Courtney will be missed. Made it though Fmr Administrator Scott Hopes and did not put up with his actions.
She was the only stability for staff who has worked hard under Charlie Bishop.
All this is a clear case of private interests over public services, control over constituents and money turned into state control with this Republican Florida Legislature, particularly after giving even more "overreach of power" to Gov. DeSantis they enabled prioritization of private interests to "future-proof" their agenda against the will of future voters. There is so much damage being done with this mountain of new bills, that even when a Democrat eventually replaces DeSantis, there will be a 'fortress' of laws and no-bid contracts specifically designed to outlast this administration."
The driver behind it all is yes, Florida does currently projected to have a surplus of $3.8 billion, but after the fall elections it is projected to have a $1.5 billion deficit for 2027-28 and a $6.6 billion deficit by 2028-9; particularly after FEMA refused to reimburse construction costs due to national litigations thus leaving Florida taxpayers "on the hook" for the bill, plus rising Medicaid ), K-12 education enrollment for both public and charter schools (exacerbated by universal school choice vouchers, and state-employee health benefits. Alligator Alcatraz and its $573 million to build was paid by taxpayers without a vote yet each of us remain on hook for another $608 million in construction costs and $1.2 million a day to run it. Now include litigation fees over the center also paid for with taxpayer money.
Who is making money on this?
Look at each of these BILLs being floated and put them together and examine each piece of the puzzle. The big picture appears that Florida's legislature is attempting to strip $13 billion from cities and counties by seizing control to cover that shortfall. To it constituents, it will result in higher sales taxes and reduced local services like fire, EMS, crumbling roads, libraries and parks.
And if the state gets control, what county or city wants to grovel to compete to get anything done which turns into a pay-to-play scenario or raise taxes.
Why is Uthemeir suddenly standing on constitutional rights when it is against state law? Is this another power grab with midterms coming up or an executive overreach play to move to the front of Florida's conservativism. Wasn't he the "brains" behind Alligator Alcatraz against federal environmental, conservation laws, and where are the missing 1,200 people that vanished from official public records. Wasn't he the one who moved $20 million from Florida's disaster/hurricane funds all without a single vote from its constituents. Didn't he declare over 80 Florida statues unconstitutional with "minority-business preferences" and diversity mandates usurping the power of the courts. Should an Attorney General have the discretion to refuse to defend a law they find unconstitutional even as that role belongs to elected judges? Just lots of questions.
What a fantastic interview with Tony Barrett! It was informative and truly highlighted his platform as a candidate, along with his strong leadership and genuine care for the county. As a new Manatee County resident, this podcast is a great way to get to know the community, what makes it special, and the challenges that require thoughtful governance. Great work, Dawn and Mitch! I loved the conversational, real-talk format and the willingness to ask tough questions. Tony, you make the Realtor family proud, and you have my vote!
A total of 10 vehicles from various agencies showed up in an incident where a 97 year old woman had died peacefully recently in Holmes Beach. Actual fire fighting incidents have become increasing rare as fire prevention codes have increased. Voters are overwhelmed by increasing taxes. What elected official actually oversees the fire department?
Ho, hum, another voter suppression law from Republicans. Just can't win without rigging the system. Whatever happened to the citizen-passed amendment to allow ex-felons to vote. They still can't vote, disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of voters.
I am very uneasy with "zero qualifications" for armed security anywhere. Untrained persons are scary!
The role of being armed security requires that the person with the weapon have some real sense and know when to use their weapon; and that it involves life and death situations. Training, should include at minimum, an awareness of that heavy responsibility!
Not any Tom, ****, or Mary, that owns and knows how to shoot a gun has the wisdom to know when that is the right choice of action.
Training of these volunteers by experts on such situations should be actively pursued - even required by state law!
This bill seems excessive... those that voted for it are voting not voting to protect citizens or legitimate law enforcement - they are voting for official immunity and thuggery!
Removable of property taxes would be a way to drop all the deductions many Floridians on lower incomes enjoy now,, When legislators see how foolish such a move was. Taxes would then go through the roof, especially for lower income families.
Recent Comments
andreart@aol.com writes:
Courtney De Pol to Depart County Administration Next Month
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