Floridians received a shock after a fender bender on I-75 close to Chattanooga, Tennessee when the accident revealed Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was utilizing state authorities automobiles for his 2024 run. He was on his method to a fundraiser in Tennessee, the place he additionally defended his offensively false pro-slavery curriculum.
“Tuesday’s four-vehicle collision on the way in which to a marketing campaign fundraiser attracts a curtain again on the marketing campaign’s use of state assets. However discovering out who’s paying for it’s almost not possible due to a brand new legislation handed by the Legislature to guard the governor’s journey data from public view,” Jeffrey Schweers reported Friday within the Orlando Sentinel.
Let’s pause right here to understand that this can be a symptom of deep political corruption and democratic backsliding; the usage of the legislation to legalize energy grabs is an authoritarian transfer and one modeled for conservatives by Hungary PM Viktor Orbán at his CPAC appearances.
As I wrote again in August of 2022 about utilizing the legislation to realize democratic backsliding: “Orbán achieved what’s known as “tender fascism” in Hungary through the use of the identical mechanisms Republicans are utilizing in the USA. That’s not an accident, as a result of the dictator gave conservatives a 12-point plan to enact much more democratic backsliding within the U.S. and within the doing, consolidate energy. It’s carried out by altering the legislation after which utilizing it to steal energy, somewhat than by overt violence or power. Our Supreme Court docket has already carried out this in some main methods.”
The Sentinel shared some ideas from Ben Wilcox, analysis director for Integrity Florida, a nonpartisan analysis institute and authorities watchdog, “The legislature has enabled him to cover his journey data so we don’t know and don’t have any method to maintain him accountable if he’s utilizing state assets in his marketing campaign or if that’s even the case.”
They report that the DeSantis marketing campaign didn’t reply to a request for remark, however the DeSantis marketing campaign’s final report “doesn’t present any funds to FDLE for journey or safety bills.
It does present the marketing campaign spent $76,256 on non-public safety corporations, together with $64,588 to Rubicon Safety safety providers of Solar Metropolis, Ariz.”
Excessive safety and no transparency, whereas utilizing state automobiles whereas out of state working for larger workplace. This tells a narrative, as does his reported “penchant” for flying on the non-public jets of rich donors with an enormous “entourage”. This is identical man who poses as a tradition warrior.
Does his actual story characterize freedom and democracy?
Michael Barfield, director of public entry for the Florida Heart for Authorities Accountability, informed the Sentinel that DeSantis is “additionally setting a precedent for lack of transparency.” “On the finish of the day, taxpayers don’t know what their cash is being spent on.”
That sort of entitlement from a governor doesn’t bode nicely ought to that particular person get into the White Home; however alternatively, the White Home brings with it a stage of scrutiny that can make clear political corruption, as Donald Trump discovered the arduous method. If conservatives have their method, although, that can change.
DeSantis’ assault on fundamental democracy has lengthy legs. Again in 2020, journalists referred to as him out for violating “the state’s public assembly legal guidelines and selected to exclude the @MiamiHerald
and @TB_Times from a media briefing on the Capitol. He was so decided to maintain us out, he had an FDLE car choose up TV reporter Mike Vasilinda to provide him again door entry.”
Whereas no politician loves the press, excluding well-respected retailers from a media briefing and displaying favoritism towards favorable reporters is an indication that the politician doesn’t respect the fundamental proper to know that buttresses our supposed freedom in the USA.
Issues aren’t going nicely for DeSantis’ presidential marketing campaign. He‘s now being criticized by three of the 5 Black Republican U.S. lawmakers for his pro-slavery curriculum modifications and whereas he has been showered with huge cash, his marketing campaign is lagging. Ron DeSantis offers off an ungainly, moist noodle, self-indulgent, self-righteous, control-freak, micro-manager vibe at political occasions, like when he scolded a bit of lady in Iowa saying that her Icee in all probability had a number of sugar. He simply doesn’t have the star energy that a couple of others in his social gathering have.
The underside line behind all of those energy grabs from the U.S. Congress to Trump’s assault on the legislation itself to DeSantis’ autocratic check waters in Florida is for Republicans to say the facility to resolve what’s authorized and what isn’t. That’s why the hypocrisy is so evident and but irrelevant. This isn’t a celebration working on rules, apart from the precept that they’re entitled to all the energy.
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