiller disclosed none.
“I don’t have any specific numbers for you now,” she said. “As in the general population, we are seeing more cases.”


Asked by reporters if the governor himself has been tested, DeSantis said that he had not been tested recently. He also said that he hadn’t had any COVID symptoms, so he didn’t get tested. DeSantis had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the spring of 2021.


DeSantis made it clear that residents can test every day, if they choose. But Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has said ,”If you have no symptoms, please don’t get tested.”


Ladapo has also provided new guidance in Florida on COVID testing, including: “Individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19, but have no symptoms: COVID-19 testing is unlikely to have any clinical benefits.”


Update: Responding to questions from the Phoenix, Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman Samantha Bequer said the test kits being sent to nursing homes are CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Tests and not the Abbott rapid -test kits that expired in the state stockpile.

Quote:"Do we even known they're Nazis?" Christina Pushaw tweeted.

The Press Secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared Sunday night to question whether a Nazi flag hung from an Orange County bridge was in fact the effort of Nazis.

In a tweet she posted Sunday night and later deleted, Press Secretary Christina Pushaw responded to Twitter outrage over an Orlando Nazi demonstration by asking, “Do we even know they’re Nazis?”

Her tweet, which offered doubts rather than condemnations of the event, presented the unsupported prospect that those witnessed this weekend on a bridge holding a Nazi flag and shouting antisemitic oaths might have been Democratic staffers in disguise.

She later dismissed any assertion that she was denying the people on the bridge were Nazis, but she held to the theory she offered in her tweet.

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘denying Nazis.’ I was referring to this event in VA, when a group of Democrats dressed up as white supremacists to discredit a (Glenn) Youngkin rally,” she said in a response to Florida Politics.

Pushaw’s original tweet Sunday drew a firestorm of responses on social media, creating yet another controversy for the Governor’s Press Secretary.

In one of the harshest responses, Parkland gun law reform activist Fred Guttenberg tweeted, “Holy shit!!! @GovRonDeSantis, two weeks ago your press secretary @christinapushaw made a Hitler joke. This is now her response to the disgusting antisemitic Nazi behavior taking place in Florida this weekend, targeted at people like me. Is this your public position?”

Sen. Annette Taddeo, a Miami-Dade Democrat running for Governor, sent a letter to DeSantis urging him to denounce the demonstration, and calling out Pushaw by name.

“It was incredibly disappointing to see how your administration’s spokesperson, Christina Pushaw, took to Twitter in a now deleted tweet… not to denounce these actions but to instead politicize the situation and question if individuals displaying swastikas and flying Nazi flags were actually Nazis,” she wrote. “Being the spokesperson for your administration, bigoted comments such as these by your staff only embolden anti-semitic sentiment. By refusing to condemn these comments, you are sending a strong message to the Jewish people that your administration stands with these individuals.”

Although Pushaw deleted that particular tweet, she nonetheless continued to promote the prospect that the Orlando protesters might have been fake.

She liked and retweeted others’ posted tweets that seemed to come to her defense after criticism of her tweet emerged. Pushaw also responded to people who tried to connect the protesters to her boss, with a tweet declaring, “These aren’t ‘genuine questions’. It’s a dirty political smear attempt, and people who say things like this aren’t fooling anyone. Not anymore.”

Democratic Rep. Mike Grieco of Miami Beach tweeted: “Just because she deleted it doesn’t mean she didn’t tweet it.”

Pushaw also sent out a message contending the Governor opposes antisemitic attacks.

“Gov. Ron DeSantis has ALWAYS condemned antisemitic attacks & hatred, and he always will. To suggest otherwise is just plain wrong. I am confident that Florida law enforcement will respond appropriately and justice will be served to any protester who violates the law.”

In her written response to Florida Politics Monday morning, Pushaw alluded to reports that a Republican political rally in Virginia last October had included Lincoln Project members posing as white supremacists.

“The fact that Democrats attempt to smear Republicans by tying them to Nazis is sadly well documented. I deferred to law enforcement to determine who was behind the protest because frankly, I didn’t know anything about the group. But I can guarantee it wasn’t the Governor. Attempts to tie the protest to his policies are disgusting political smears,” Pushaw wrote.

