21 February 2011

Can it happen here in Florida?

By now you may have been watching developments unfold from Madison, which is Wisconsin's equivalent of Tallahassee. Wisconsin's newly elected governor, Scott Walker, has declared all out war on workers in the state. The plan is to eliminate the rights of workers such as teachers, health care workers and much more to organize a union and bargain for better working conditions including decent pay and benefits among a few things.

In response, thousands upon thousands of people marched to the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison protesting Governor Scott Walker's plan. The result: Scott Walker has threatened to turn the Wisconsin National Guard against the people, much like demonstrations across the Atlantic which have so far toppled authoritarian regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.

Can it happen here in Florida? Potentially, the answer is yes. The potential is there for our newly elected crook and thief in the Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee, Governor Rick Scott, to unleash the Florida National Guard as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies against the people of this great state. With the recent uproar on Rick Scott's rejection of high speed rail and the rejection of other federal monies that would benefit Floridians such as unemployment, the potential exists for a Madison-style protest in Tallahassee.

OK. Now how did both Rick Scott and Scott Walker get elected in Florida and Wisconsin? It's simple: Governor's Offices were bought for millions. In Wisconsin, Scott Walker was elected governor of that state thanks to partial financing by the infamous billionaire Koch Brothers. The objective in Wisconsin: The worker's unions are a nuisance.

Since 9/11/01 the mantra of law enforcement and private security companies has been this: The people are our enemy. Now with governors that are out of touch with the people, that statement is getting more true than ever. Even private businesses are getting into the act too: Private businesses - especially in the retail and amusement sectors - have tools in their arsenal to intimidate their customers, and one of the major tools in private business' toolkit is the use of trespass warnings for no reason. In Florida, trespass warnings are very easy to issue and you don't need a reason.

So, can the events that have transpired in Madison happen in Tallahassee? Potentially yes.

Remember to contact your Florida state representative and show your support for HJR 785 which would allow for the recall of Florida's high ranking officials including the governor.

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