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Who's "Deplorable" Now, Sen. Artiles?

Sen. Frank Artiles, Mitt Romney 

Republican Miami state Sen. Frank Artiles is facing calls to resign after an ugly incident over drinks at the members-only Governors Club in Tallahassee earlier this week in which he used racial slurs and obscenities to describe several of his Senate colleagues:

Sen. Frank Artiles dropped the n-word to a pair of African-American colleagues in private conversation Monday night — after calling one of them a "f------ a------," a "b----" and a "girl," the two senators said.

Over drinks after 10 p.m. at the members-only Governors Club just steps from the state Capitol, Artiles told Sens. Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville and Perry Thurston of Fort Lauderdale that Senate President Joe Negron of Stuart had risen to his powerful GOP leadership role because "six n-----rs" in the Republican caucus had elected him.

Artiles later told Gibson and Thurston that he'd used the word "n----as," suggesting the slang term was not meant to be insulting, Gibson and Thurston said. It's unclear whom Artiles was referring to, since the only black senators in the state Senate are all Democrats — and none of them backed Negron's bid to lead the chamber.]

[The discussion began Monday night after Artiles approached Gibson at the Governors Club to suggest that a series of questions he'd asked of one of her bills earlier in the day were payback for questions she'd asked before of one of Artiles' bills.

At one point, Artiles referred to Gibson as "this f------- a------" and "this b----," Gibson said.

Artiles later "apologized" on the Senate floor:

“I extend a heartfelt apology to my colleagues and to all those I have offended,” Artiles began, reading from prepared remarks.

He offered a direct apology to Sen. Audrey Gibson, a Jacksonville Democrat he had called a “bitch” in an alcohol-laced tirade two days earlier.

“My comments to you were the most regretful of all, because they injured you personally,” Artiles said. “No one deserves to be spoken to like that.”

Artiles was removed as chair of the Committee on Communications, Energy and Public Utilities. 

 

However, despite calls for his resignation from news outlets, The Florida Democratic Party, and advocacy group Florida Strong, as well as Democratic candidates for governor, Andrew Gillum and Chris King, and a likely third candidate, Gwen Graham, Artiles is refusing to do so:

 

“Absolutely not,” a defiant Artiles told reporters, calling his Southwest Miami-Dade seat “targeted” by Democrats.

He pledged instead to file soon for his 2018 reelection — and win.

This isn't the first time Artiles has used racial and ethnic slurs:

 

In 2014, he was secretly recorded at a Miami-Dade polling place using the word “hajis,” a derogatory term directed at Muslims, Arabs and Middle Easterners.

 

Obviously, apologies aren't enough, especially in light of what looks like a pattern of using this kind of language.  

 

Further, Artiles is one heck of a hypocrite. During the 2016 election, he placed his support behind Donald Trump in spite of claiming he was one of the "worst candidates in history."

 

"I can tell you right now that I think that both candidates are the most horrible candidates that have ever been put up for the president of the United States," Artiles said.]

[Artiles said that when he talks to independent voters, he tells them: "Look, you have a choice to make between who’s the best and the worst, because I quite honestly believe these are the worst."

But he added, "I will be voting for Donald Trump."

And Artiles stood in support of Trump even after the the 2005 Access Hollywood tape surfaced in which Trump made his "grabby" comments about being able to get away with sexual assault "when you're a star." Here's what Artiles had to say about Trump's comments back then:

Artiles called Trump's lewd comments about women that were caught on tape during a 2005 Access Hollywood appearance "deplorable."

"I’m not here to defend his comments because I think they’re terrible comments," Artiles said, "but it was made in private, he was mic’d up. The reality is I’ve heard worst comments coming from enlisted officers as well as women, in reference to the comments that were made."

"The reality is, I've heard worse." Take it from Artiles, he would know. 

Artiles excused Trump's comments because they were "made in private." Even if that were a valid excuse, Artiles' own comments certainly weren't private. So what of that? In light of his own "apology" it seems that slurs and offensive language, whether used in public or private can be excused. In other words, Artiles would like everyone to just get over it and move on whenever he says things like this.

Not only does Artiles have a pattern of using this kind of language, he also has a pattern of excusing it and blowing off the idea that such language matters. His moments of supposedly moral high ground are always followed with "but."