“Nazi imagery and hate speech, whoever is using it, is never acceptable. Nobody from our office ever suggested it was,” she added.

Other Republican leaders found it far easier to condemn the Nazi message without implicating Democrats or discussing unrelated events in Virginia.

“Yesterday’s disgusting display of anti-Semitism in Orlando does not reflect the values of Floridians,” tweeted Florida Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican. “These thugs and their hateful messaging are not welcome in this state.”

Florida House Democratic Leader Evan Jenne at a press availability said there’s no truth to any suggestion Democratic staffers were behind the demonstration, and Pushaw knows that.

“We know it’s completely false,” the Dania Beach Democrat tweeted. “Her immediate deletion of that tweet shows she was just talking trash. No more or less.”

While Jenne said he appreciated that Pushaw’s tweet was quickly taken down, he said DeSantis himself still needs to weigh in with forceful words to condemn the hateful message.

“Call out that we don’t want neo-Nazis in the state of Florida. It’s not that difficult a statement to make,” Jenne said.

“I would hope the Governor would say he does not support neo-Nazis’ agenda or beliefs. That was not difficult for me to do right now, nor should it be difficult for the Governor’s press secretary. I think she realized she probably over-stepped when she deleted that tweet. We still need a more positive statement saying exactly where the Governor stands. I believe he would be against neo-Nazis, but the people of Florida need to hear that.”

The Governor’s Press Secretary’s tweets, including the one offering a potential denial of Nazi involvement, came after a gathering of about 20 demonstrators reportedly lined a bridge in eastern Orange County over the weekend, hanging the swastika flag and banners — including a banner with the pro-Donald Trump slogan “Let’s Go Brandon” — and yelling profanities and antisemitic slurs at passing cars.

Elected leaders in Florida slammed the presence of Nazi symbols and hateful messages.

“The neo-Nazi rallies in Orlando this weekend were a disgrace,” said U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Winter Park Democrat. “Central Florida is home to patriots of every political stripe — and we have no tolerance for these anti-Semitic and racist groups.”

State Sen. Randolph Bracy, an Ocoee Democrat, also weighed in. “Anti-Semitism is not welcomed here in our community. We love our Jewish brothers and sisters and I forcefully condemn the hateful acts of this weekend,” he said. “It is important that we as a community remain vigilant and that law enforcement acts swiftly against acts of anti-Semitism so that the message is clear — anti-Semitism will not be tolerated here.”

Quote:Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has refused to condemn a Nazi rally that took place in Orlando over the weekend, claiming that those asking him to condemn the Nazi rally are trying to “smear” him.


A video of the Orlando rally that spread on social media Monday showed protesters standing on a highway overpass in front of banners of swastikas. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the group shouted antisemitic slurs, and an array of bipartisan Florida politicians, including Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic House Rep. Val Demings, condemned the gathering.



But DeSantis claimed those asking him to condemn the Nazis tried to “use this as some type of political issue,” according to CNN. “We’re not playing their game,” he added.

Among those calling on DeSantis to condemn the Nazi rally was the Anti-Defamation League’s Florida office.

A Nazi's salute at a neo-Nazi rally in Kansas City, Missouri. (Dave Kaup/Reuters) (credit: DAVE KAUP / REUTERS)

“We expect any public official, especially a voice for @GovRonDeSantis, to address the fears of the Jewish community thoughtfully – not with this troubling and careless approach,” the branch said in a tweet Monday.


Nikki Fried, Florida’s Jewish agriculture commissioner running for governor as a Democrat, said she was “horrified but not surprised” at DeSantis’ lack of condemnation. She recently compared DeSantis to Hitler.

The ADL tweet, and other calls for DeSantis to speak out against the rally, came after the governor’s spokesperson Christina Pushaw asked in a tweet that she later deleted whether the rallies might have simply been in disguise.

“Do we even know they’re Nazis? I trust Florida law enforcement to investigate and am awaiting their conclusions,” she said in a tweet that she later deleted, CNN reported.

The Orlando rally was one of several antisemitic incidents to unfold over the weekend across North America, just a few weeks after the hostage attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. A Jewish school and a synagogue in Chicago were vandalized and swastikas were painted on a train station in Washington, D.C. A rally in Ottawa against COVID-19 vaccine mandates also featured swastikas.