The Florida budget-signing scandal is really over the top, even for a Governor Gone Wild. Perhaps that's why
...a growing number of parties are asking why either the constitution was violated or why the governor's office apparently broke state laws...As the video above shows, Scott's ceremony to sign the public state budget was held at a retirement community called The Villages. Publicly funded sheriff's deputies ejected elderly attendees because they carried signs criticizing Scott's savage budget cuts. They also wore Democratic Party t-shirts. A spokesman for the governor -- you can hear him -- told the seniors "This is a private event."
(By the way, we can think of no better illustration of James Galbraith's argument that predatory capitalist-politicians like Scott have no concept of "public purpose.")
A reporter for the St. Petersburg Times saw the governor's staffers tell the sheriff's deputies to kick out the Democrats. Another attendee who (we presume) works for the Desoto Juvenile Correctional Facility saw it too -- and posted this comment under the youtube video:
So sorry this happened to you and the others. I attended this event and watched in disgust as you all were asked to leave. I only attended in support of Desoto Juvenile Correctional Facility Complex in Arcadia, Florida being placed on the budget in the 11th hour and we were in hopes Gov. Scott WOULD line-item veto our facility to keep it open. Gov. Scott sent an email from HIS office across the state inviting EVERYONE to the PUBLIC signing. I am so sorry this happened to you!
Scott says he didn't know what happened.
As for us, we're quite clear on what happened. A publicly funded event was run by people who don't understant public purpose. They only understand "friends," "enemies" -- and "prey."
Democrats=Enemies. Prisons=Prey. Scott=One-Term Governor.