As we've seen in the age of Trump, people like Artiles seem to have been emboldened. They think they have license to say and do what they please without consequence. Worse, politicians like Artiles seem to  think we owe them some slack for their transgressions. After all, Artiles certainly looked the other way for Trump. Now he says he will "absolutely not" resign, he will run again, and he will win.

You think, Sen. Artiles?

Who's the "deplorable" one now? 

(Photo credit: Frank Artiles, Facebook)

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Florida Republicans Took A Bite Out Of Mosquito Control And Enabled A Zika Outbreak

As a Zika outbreak hits South Florida, Republicans are trying to deflect blame for their inaction, from the entire party's obstruction in Congress, to Marco Rubio, to Rick Scott. While Congress took several more weeks of vacation instead of addressing Zika, Rubio and Scott are pretending to have a sudden interest in the problem. Both have even tried to blame the President, who asked for funding from Congress months ago but was ignored.

Nice try.

While we can't know if the problem could have been prevented, Republicans in Florida have done their part to pave an easier path for a Zika outbreak as well.

In 2013, Mother Jones published a detailed article on how the Tea Party and Rick Scott devastated "big government" in Florida by doing away with things like infrastructure (turning away funding for a high-speed rail project that was years in the making), refusing Medicaid expansion, throwing up roadblocks to Obamacare, cutting water supply programs, and more.

Among the things that got axed as tax dollars went instead to corporations and were used as "incentives" for jobs, many of which never materialized, was a program that would have come in handy right about now.

Mosquito control: 

It used to be that a few government expenditures were immune from partisan disagreement—cops, potholes, mosquito control. But not anymore. Most of Florida's mosquito abatement work is done at the local level, where independent taxing districts are responsible for the bulk of the eradication efforts. These districts have become targets of tea party wrath. Last year, a trio of conservative activists dubbing themselves the "Mosquitoteers" challenged several members on the Anastasia Mosquito Control Board in St. Augustine. They campaigned on a plan to cut mosquito control taxes and the district's budget and bought a billboard reading: "Smash mosquitoes and the friends of Obama." Never mind, notes board member Vivian Browning, that the seats are nonpartisan: "Mosquitoes, they don't care if you're Republican, Democrat, or independent. They can eat you, infect you, kill you, regardless of party." One of the Mosquitoteers, a reserve sheriff's deputy, defeated a University of Florida biology professor who is an expert in mosquito-borne diseases—a concern in a state that has regular outbreaks of West Nile virus and has seen an uptick in dengue fever.

The state Legislature has also done its part to liberate mosquitoes from the shackles of big government. In 2011, the Republican-dominated Legislature slashed the state's contribution to mosquito control by 40 percent. Florida A&M University closed one of two major mosquito research labs in the state after the Legislature axed $500,000 in research funds. Public health officials succeeded in restoring money to keep the lab open, only to see Scott kill it with a stroke of his veto pen. Along with other budget cuts, the closure halved the number of Florida scientists working on mosquito control.

"There's maybe a perfect storm of sorts," says Joseph Conlon, a technical adviser to the American Mosquito Control Association in Florida. "You've got the government rightfully trying to cut budgets across the board, but down here in Florida, the place would be uninhabitable without mosquito control."

....Florida's internationally renowned mosquito control system took a half century to build, but only three years to decimate. Likewise with public health, says Nan Rich, who fought the cuts in the state Senate: "The infrastructure is being destroyed and responding to public health crises becomes more difficult," she says. "I shudder to think if what happened with Hurricane Sandy had happened here."

Yes, responding to a public health crisis like Zika without the needed infrastructure in place is something we no longer have to imagine, thanks to Republicans in the legislature and Rick Scott. And thanks to Marco Rubio and the rest of his party in Washington who are standing in the way of funding, plan B isn't going so well either.

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Florida Laws Blocking Women's Health Care Face New Hurdles

The Florida GOP has been on a roll lately when it comes to blocking women from access to health care, but two recent laws are facing new hurdles from the Florida Supreme Court as well as Washington.

Last year Republicans passed a law requiring a 24 hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion, but this week the Florida Supreme Court stepped in to temporarily block that requirement:

On a 5-2 vote, justices granted a stay of a lower court's order allowing the 2015 law to take effect. The Supreme Court said it would keep the stay in place while it decides whether to review the decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal.

