That’s partly why the current hardcore state overreach into local gov (where voters are more engaged & aware of issues) is so wrong.
It essentially grafts the views of a small, lobbyist-dominated backwater cadre of little-known electeds onto the rules everyone has to live with.
~12% turnout in a primary, just once, often sends a Rep to office for 8 years, and then 8 more in the Senate afterward.
Meanwhile they never really have to defend their ideas. That leads to the extreme stuff we see at the Capitol.
Voters disapprove, but can’t do much about it.
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” - The Usual Suspects
The greatest trick DeSantis ever pulled was convincing Floridians that local government is the problem and state government is the solution.
If your mayor, sheriff, and county commission have to fly to Tallahassee every year to ask permission to fund basic services, the state didn’t shrink government.
It just moved it farther away and gave you less control.
Legislative elections have the lowest democratic legitimacy of any major level of gov.
Lawmakers are often elected w/o real opposition, with shockingly little awareness in their districts.
Lobbyist money plays an outsized role. Folks around the process know they run the show.
New episode out!
We caught @aglorios and @lmower3 — on their wedding anniversary of all days — and talked:
- Hope Florida scandal
- the Legislature’s failure to pass a budget
- Florida’s new “domestic terrorism” law
Check out Tropical Depression where you get podcasts!
Think about your commute vs. your commute 5 years ago
Then think about how developer-driven sprawl negatively impacts walkability and good urban planning
A proposed second I-10 interchange farther north, the Northeast Gateway/Welaunee Blvd, City Land Code variances, developer priorities all work in concert to produce the same outcome:
New McMansion sprawl development far from the actual community we live in, diluting Tallahassee
I grew up reading the Times & the Trib. Feels like an impossible luxury today that thousands of people had both delivered every day + La Gaceta and alt weekly Creative Loafing for micro local
May 3 marks a somber anniversary for Bay area residents. Ten years ago today, the Tampa Tribune ceased publication after 123 years of providing local journalism to the community. The Trib's slogan, "Life Printed Daily,'' was a mission statement that served the region well.
David's polling here is incredible and deserves way more attention.
A majority of all voters, including 50% of Trump voters, are now in favor of publicly-funded job creation and healthcare to protect workers against AI-related job loss.
Leon County Citizen Charter Review Committee votes 8-7 against examining a charter amendment that would create a joint city/county land development code.