THE SESSION HAS BEEN A DISASTER. This session has been unussually bad, in fact a disaster. Although it is still too early for a final evaluation, what has happened in Tallahassee over the past few weeks exposes crassness of hard right conservative ideology. At least last session we knew Speaker Feeney would sell out his "conservative " views (and bretheren) to get a Congressional seat. Things are different this year, as the St Pete Times Editorial Board describes in "Amid impasses, clock ticks on session's fate". We predict King, like Senator McKay last year, will fold to Bush and the House; perhaps King will use the same excuse he used last year, "a tough editorial in the paper as a reason for deserting Senate President John McKay's tax reform crusade." If that happens, and the Bush-Byrd budget passes, it will truly be a disaster for Florida.
And where is Bush in all of this? The State of Florida is a rudderless ship.
A lengthy guest editorial about the ERA, suggests that it" will die in the Florida Legislature. Again. So in the election campaigns of 2004, there will be a lot of lawmakers on record voting against equal rights. It will be interesting to hear them explain why to their constituents, to their wives, to their sisters, to their daughters."
Columnist Mike Thomas asks: "Remember during [Bush's] re-election campaign when he touted his role in the Everglades cleanup? Remember that picture of him with his brother, the president, both smiling as they signed an Everglades cleanup bill? Well, now that he's set for another term, he seems to be abandoning that commitment." Fortunately, the St Pete Times is a little blunter: "Gov. Jeb Bush is trying to sell this line to people who practice politics for a living: Sure, we are extending a deadline that is written into law, replacing the date 2006 with 2026, but we have no intention of delaying anything." See "Bush's sugar-coated bill". And yet more in the Palm Beach Post: "Washington sees clearly; Everglades change risky".
By the way, here is the party line on the Everglades imbroglio.
The Miami Herald editorializes about State arts funding being jeopardized. Perhaps the man the Herald endorsed for reelection - "Jeb!" - will ride to the rescue?
And, let's hope "Jeb!" and "Toni" get burned for this: "Gov. Bush's summer reading Band-Aid is more a cover for his own political boo-boos than first aid for students who need help reading." See "Political sunblock".