Republicans reacted in their typical fashion, declaring this an "overreach" of the court:

In a statement responding to the ruling, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli laced into the court.

"In my opinion, this has been one of the most activist and overreaching State Supreme Courts in recent memory," said Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island. " ... It appears that several of our Justices seem to believe it is their job to invalidate any action of the legislature, regardless of the law and constitution. I do hope that our next appointees will have a better understanding and appreciation for the true role of our Courts."

Never mind that the state's abortion restrictions are an overreach themselves in that they seek to block women from seeking their Constitutional right to an abortion. As per usual, Republicans are quick to pin the label of "activist judge" on any that should disagree with them, and this ruling is no different.

Meanwhile, last month Rick Scott signed another law that restricts women's access not only to abortion, but for many women, health care in general, by essentially "defunding" Planned Parenthood, amid other hurdles. The slight of hand used for this law was going through Medicaid to block access to things like cancer screenings and regular preventive care along with abortion under the guise of not using taxpayer funds for abortion, something that never happens under the law as it is. But Scott and the GOP haven't been willing to acknowledge this in their ongoing battle against Planned Parenthood, so absent shutting them down via faux scandals that never worked, they came up with this.

Earlier this month, the Obama administration reprimanded states who seek this workaround to defund Planned Parenthood and warned them that attempts to strip Medicaid funding from the women’s health care provider is most likely illegal:

The letter, sent to each state’s Medicaid director, cautions lawmakers that “providing the full range of women’s health services… shall not be grounds for a state’s action against a provider in the Medicaid program.” In other words, the fact that Planned Parenthood provides abortion services in addition to other women’s health services is not legal grounds to cut it off from Medicaid funding. It stipulates that the only justifiable reason to remove a provider’s Medicaid funding is if that provider isn’t able to bill for or perform covered medical services. 

Not to be defeated, the legislature has a backup plan:

But rather than accept defeat, Republican lawmakers are suggesting they apply for a federal waiver, despite the fact no such exemption has ever existed...]

[..Washington will hopefully refuse to grant Florida a waiver that would attack the constitutional rights of many of its citizens.

If it does go through, “The ban on Medicaid funding could have cost providers as much as $500,000 and forced some to close,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Scott's revenge against women's health care and PP has already given rise to HIV/AIDS cases in the state, and the abortion restrictions also block research on the Zika virus, which is also on the rise in Florida. Republicans in Washington are also currently blocking funding to combat the virus.

Scott and the Republicans are so determined to block women from health care they're hurting more than just women at this point. One wonders what it will take to make them sit up and take notice.

 

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Oh, let's give another hand to Rick Scott, ever watchful and loyal steward of the Florida taxpayer dime! Here he was again, earlier this week, concerned that your money never be used for something frivolous, and thus, his trusty veto pen was at the ready.

Citing the "potential for abuse of public dollars," he vetoed legislation that was passed unanimously by the Legislature that would have given dental care to low income children in underserved areas. The custodian of your money, and the governor with a "blind trust" who would never want to see the abuse of public funds had a very good reason for doing so, according to him:

...he could not “support a program that does not place appropriate safeguards on taxpayer investments.” 

So while he was busy protecting your tax dollars from an apparent band of evil roving dentists combing the state in search of poor children to inflict with dental hygiene, he had better use for your hard earned money.

That would be financing trips to Korea, Taiwan and Mexico City for his soon to be ex-CEO of Enterprise Florida on another of Scott's famous "trade missions" that are less about trade and more about world travel for public officials at taxpayers' expense. And that's not all, folks:

Johnson, who is also stepping down as CEO of Enterprise Florida, has already collected more than $1 million in retirement benefits from taxpayers since July and stands to gain $132,500 more in June when his Enterprise Florida severance package kicks in. 

Nice work if you can get it, as you're busy resigning from the post and heading out the door with your boxes packed.

I'll bet it includes some great dental benefits too!

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Rick Scott Makes Attack Ad Targeting Starbucks Patron Who Challenged Him

Scott Gets Revenge On Private Citizen After Taking Away Her Health Care

Many of us in Florida don't call Rick Scott, one of the worst governors in the history of worst governors, "Voldemort" for no reason. He's just really bad at his job, and he's shameless. Now he's done something that almost makes Maine Governor Paul LePage look sane. Almost.

