Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis is no stranger to controversy. The Republican governor has a penchant for entangling himself in current affairs. While some argue that his charisma and dedication to Republican values make him an ideal governor and even a potentially promising presidential candidate, others would say that Mr. DeSantis is a power-crazed politician who will stop at nothing to ensure his own political success while endangering the people of Florida.
He struck another nerve or two in recent days as his decisions on policy have driven a wedge between his conservative base and hardcore supporters. Here’s the latest update on Ron DeSantis’s policy decision and how they’re upsetting people from both parties.
First Mickey Mouse, Now Disabled Olympians, Ron DeSantis Hits a Nerve After Insulting the Special Olympics
If you thought picking a fight with Mickey Mouse was low, check this out. Ron DeSantis, who, for better or worse is in fact the governor of the otherwise great state of Florida has taken it upon himself to start gunning for the Special Olympics. Most recently, the governor has been called out for trying to impose a $27.5 million fine on the Special Olympics for implementing a vaccine mandate.
To the rational observer, a vaccine mandate makes perfect sense in that it is designed to keep people healthy and safe. By fining such a widely respected organization, governor, DeSantis is overstepping and potentially endangering more people.
Mr. DeSantis indicated that the decision to fine the Special Olympics was made in an effort to shield unvaccinated athletes from marginalization. Regardless, many have spoken out against the decision and have gone as far as to say that it made him a bully.
DeSantis Outrages Florida Conservatives After Vetoing Policies Favoring Republican Interests
Despite being a Republican champion, Ron DeSantis has outraged a multitude of conservative voters after vetoing a large number of bills engineered for Republican interests. After dismissing bills favored by the GOP, he approved a $110 billion state budget.
Republicans are infamous for seeking ways to cut back on spending, however, DeSantis’s butchering of the state budget was somewhat extreme, even for a Republican. Millions of dollars in potential spending were stripped from the budget.
Although spending cuts are a hallmark of practically any Republican politician, the spending cuts that DeSantis made with his vetoes are historic in scale. His cuts went deeper than former Florida governor Rick Scott’s spending cuts which were considerable.
While some of the spending cuts seemed reasonable, others went so far that it’s difficult to estimate how they could affect the state. Mr. DeSantis trimmed a billion dollars from the budget that was going to be set aside as a hedge against inflation.
A $75 million oceanographic science center will not be constructed because it was cut from the budget. A new courthouse has also been axed from the budget after DeSantis’s vetoing spree.
Tampa Bay Rays Incur Governor’s Wrath
In a move that generated some backlash, Mr. DeSantis also went on to trim $35 million in spending for a complex for the Tampa Bay Rays. While cutting such a large sum from a sports team that’s wildly popular in the state was bound to irk sports fans throughout Florida and beyond, his reason for axing the team’s training complex generated even more hostility.
The governor didn’t cut funding for the complex just to save money, he did it to punish the team for tweeting about gun control. The Tampa Bay Rays decided to take a stance on gun control, one that put the team at odds with the governor’s values.
Mr. DeSantis has already been toying with the idea of cutting the funding for the team’s facility before the gun control tweets emerged. At first, he had considered cutting the funding because he didn’t see the justification for spending taxpayer money on a sports facility. After reading the tweets about gun control he made up his mind and decided to cut the funding for the team.
The Tampa Bay Rays decided to take a firm stance on gun control after a recent school shooting in Texas shook the nation and reignited the debate on gun control. The team went farther than simply tweeting about gun control. They donated $50,000 to an organization committed to encouraging gun control.
While DeSantis is expected to enshrine gun rights as a Republican, punishing one of the most popular baseball teams in the state seems like a bit much. The governor has established a pattern of going after companies that aren’t in line with his policy stance. Even Disney managed to incur the governor’s wrath. He led an effort to strip Disney of its self-governing powers in Florida after the company spoke out against one of his policies.
Ron DeSantis Takes a Jab at Transgernder Floridians, Sparks Controversy
Everyone knows that Ron DeSantis has plenty of ill will for transgender individuals, however, his most recent jab at the transgender community has generated a considerable amount of controversy.
Ron DeSantis made a recent decision that could deprive transgender individuals of access to certain forms of medical care. His latest move is to attempt to ban transition-related medical care for minors.
By insisting that transgenders are simply folks afflicted by gender dysphoria, he has taken it upon himself to make it as difficult as possible for minors to transition. The ban would also affect Medicaid recipients.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, many are expecting Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024. If that happens, the controversy that his policies have generated could resurface during his campaign. While hard-line conservatives are mostly appeased by his policies, he has alienated a large number of potential voters that are more central in their views.
While Democrats will never support him for obvious reasons, there’s a large number of potential voters that are neither red nor blue, but something in between. In any case, only time will tell how he will be received as a presidential candidate if he chooses to run for the position.
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