These are dark days for T-U columnist Ron Littlepage. The newspaper business stumbles along, increasingly irrelevant to those damn kids while Ron’s readers are checking out of God’s Waiting Room; it’s November and this whole grow-facial-hair-to-support-prostate-cancer-research is making Ron even less distinctive; and Rick Scott defeated Alex Sink in the Florida governor’s race. Knowing of Ron’s consuming hatred of Scott, let’s go to the hieroglyph to see what his reaction is.
In case there was any doubt, there can be no question now that Florida is a state divided.
(In my McLaughlin Group voice:) “Ron Littlepage, wrong!” Unless your standard is that all Republicans have to win their elections in the state with something like 70 percent of the vote, you’re fucking daft. The GOP has control of all the levers of state government, just elected a conservative senator, and Democrat senator Bill Nelson, up for re-election in two years, has to be looking over one of his stooped shoulders. But go ahead.
Marco Rubio claims his was a big victory in the U.S. Senate race, but the numbers don't back that up.
He received 49 percent of the vote, which means more Floridians voted against him than voted for him.
Sounds plausible until you consider it was a three-way race. If you’re going to argue the Democrats were a factor, you should point out that Kendrick Meek got like seven votes outside of South Florida..
The same can be said for Rick Scott, who also was the choice of only 49 percent of those voting.
Neither goes into office with an overwhelming mandate, despite Scott's assertion that in his win voters sent a message that was "loud and clear."
Christ. Scott was a sort of ultra-Tea Party candidate, having defeated an establishment Republican in the primary with a stark ‘less government’ message. If that establishment GOPer, Bill McCollum, had been nominated, he would have crushed Sink. Right, Ron? Ron? But having made a weak argument-by-assertion, he’s off to other issues.
One of the decisions by the state's voters on Tuesday is going to be costly for Jacksonville and the rest of the state.
Only 55.4 percent of the voters supported Amendment 8 when 60 percent was needed for passage.
That amendment would have given school districts more flexibility in implementing the strict class-size limits put in place by a constitutional amendment voters approved in 2002.
Dammit. I actually agree with Ron here. Could it be the wispy Fu Manchu I’ve started this month is making me empathize with him?
The beginning of this school year was when those restrictions were to go into full effect: K through third, 18 students; fourth through eighth, 22; and ninth through 12th, 25.
Florida TaxWatch has said that phasing in the class-size limits has already cost the state $15 billion.
It estimates that the cost of meeting the strict standards over the next 10 years will be more than $40 billion.
Yawn. Get to the point, man.
Amendment 8 would have allowed school districts to use school averages instead of each class fitting within the strict limits.
I knew you could do it.
But enough voters said no Tuesday that it didn't pass, most likely because many feel the Legislature has failed to adequately fund public schools.
What? Now you’re just projecting, Ron. Where’s your evidence people think not enough money is being spent on public schools? Other than your reflexively liberal urge to throw money at problems?
In Duval County, the school district will have to scramble to find $25 million or face penalties. And the costs of finding more teachers and more classroom space will go up in the years ahead.
Get ready for an abrupt change of topic.
Voters in Jacksonville turned down the local charter referendum that was on the ballot.
It would have moved the city elections from the spring to the fall in the off year beginning in 2015.
The idea was to have a new mayor and new City Council members take office in January instead of July as they do now.
That would give them more time to work on the city budget their first year in office. Currently, the new mayor has to present the budget to the council shortly after being sworn in, and the council has to pass it by the end of September.
I thought the move was a good idea, but obviously the voters didn't.
My guess is that some of the negativity came because of the line in the referendum saying there would be minor costs involved in moving the elections.
My guess is illiterate gnomes cast phantom ballots, thwarting the will of the people. The difference is my job doesn’t require me to do something more than print my guesses.
That was true - about $47,000 every four years - and folks aren't happy about any increased costs these days.
Speaking of money,
Here’s another jarring switch of topic. Have you heard the term ‘segue,’ Ron? I know it looks funny and you sound like a gutless Frenchman when you pronounce it, but it’s a useful concept.
billionaire Meg Whitman spent $140 million of her fortune in her failed attempt to be governor of California.
In Connecticut, wrestling mogul Linda McMahon dropped $50 million of her own money in losing her U.S. Senate bid to Richard Blumenthal.
Uh-oh. Ron’s bilious rage is going to culminate in a devastating strike at Rick Scott and how much money he spent. I’m sure he’ll tell us how much Scott spent and compare it to Sink. Aren’t you?