Scott has actually taken out an attack ad for revenge on a private citizen who dared to question him about the radical bill he signed into law that cut off many women in the state from access to reproductive health care.

Part of that incident was captured on video. What wasn't captured on video was the first question she asked Scott, which was why he signed the bill, which she called "damaging to women's healthcare choices." When Scott responded to her question with his usual talking points on jobs, she got angry, yelled back at him about stripping women's access to health care, and called him an "asshole."  This part was captured on video. (See details, and the video here.) Scott was unable to make the woman see the "wisdom" of his deflection on the issue, so he did what he always does when faced with anyone who dares to question him. He fled.

Scott's staff later put out a statement calling the woman a radical and a self-proclaimed anarchist and claimed "she was not somebody you could talk to." Of course, a translation of Scottspeak to English here means she didn't shut up and listen to his non-answer. Interesting that Scott's staff chose to highlight her as an anarchist, given that the definition of an anarchist is someone who believes that government and laws aren't necessary. That kind of describes Rick Scott more than Ms. Jennings, in that he claims to hate big government and regulations, but just made an exception by signing a law to take away her health care.

Apparently he didn't think blaming the woman for daring to be angry about her governor cutting her off from health care in a public statement was enough, so he's taken revenge on her with an attack ad while raising money at the same time for his Let's Get To Work PAC.

Yes, I'll repeat that. He's taken out an attack ad to get revenge on a private citizen, to try and humiliate her, and raise money for future political adventures for himself in the process.

In the ad, he again calls her an anarchist and tells you that as a former government official, she refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, "but never mind about that." Sure, never mind about that, even though this dominates the beginning of the ad before it turns into just another ad claiming Scott is the king of the entire job creating world and is just a gift to the state of Florida. He neglects to mention many of those jobs barely pay enough to make ends meet, and many can't afford health care because of it. He also fails to include the part where what Cara Jennings said in that Starbucks was, for the most part, true.

But never mind about that.

Nice touch, Rick. Not even Donald Trump has thought of that one yet. I guess we should be grateful that Scott didn't send his security detail after her and drag her out of that Starbucks in the first place as his BFF The Donald would have done while screaming "Get Her Out Of Here!" or "She deserves to be roughed up a little!" I suppose when you're as shameless as Scott is, this was just the next best thing in his mind?

You can see the revenge ad here, but you can't share your thoughts with Scott on what a dirty trick this is because the comments are closed. After all, Scott's all about transparency, and, well, you know, NO QUESTIONS!

 

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Scott Came For Coffee But Fled With A Foot In His Mouth

Yesterday Rick Scott got a dose of reality on what life is like for actual Floridians since he became governor, and not surprisingly, it hardly matched his narrative that Florida is the place where dreams come true for residents.

The moment came when he was asked a question by a constituent in a Starbucks in Gainesville. Some of the angry interaction was captured on video. (See more details, and the video here.)

But there was more to the story before another patron started filming, and it's what prompted the angry outburst from Cara Jennings, the woman who confronted Scott in the first place.

In an interview with MSNBC, Jennings, a former Lake Worth City Commissioner, said she had spent the days before the confrontation stewing about a bill the governor signed into law on March 25 that could restrict women's access to reproductive healthcare clinics.

So when she was sitting in that Starbucks and saw the governor stroll in with a sizeable entourage, she told MSNBC she thought to herself: "Oh great, this is an opportunity to talk to the governor about the bill he signed."

Jennings said she asked the governor why he signed the bill, which she called "damaging to women's healthcare choices." He turned to her, Jennings said, and gave her a "very politician, very typical politician reaction."

The governor told her he doesn't vote on the bills, Jennings said, a statement she understands is true but considers misleading, since he has the power to veto and instead chose to sign it into law.

“Then I proceeded to explain to him that that decision is damaging to low-income women such as myself that rely on public healthcare options,” Jennings told MSNBC. “And he very inappropriately responded by telling me where I should go to receive my healthcare, as if I shouldn’t make that decision myself.”

