The Republican grudge against Charlie Crist is understandable; considering he has refused to play ball with them on several occasions and left the party to run as a Senate candidate with no party affiliation, but to take their anger against him and turn it toward the people of the State of Florida, borders on malfeasance.
Tuesday, the Florida Legislature refused to remove the June 5th deadline for paying extended unemployment benefits. This means – even though Congress has finally cleared the GOP roadblock and President Obama has signed the bill to extend benefits – almost a quarter of a million of Floridians may not receive checks.
Some Florida Democrats are urging Crist to sidestep the legislative process and issue an executive order to accept the Federal money and begin paying the unemployed. Crist could also call legislators back to Tallahassee for a vote, but I think we all know how that would go.
It is unclear at this time how federal regulations might affect the governor’s ability to issue a special order. The Governor’s office is saying they are looking into the implications of such a move.
This “my way or the highway” kind of politics has no place in Florida. The Legislature is not only obstructing progress they are hurting the very people they are supposed to represent. The Republicans may have a right to be upset with Crist, but they do not have a right to punish the people of this state in the process.
Besides refusing to address the State’s unemployed, the Republican-led Legislature has also refused to give Floridians the opportunity to have a say about offshore drilling. The Florida legislature, led by the Republican Party, refused to allow voters the opportunity to vote on a Constitutional amendment that could have banned drilling off the coast of Florida.
In an act of, what Crist called “arrogance,” the legislature removed the decision from the voter’s hands, as if voters in Florida have no idea what might be best for the state they live in.
Important issues are not being dealt with in Tallahassee or in Washington because the members of the Republican Party have more loyalty to party affiliation than to their constituency. This is wrong, no matter what kind of spin is placed on it because their actions, and inactions, are a dereliction of their duty to the voters.
Those who we elect to represent us are suppose to be our voice in Tallahassee, and being the voice of the people carries a responsibility to do what is best for the people. The Florida Legislature has failed miserably in their representation and their neglect of official duty borders on malfeasance.
Crist, once a rising star in the Republican Party, is currently running for the US Senate with no party affiliation. He gave up his status and fell out of favor when he failed to agree with every single item of his former party’s agenda. He vetoed legislation regarding abortion, teaching salaries and other issues because he did not believe they were in the best interest of the people. Unlike the Republicans, I think we can count on Crist to follow his convictions rather than party tenets.
