Gov. Rick Scott Uses Sheriffs To Eject ‘Liberal-Looking’ People From Budget Signing Event

Source: Think Progress

Anxious over their increasing unpopularity, Republicans lawmakers across the country are banning media from chronicling the blowback at public events. Florida’s now deeply disliked Gov. Rick Scott (R) adopted a similar tactic yesterday at a “campaign-style” budget signing ceremony at a town square in The Villages retirement community in Central Florida. Before putting his pen to the $69.7 billion state budget, Scott took an ax to $615 million of what he called “shortsighted, frivolous, wasteful spending.”

* * *

Members of The Villages Democratic Club were barred from the budget signing by Scott staffers who said the outdoor event in The Villages town square was “private.” Other staffers and Republican operatives scoured the crowd and had Sumter County sheriff’s deputies remove those with anti-Scott signs or liberal-looking pins and buttons. They escorted more than a dozen people off the property.

Despite blocking dissenting voices from a public arena, Scott failed to avoid anger from those in the crowd — most notably, Republican lawmakers. Bristling under his veto of lawmakers’ hometown earmarks, state House Speaker Dean Cannon (R) pointed out that much of Scott’s praise for K-12 education funding at the event was a “new found” priority. “The budget we sent him funds education at a higher level than the governor recommended just a few months ago, when he proposed a 10 percent cut,” he said. State Sen. Mike Fasano (R) called Scott “totally disingenuous” for this hypocrisy.

Democrats did point out one glaring irony in Scott’s “celebration” of his “jobs budget.” Pointing to the “roughly 4,500 state-worker jobs” the budget eliminates in a state with a 10.4 percent unemployment rate, state House Democratic leader Ron Saunders said, “If he means the ‘jobs budget’ is killing jobs, then it’s an accurate title.”


Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/27/rick-scott-bans-liberals-cuts/

shoulder any of the expenses......... if he used any taxpayer money he should be charged with theft because he excluded taxpayers
We have to start holding all of these so called dictators accountable

citizens should have been welcomed. After all it is their tax dollars, too.

If he can't take the heat, then he's in the wrong business. He's not a king, & the sheriff isn't his praetorian guard, either.
:grr:

Orwell warned us. 1984 is here, alive and well in America!

Why should the County pay for this security. The Sheriff has some answering to do for allowing his deputies to provide this security and be commanded by the Governor and his staff. This is wrong on several levels with numerous laws being broken by those charged with upholding the law. Besides, if this were truly a private event it would have been by invitation only so there would have been no need to remove undesirable guests.

You are so correct. At a private event, the organizers of the event provide their own security. I wonder if the private party that Rick Scott organized paid the Sumter County Sheriff's office for the deputies that were used to weed the crowd of "liberal looking" people.

Using taxpayer money and taxpayer police to throw a private party is unethical and probably illegal.

charged with theft years ago when his company stole billions from medicare and medicaid.

How many times in the 8 long years did they have people cordoned off or thrown out of absolutely everything?

prevented by the Secret Service from entering one of Bush’s speeches in 2004 (he was speaking as president and not as a candidate) because she had gone to one of Bill Clinton’s book signings. How they knew that, I don’t know.

I wish I could find the link.

Herding everyone who looked as if they might not be properly supportive of Commander Bunnypants into a 'first amendment zone' as if the rest of the country was their first amendment exclusion zone. But they got away with it for 8 years. Nice work media.

wetting themselves at the sight of his highness Rick Scott, the fuhrer.

It's a good question because I was going to ask what

"liberal looking" meant.....Birkenstocks?..Beards?

It was a freaking retirement home, for gawd's sake

and since it was private property, the "liberal lookers"

should have squawked.

I don't know what the laws are in Florida, but I used to run nursing homes in California. The law there was that a nursing home has to treat its residents as any landlord treats his tenants. Throwing residents out of common spaces would be tantamount to expelling the renter of an apartment from his living room. Some Florida lawyer should look into this.

at all on the legality of this event. I would think they could-and SHOULD.

and wear a trucker style Nascar hat...

You'd get in, no sweat.

Of course, the Mormon, fundie look is just as acceptable.

Pink Floyd: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FphuBPNYcWo

Looks to me like someone needs an ass whipping.

learned how to operate from W Bush.

one of the 3 local TV News stations, channel 5, from entering an "Open to the Public" signing of the new Arizona style immigration law because they actually did some very good investigative journalism into the corruption of Governor Nathan Deal...The same Nathan Deal who was voted one of the top 15 most corrupt in the US Congress prior to running for Governor! However, all that did was help him garner the Tea Party vote as they said it was just the Liberal Media trying to smear a true Republican so that a RHINO would win the GOP Primary!