Jennings doesn't say where Scott told her to go to receive said healthcare, but the lawmakers who did vote on that bill, and proceeded to pass it, offered women suggestions of their own, like elementary schools, dentist offices, and podiatrists as alternative options to Planned Parenthood and similar clinics, the only places many low income women could afford to go before Republicans made their cuts. Since Scott gleefully signed the bill into law, one wonders what his suggestion to Ms. Jennings was.

But let's look at Scott's own defense of his statements to Jennings, specifically addressing her comments on Scott and Republican lawmaker's refusal to expand Medicaid:

"I've said all along that if the federal government wants to have its program, they should fund their program," Scott said Wednesday. "But don't come to the state of Florida and ask us to tax our taxpayers for a federal program. I don't believe in that. I don't go to the federal government and say 'fund my program.'"

But Scott has also doubled down against Jennings, saying she wasn't willing to have a conversation.

"I didn't see the video, but I was there," he said. "She was not somebody you could talk to."

Scott's excuse here is ludicrous, not only in terms of Medicaid and tax dollars, but also in terms of the actual response he gave to Jennings during the confrontation: Jobs.

For one thing, Floridians have already "funded" the program Scott and the GOP blocked. They paid their taxes, and those tax dollars went to Medicaid in other states when he and the legislature said no to expansion in Florida. Scott also very much wanted federal funding, but he wanted to use it as he saw fit and with little accountability. It was a move similar to his refusal to accept federal funds for high-speed rail, and now Florida taxpayers are helping pay for rail projects in other states. Scott has no problem throwing away taxpayers' money when it suits his far-right ideology, even if it kills people, as in the case of Medicaid, or costs the state jobs, as it did when he turned down high-speed rail.

Scott also thinks nothing of throwing away taxpayer dollars as "incentives" to corporations he lures to the state, many who make big promises to create jobs, only to leave the state after those positions never materialize, and all those tax dollars disappear right along with them.

So it's hardly surprising that Jennings lashed out as she did, being someone who's living the reality that doesn't match Rick Scott's rosy narratives, especially if he referred her to a podiatrist for her next pap smear as Republicans did when they cut funds for Planned Parenthood.

As for the confrontation itself, since writing a post on it yesterday, I've seen reactions from the media and others who took issue with Jennings disrespect for Rick Scott. You can certainly argue that calling an elected official an "asshole" and shouting at them out of frustration may not be the best way to handle things, especially when you know you're right and he tries to respond with a non-answer as Scott does. His ex-chief of staff certainly used Jennings' angry outburst to blame her in a statement, saying "its not at all surprising that an anarchist prefers shouting over conversation.” Scott himself said "She was not somebody you could talk to." This doesn't exactly ring true given what Jennings says happened before a video recorded the aftermath.

Still, you can hardly blame people who are the real-life victims of Scott's radical policies for being angry about it, and there are plenty to go around.

But there's another point to be made here, and John Romano of The Tampa Bay Times spelled it out in excellent fashion here:

Yet there is an irony in her abusive manner. In case you've forgotten, Scott is one of the most high-profile politicians to have endorsed Donald Trump's presidential bid.

And Trump has been stoking voter frustration, disillusionment and anger for months. He has encouraged precisely the type of vulgar expression Jennings unleashed at Starbucks.

Looked at that way, Scott got exactly what he is asking for. He got taken down by a voter tired of politicians who cultivate power at the expense of the public.

The governor has a well-documented history of avoiding scrutiny. Whether it's a deposition or a television interview, he has repeatedly ignored questions he deems unfavorable. In this case, he wasn't facing questions as much as insults.

When reporters ask Scott a question he doesn't like, he flees. He did the same thing to Jennings, but insulted her intelligence both during the confrontation, and later while trying to explain his way out of it to the press. 

Yes, some may say Jennings could or should have handled it differently, but you can't blame her for being angry. Either way, I think more people would say Scott got just what he deserved. 

 

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As Zika Spreads In Florida, State's New Abortion Laws Also Block Research

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

Republicans in Florida use phrases like "safety of women's health" and "protecting life" as a hammer when pounding anti-abortion bills through the Legislature, as does Rick Scott as he happily signs them into law. But you'd have to be living under a rock to know that these laws and the women and children they hurt are nothing more than political footballs used to keep their anti-abortion zealots at bay. 

