Preserve Us from Another “Bushwack” By Maria Roberts
You may have missed it in the holiday rush, but Jeb Bush said he may run for Florida's US Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez in 2010. This is most alarming since voters with short memories may have forgotten the harm Jeb did to our state during his two terms as Governor.
During his time it was OK to lose the state $305 million every year by giving tax breaks to people with large stock-bond portfolios (over and above their IRA's). But was “too expensive” to fund health care for low income kids, too expensive to appropriate health care dollars that leveraged $3 in federal money for every $1 the state expended. So almost 30,000 Florida kids got no help for ear infections, diabetes, sickle cell disease, etc and this travesty persists to this day.
During the Bush reign in Tallahassee, “accountability” gimmicks became paramount in public schools but it was OK if polluting industries policed themselves-no accountability needed there. His policy was that companies disgorging dioxins into our rivers could be trusted but teachers were monitored and students were tested at every turn. Priming students to take the FCAT became far more important than knowledge, understanding or actual learning. And don't forget his “devious plans” to subvert the class-size reduction plan that was overwhelmingly endorsed by statewide vote.
Virtually all of the destructive Bush policies still persist. His changes to our state tax system continue to deprive our schools of critically needed funds, yet just this week legislators expressed surprise that school districts were raiding their cash reserves and using them to operate the schools. And Floridians with disabilities are having their state supported benefits cut drastically. The inhumanity of Jeb's legacy is breathtaking.
Yes, Jeb's more intelligent than his brother, George W. For one thing, Jeb tends to use complete sentences. Florida voters rejected George W's policies last November. Now don't let the Republicans lull voters into electing Jeb to the Senate just because he's “not as dumb as George W.”
Don't let Florida become a “Bushwacked “state again.
