It’s been a long week. Here’s a short recap of what’s been making news lately in Florida.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection whistleblower fired
James Gaddis, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) employee who blew the whistle on the agency’s plans to develop state parks into hotels and golf courses has been fired. Gaddis, a cartographer at the FDEP, describes himself as an “ethical whistleblower” after bringing the controversial development proposals to light, putting him at odds with the Florida state government which no doubt took issue with one of its employees acting ethically.
Gaddis, a single father who also works a weekend job, this week launched a GoFundMe for financial assistance as he looks for a new job. And apparently Gaddis isn’t the only one who believes in his ethics; the GoFundMe started with a $10,000 goal and is now approaching $230,000. Think about your favorite state park and how much worse it would look with a hotel, then donate to Gaddis here.
Miami-based, right-wing commentator tricked into working for Russia
The right-wing commentator-verse was dealt a crushing blow this week when it was revealed that Tenet Media, a pro-Trump media group that hosts conservative YouTube and podcast personalities, is actually funded by the Russians. One of these commentators is Miami-based Dave Rubin, host of The Rubin Report, a political talk show wherein Rubin employs an interview approach of zero pushback to known bigots and right-wing extremists.
Of course, Rubin denies having any knowledge of where the funding for Tenet came from. It would be generously hypothetical to say that the funding provided by the Russians came with no editorial control of Rubin’s content, and if that is the case, at best Rubin’s opinions still are getting a stamp of approval from the Kremlin, allegedly to the tune of $400,000 per month.
The end of police oversight in Florida
Independent civilian oversight boards that investigate police misconduct are now a thing of the past thanks to a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. This week, oversight boards in Miami-Dade and Fort Lauderdale were forced to cease operations for fear of legal retaliation. Because apparently, the response to systemic abuses of power is simply to get rid of the organizations addressing them.
Florida already ranks in the bottom 25th percentile of police accountability, and those numbers are sure to dip lower without anyone to investigate allegations of misconduct. The governor’s main gripe with these groups is that they are staffed with “anti-police activists,” because that sounds like a much more politically palatable term than “people who don’t think police should act with impunity.”
Welcome to Margaritaville
The Jimmy Buffett license plates that the Florida Legislature approved in January will finally be available next month. While the final design has not yet been determined, the proposed designs would certainly be beach-y enough to earn approval from Buffett. The plates will cost $25 per year and fees collected from the specialty plates will benefit the nonprofit Buffett founded, Singing for Change, which assists those affected by natural or manmade disasters.
The news comes on the heels of the inaugural Jimmy Buffett Day on Aug. 31, a state holiday approved by the Legislature earlier this year. Last week, State Road A1A was also given the parrothead treatment when it was renamed to A1A Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway.
The reproductive rights bus tour
This week, supporters of Kamala Harris hit the road in Palm Beach for a “reproductive rights” bus tour in its effort to turn the red tide in Florida for a Democratic victory in November. Now that Brat Summer is over, it appears the Harris campaign is looking to energize would-be voters by addressing an issue that, despite a majority of Floridians being in support of, is still all but prohibited. It’s worth mentioning that Democrats could have codified Roe v. Wade into law when they had the presidency and majorities in the House and Senate for two years, but I guess a bus tour with all your friends is more fun.