The latest anti-abortion law signed last week adds a new layer of hypocrisy to the "cause" of protecting life, and it adds yet another danger for pregnant women and their babies:

The Zika virus.

Florida is also among the states at greatest risk from the virus, which is carried by a species of mosquito endemic to the Gulf Coast. It's also a major travel hub for the Caribbean and South American, where the virus has already broken out. Recommended travel restrictions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have extended ever northward as the temperatures have warmed. This month, the agency warned against pregnant women going to Cuba, just 90 miles south of the Florida Keys.

The obvious risk involving the state's restrictive anti-abortion laws is making it harder for women to get an abortion when they know or suspect they've been exposed to the virus, and the life of babies who will be born with defects as a result. But the laws go even further now as they also block the very research needed to combat Zika:

Scientists say such laws in states like Florida, Arizona, Ohio and Indiana — along with an escalating probe of fetal tissue research by House Republicans — are becoming roadblocks to the research needed to combat Zika. But the reaction has been muted because scientists fear the wrath of anti-abortion activists, even though many say the research is urgent to find the answers that could save children from birth defects or death.

“Basically the only insights we’ve had so far on Zika is with patients who have either lost a pregnancy or had miscarriages,” said Patrick Ramsey, an obstetrician at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. “This is a situation where the vaccine is going to have to protect the mom and protect the baby. Fetal tissue is going to be needed to look at the effects.”

Fetal tissue research was the target of the anti-abortion fanatics who deceptively edited vides from Planned Parenthood to make it falsely appear that PP was "selling baby parts" last summer, and even though the videos were proved to be false and the group was charged with a crime as the result of making them, Republicans have continued to pretend they're valid in order to enact laws like this one. And despite the fact that PP in Florida doesn't donate fetal tissue, the latest law signed by Scott last week prohibits the donation of fetal tissue and will hamper efforts in preventive research to combat Zika by cutting off scientists access to fetal tissue used in the research.

Two of the lead sponsors of the latest attack on women and children's health tooled through anti-abortion laws, Rep. Colleen Burton and Sen. Kelli Stargel, both Republicans, have hidden behind empty talking points used against the very women and children they claim they're protecting. 

While cutting off many women's access to any health care through Planned Parenthood clinics the law basically defunded, Burton claimed that women could easily get health care elsewhere. To "prove it" she provided a list of other facilities they could turn to. However, the list contained everything from dental offices to elementary schools. Obviously this is a ridiculous argument and Burton had no shame making it.

Burton's argument against allowing a women to donate fetal tissue for research (remember, PP clinics in Florida never offered that option) for things like the Zika virus was equally empty:

“Our concern in Florida is that a woman’s decision to donate [fetal tissue] is made at the same time she is also making a decision to have an abortion, and there was no public good in her needing to make that decision, too,” Burton said.

Remember Burton's claim that there is "no public good" that can come of women being able to make this decision as Zika spreads throughout the state and the country, as it likely will, absent the research she and her fellow Republicans have blocked.

As for Sen. Kelli Stargel, her excuse was this:

"What we did with these clinics is just treat them similar to other surgery centers."

Among the restrictions Stargel says "are similar to other surgery centers" under the new law is the requirement of annual inspection of clinics by health authorities and tightened rules on disposal of aborted fetal tissue. 

As Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood put it, "this cruel bill is designed to rip health care away from those most at risk."

Along with blocking basic health care to women, by blocking abortions, the law virtually sentences children born with the Zika virus to a life of pain and suffering. Of course, while Florida has also blocked Medicaid expansion, not to mention access to affordable health care for many, and health care and insurance altogether from those who can't afford it, they have also cut off avenues to any type of safety net, which will leave those mothers and their children without the care they need. Because "pro-life!"

It's a virtual nightmare domino effect scenario, and as Zika spreads throughout the state, not only will we have Rick Scott, Colleen Burton, Kelli Stargel and their Republican colleagues to thank for it, we can also thank those who are not elected officials, nor doctors, but nonetheless are making these life and death for women and children in Florida, like John Stemberger, president of Florida Family Policy Council, who congratulated all involved, who called it a "historic victory."