"Connecticut today had an election, not an auction," Blumenthal said in his victory speech.
The same can't be said about Florida.
Because.... Never mind.
In case there was any doubt, there can be no question now that Florida is a state divided.
(In my McLaughlin Group voice:) “Ron Littlepage, wrong!” Unless your standard is that all Republicans have to win their elections in the state with something like 70 percent of the vote, you’re fucking daft. The GOP has control of all the levers of state government, just elected a conservative senator, and Democrat senator Bill Nelson, up for re-election in two years, has to be looking over one of his stooped shoulders. But go ahead.
Marco Rubio claims his was a big victory in the U.S. Senate race, but the numbers don't back that up.
He received 49 percent of the vote, which means more Floridians voted against him than voted for him.
Sounds plausible until you consider it was a three-way race. If you’re going to argue the Democrats were a factor, you should point out that Kendrick Meek got like seven votes outside of South Florida..
The same can be said for Rick Scott, who also was the choice of only 49 percent of those voting.
Neither goes into office with an overwhelming mandate, despite Scott's assertion that in his win voters sent a message that was "loud and clear."
Christ. Scott was a sort of ultra-Tea Party candidate, having defeated an establishment Republican in the primary with a stark ‘less government’ message. If that establishment GOPer, Bill McCollum, had been nominated, he would have crushed Sink. Right, Ron? Ron? But having made a weak argument-by-assertion, he’s off to other issues.
One of the decisions by the state's voters on Tuesday is going to be costly for Jacksonville and the rest of the state.
Only 55.4 percent of the voters supported Amendment 8 when 60 percent was needed for passage.
That amendment would have given school districts more flexibility in implementing the strict class-size limits put in place by a constitutional amendment voters approved in 2002.
Dammit. I actually agree with Ron here. Could it be the wispy Fu Manchu I’ve started this month is making me empathize with him?
The beginning of this school year was when those restrictions were to go into full effect: K through third, 18 students; fourth through eighth, 22; and ninth through 12th, 25.
Florida TaxWatch has said that phasing in the class-size limits has already cost the state $15 billion.
It estimates that the cost of meeting the strict standards over the next 10 years will be more than $40 billion.
Yawn. Get to the point, man.
Amendment 8 would have allowed school districts to use school averages instead of each class fitting within the strict limits.
I knew you could do it.
But enough voters said no Tuesday that it didn't pass, most likely because many feel the Legislature has failed to adequately fund public schools.
What? Now you’re just projecting, Ron. Where’s your evidence people think not enough money is being spent on public schools? Other than your reflexively liberal urge to throw money at problems?
In Duval County, the school district will have to scramble to find $25 million or face penalties. And the costs of finding more teachers and more classroom space will go up in the years ahead.
Get ready for an abrupt change of topic.
Voters in Jacksonville turned down the local charter referendum that was on the ballot.
It would have moved the city elections from the spring to the fall in the off year beginning in 2015.
The idea was to have a new mayor and new City Council members take office in January instead of July as they do now.
That would give them more time to work on the city budget their first year in office. Currently, the new mayor has to present the budget to the council shortly after being sworn in, and the council has to pass it by the end of September.
I thought the move was a good idea, but obviously the voters didn't.
My guess is that some of the negativity came because of the line in the referendum saying there would be minor costs involved in moving the elections.
My guess is illiterate gnomes cast phantom ballots, thwarting the will of the people. The difference is my job doesn’t require me to do something more than print my guesses.
That was true - about $47,000 every four years - and folks aren't happy about any increased costs these days.
Speaking of money,
Here’s another jarring switch of topic. Have you heard the term ‘segue,’ Ron? I know it looks funny and you sound like a gutless Frenchman when you pronounce it, but it’s a useful concept.
billionaire Meg Whitman spent $140 million of her fortune in her failed attempt to be governor of California.
In Connecticut, wrestling mogul Linda McMahon dropped $50 million of her own money in losing her U.S. Senate bid to Richard Blumenthal.
Uh-oh. Ron’s bilious rage is going to culminate in a devastating strike at Rick Scott and how much money he spent. I’m sure he’ll tell us how much Scott spent and compare it to Sink. Aren’t you?
"Connecticut today had an election, not an auction," Blumenthal said in his victory speech.
The same can't be said about Florida.
Because.... Never mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment