Living in Florida can be really interesting at times. Some people may use other words like bizarre and strange, but I still like to say interesting. The interesting thing starts with our governor, Governor Ron DeSantis. He is the guy who started calling us the Free State of Florida. He began calling us that about the same time, he began to eliminate things like Diversity, Training, and Inclusion. We are the Free State that bans books. We are the "Can't Say Gay" State. We are the state where Climate Change is not part of the Government's vocabulary or record. We are the State if you disagree with the Governor's interpretation of things he may threaten to sue you. Yes, Florida is a very interesting State but, if you want to say disturbed or bizarre I won't argue with you.  

Florida was hit by two hurricanes in just a couple of weeks so we have been seeing an awful lot of DeSantis trying to look like an effective leader during a crisis. He is in front of the camera more than he should be taking credit for other people's hard work and preparation. During one of his many interviews, he was asked by a reporter, "When are we going to hear the words 'climate change' from you'? Our Governor stated, "The chance of me virtue signaling for people in the media is zero. So, do not count on that. I do not subscribe to your religion". There was applause and then he continued to say "It's just a tired refrain and a song and dance. I get you have an agenda; I understand that. I think you should be more honest about what that would mean for people: taxing them to smithereens, stopping oil and gas, making people pay dramatically more for energy". I just can't believe some of the stupid things that come out of his mouth. First "Climate Change" is not a religion. The study of "Climate Change" is part of the study of "Science". Science is not a religion. Science is the thing that has brought us many of the everyday conveniences we use including gas and oil. He thinks just not saying climate change will do away with it. 

Science is not a religion and has never been. Religion is something that is based on faith. There is no proof that the mysterious being exists but you have faith that it does. Science is something that is based on facts. Science has, at times, been used to try and prove Religion but I can't think of a single instance that Religion is used to prove Science. When it comes to Climate Change it has been backed up with years and years of data from air quality, water quality, temperature history, ice history, and much more data by climatologists and scientists all over the world. Religions start with stories passed down verbally from generation to generation before they are finally written down. Mankind has worshipped many deities from the Moon to the Sun, from supreme beings living on a great mountain to a hammer that creates the lightning and thunder in the sky. There is still not one faith agreed upon in the world but Science is not one of them. In fact, you can still believe in science and still be a religious person. 

What I find really interesting is he talks not about the weather or the storms but about people being taxed to smithereens, the elimination of oil and gas, and the price of new energy. There is one community called a hurricane-proof community, and that is the solar-powered community of Babcock Ranch right here in Southwestern Florida. That's correct, a community that is powered by something other than fossil fuel. We are the Sunshine State so, I would think it would be a natural thing to promote one of our most abundant sources of energy, sunshine. Instead, our Governor is promoting oil and gas when they could be phasing out oil and gas with solar. When I was in Wisconsin they were building acres and acres of solar power farms. My question is why aren't we doing it here? Even without the threat of all the storms, it would still make sense for Florida to take advantage of one of its most abundant natural resources, sunshine. 

This is an election year and one of the biggest elections for the State of Florida is the Race for the Senate between the incumbent Rick Scott and Representative Debbie Mucarel-Powell. This race should be a no-brainer. We have a climate-denying politician Rick Scott who has one of the worst environmental records of all of Florida's politicians. Rick Scott was one of the many Republicans who voted against FEMA aid that Florida now desperately needs. Rick Scott is pretty much every anti-every program that helps the people of Florida or the Country. The man would sunset Social Security and Medicare even though the healthcare company he ran before he was governor would have to pay the biggest Medicare Fraud settlement in the history of Medicare. He is to me the type of man that says I have mine and the hell with you. In typical Florida fashion, he is so far winning the race. I see his campaign commercials where he is looking like a leader during our current crisis and I just shake my head because I know that he doesn't do anything for the State of Florida that I can see. He is not part of FEMA. He is not part of Florida's Emergency Management Team. I don't even see him standing out there handing out water or helping shovel sand. What I see are his campaign commercials trying to look like something that he isn't. It is an election year so you know the crap is going to be flying. Ian was two years ago so I can safely tell you that I didn't see Rick Scott anywhere. Now it is an election year and he is working hard to project himself as someone who cares about the struggle of the Hurricane victims here in Florida. After the election, he will head back to Washington for another 6 years and forget all about us here. To me, Rick Scott will always be part of the problem and never the solution. 

I am sure you can see why I say Florida is an interesting state. It is a beautiful State that seems to work hard to destroy its own beauty. Florida is the fifth oldest state in the Union by age and is tied for 2nd with the highest percentage over the age of 65 yet they would vote for a man who has stated he would like to sunset Medicare and Social Security. They are like ground zero for Climate Change here in the United States and you can't even talk about it on the government level. I say interesting but if you would like to use other words to describe Flordia I will understand.