“We are so grateful to the Republican leadership in the Florida House and Florida Senate for making this happen,” Stemberger said, citing the sponsorship of the legislation by Sen. Kelli Stargel and Rep. Colleen Burton, both Republicans from Lakeland. “They collectively did what the governor failed to do, namely, provided leadership on this critical issue and made it happen.”

Or like Ingrid Delgado of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said of the new law

"It is incomprehensible that opponents suggest the bill makes women less safe."

All this from the Republican Party who said they "didn't want to come between you and your doctor" as an excuse to block the Affordable Care Act. Now the party and those you never elected are not only coming between you and your doctor if you're a women seeking an abortion, they're coming between you and the researcher trying to combat the Zika virus even if you're not.

Do you feel safer and more protected yet, Florida?

(Photo: CDC.gov)

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Women, To Rick Scott & Kelli Stargel: You're Killing Me

Last summer, as an attack on Planned Parenthood was underway by anti-abortion fanatics who selectively and falsely edited videos to make it look like the clinics were selling "baby parts," Florida's Governor Rick Scott jumped at the chance to cut off women from health care by launching his own "investigation" into PP. That investigation turned up no wrongdoing, in part because Florida PP clinics don't donate fetal tissue for medical research, the issue that was targeted in the first place. Another reason was because Scott simply thought he could change the number of days which constitute the first trimester of pregnancy to make it look as though PP wasn't compliant. That didn't work either, and his bogus investigation turned up nothing.

But now, even as those who created the false videos face charges for their sham baby parts charade, Republicans continue to pretend otherwise in their crusade to attack Planned Parenthood, and Republicans in Florida are no exception. Because Scott couldn't wave a magic wand to make dates change to suit his agenda, the Legislature stepped in to do it for him by passing a law that redefined the trimesters of a pregnancy. It's merely one small part of a bigger law that seeks to block women not only from abortions, but goes much, much further by cutting off women's access to basic preventive health care, and even though taxpayer dollars never fund abortions in this country, the law virtually "defunds" PP in Florida, anyway.

Yesterday, Rick Scott happily signed that legislation into law.

Starting July 1, abortion clinics will be required to have admitting privileges or transfer agreements with a nearby hospital. They also will face annual inspections by the state as part of a law that sponsor Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, said is about ensuring women's safety.

"What we did with these clinics is just treat them similar to other surgery centers," Stargel said.

Critics say similar provisions in Texas led about 20 clinics to shut down. A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could rule that law unconstitutional.

This is, of course, absolute nonsense. This isn't about women's safety at all. It's about creating more hoops for women to jump through in order to get an abortion. The argument has long been made that abortions in clinics like Planned Parenthood are just as safe as many other procedures that take place in similar clinics and "surgery centers" which have no such restrictions placed on them. 

Further, if women's safety is so endangered by abortions, why not make access to birth control and family planning a priority as well, instead of virtually defunding clinics that provide these things? The answer is simple, Republicans couldn't care less about women's safety, especially where GOP governors do everything in their power to cut off access to health care period, for a majority of the population, like Scott's done in Florida.

Speaking of cutting off access to basic health care while they're trying to end abortions altogether:

The bill goes further, blocking state money for cancer screenings and sexually transmitted disease tests from any clinic that performs elective abortions.

State law already bans funding abortions, but supporters of the change say nearly $200,000 spent annually on preventive care at the clinics amounts to indirectly funding the abortions themselves.

Again, so much for "women's safety." Cancer kills women in record numbers every day. When was the last time you heard of a woman dying from a legal abortion at a PP clinic, or a similar clinic? You don't. That's why abortions became legal in this country in the first place, because women were dying from unsafe back alley abortions or do it yourself procedures, something that will start happening again when clinics that provide safe abortions are defunded by Republicans, some who apparently think people will merely stop having sex when contraception and abortions are no longer accessible, and others who know better but see this as another sick way to gain power over women.

This law is so dangerous to women and so offensive as it is, but the fact that a woman, Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who sponsored and pushed a law like this to hurt other women under the false pretense that it's really just to "protect" them is really beyond the pale. Stargel, who makes $29,697.00 as a state senator (in addition to whatever she makes as an "investment property manager" as listed in her official bio), has a nice health care plan paid for by taxpayers, including the women she's targeted in this law, many who can't afford health care or insurance for themselves. Someone in Stargel's position is well able to afford an abortion when needed, contraception, cancer screenings and basic health care, yet she has happily cut those avenues off for lower income women who still have to contribute to Stargel's own health plan. 

She must be so proud to step into the arena with one of the most hated GOP governors in the nation, a man who is perfectly satisfied that six people continue to die daily in Florida without health care, simply because they can't afford it, while he, Stargel, and the rest of the GOP refuse to do anything to change that.

With this law, those numbers are likely to go up, and we can thank Republicans like Kelli Stargel for making sure many of those new statistics will be women. 

 

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It's quite possible by the time you read this, Rick Scott will have already signed the recent bill that will effectively defund Planned Parenthood in Florida into law. The bill was recently passed by the legislature and would not only defund PP clinics, but other clinics in the state that provide preventive and reproductive health care for women.

The goal, of course, is to target PP because they're also abortion providers, something which is in no way funded by tax dollars as it is, a fact routinely ignored by Republicans. However, because Medicaid in Florida still provides some funding for preventive health care for women through these clinics, the GOP has decided that this too must end. That means women who can't find affordable health care anywhere else for things like cancer screenings, contraception, pap smears and sexually transmitted diseases will hit yet another roadblock if Scott signs the bill into law, which is likely if history serves. 

The reasoning the GOP uses to make sure women can't seek legal abortions, and health care while they're at it, has always required pretzel logic, but lawmakers behind this bill have really outdone themselves, and it would be funny if it weren't so deadly serious for women's health. They reason that women can easily find other places to gain access to the same health care they would find at PP and similar clinics.

That, however, is not really the case:

During the 2 March hearing on the proposal, state lawmaker Lori Berman asked bill co-sponsor Colleen Burton to elaborate on alternative resources for birth control, pap smears, breast exams and other reproductive services. 

Burton replied: “We have 52 federally qualified health centers, the counties have health departments, physicians’ offices, independent clinics would be eligible if they applied and met the requirements.”]

[“Would it be possible for me to get a copy of the list you’re referring to?” asked Berman.

“Certainly, we’ll ask the staff to provide you with that list,” Burton tells her.

That list, seen here, provides an endless host of various facilities. The problem is the majority of them are actually the last place women could expect to get health care services.

Given this list, Burton would have you believe that a dentist could provide you with birth control, or that a podiatrist could easily double as a gynecologist and provide women with their annual pap smears. Or perhaps the next time your child is sick, his or her school nurse wouldn't mind throwing in a cancer screening for you when you come to take them home? Does seeing an optometrist for STD screening and treatment sound like a logical option? Apparently it does to Burton.

This is just another example of how absurd it is that GOP lawmakers in general, and Florida lawmakers in particular, insist on doubling as gynecologists and doctors when it comes to the ladies, and this latest attempt to block women from any health care whatsoever is beyond ridiculous. It's almost reminiscent of the old SNL skit from the 70's, Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber, where Steve Martin starred as a barber who doubled as a surgeon, recommending bloodlettings for every ailment.

The excuses the Florida GOP comes up with in their war on women are shameless and downright stupid. They should be embarrassed, but they're not. 

The fact of the matter is these laws cut many women off from access to health care, period, and  Rick Scott, who's made a career out of blocking people from health care, will probably sign it into law ASAP, because of course.

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Florida Fracking Bill Cracks Under Pressure

The Republican effort in Florida to force fracking on communities against their will is over, at least for this year's legislative session:

A bill regulating the practice died Tuesday in a Florida Senate committee when the sponsor pulled it from consideration. The Appropriations committee had voted down the bill Thursday but a procedural move allowed for a hearing to reconsider it. Dozens of opponents were in the committee room, like zombie hunters waiting to spring into action if Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, attempted to resurrect the proposal...]

[...Richter acknowledged the passion fracking generates among his opponents and said he respected their activism. He also has said some of their comments indicated they were misinformed. He lashed out at one of his critics, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, accusing a spokeswoman of being disingenuous. He said the Conservancy had requested many changes in the proposal and those changes were made.

Given that these same Republicans have sought to keep the public in the dark as to what chemicals would be used in the process and would potentially poison their drinking water, it's a pretty rich excuse to attack your opponents for simply being "misinformed."  

Fact-free lawmaker tantrums aside, Floridians can safely drink their water. At least for now.

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