YES, a news organization actually did some very good JOURNALISM & it was a FOX affiliate as well! However, now they will be barred from covering the Governor.

that they could block TV coverage because of unfavorable reporting. How un-American!

I lived in Georgia most of my life and know there are many corrupt politicians in Georgia. However, Rick Scott makes them look like amateurs. He made millions through Medicare fraud before becoming Governor and now he is trying to use the law to make even more money (ex. mandatory drug testing that stands to benefit his wife's company.) I won't go into details, although would encourage an internet search on Scott for anyone who doubts how corrupt he is. No wonder he has the lowest approval rating (29%) of any Governor, and right now thats saying something.

probably does have Nathan Deal beat in terms of dollars made in all their corrupt actions. It is a shame that we are even having this comparison, huh? Thanks for the info!

they called them Brown Shirts then --

Whatever the security guarding them, they should be REFUSING to do this!!

this stuff would stop happening.

:wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf:

The young generation that will experience the draconian education cuts put in place by Scott will turn to the path of blue Democratic party.

Ignorance breeds conservatism.

That seems slightly unrealistic. Lack of education+RW media dominance+ RW political dominance is not a good combo for turning a state blue.


In the mean time, contrast these state legislature/governor goings on with those of Vermont. Its getting wacky. Harder and harder to tell that we are all still in the same country.

to indulge in even the very basics of critical thinking.

If their thought processes are concerned full-time with finding as many minimum-wage jobs as possible to just be able to pay basic bills while not calling a tent "Home".

If they don't have a grounding in the Scientific Method, &/or what a Scientific Theory (as opposed to just a regular old *theory* which whips through what passes as a mind) really is

If they're indoctrinated with religion (and Floriduh! Reich-Wing Christianism at that)



I don't really see how that state has much of a chance of turning blue...

But that's just me.

RW propaganda only goes so far --

Maybe there never was a "Southern Strategy" -- maybe all there ever was

was Diebold computer voting?



See Votescam -- The Stealing of America --

by two Florida journalists who began to investigate computer voting in Florida

as the computers came in during the late 1960's --

http://www.constitution.org/vote/votescam__.htm

Republican Party agenda.

First step to making progress is understanding where you are. And right now FL is a banana republic, with zero hope of becoming Dem any time soon.

because the GOP controlled media WANTS you to forget that fact!

They do not have to break the law when told to by the Governor. In fact, they should have told him that this was public property and unless the identified individuals were inciting riots then they would not remove them.

Shame on them.

Oh, and definitely shame on Scott. What a tool.

should be investigated/fired.

about who they serve. They don't serve power they serve the people. If the power is abusing the law then they don't have to obey.

FL Gov. Rick Scott blocking taxpayers from watching him sign state budget at The Villages, May 26, 2011

FL Gov Rick Scott 's budget signing: RPOF "private event"; bus in charter students; eject Democrats, May 27, 2011

Fallout over budget vetoes at The Villages, May 27, 2011

Rick Scott now denying that any Democrats were shut out of the signing "ceremony", May 27, 2011 (scroll down) (Short version: Rick Scott and his goons are intentionally lying about it.)

The RPOF rented the town square for this jokester, barring "certain" Villages residents., May 28, 2011



Again, the question: When will it be enough?

Let's fire him. He's OUR employee/servant...not the other way around.

He will drive Florida into the ground while helping his corporate buddies. Our state is already in a fragile situation as some portions of our state have nearly 20% unemployment while the average state wide is 10%. People are LEAVING Florida, and the private sector is reluctant to come to Florida as a result.

Investment in education is our only chance of future growth, but he is gutting it the point of recognition. If he is allowed to finish out his term, he will go down in the history books of destroying one of the states in the Union.

Even tho I'm a continent away from Florida, WHAT can I actively do to make this guy feel unwelcome (in Florida) and work towards his dismissal? Anybody? Any ideas? Just flustering about here on DU doesn't give me much sense of counter-punching. :grr:

Unfortunate, indeed.

We are stuck with him.

when they elect corporate felons to public office? The only irony is that in Florida a felon can't vote, but he can be elected.

start wearing a neck tie and bad glasses then.
Game on!

I guess he's aspiring to that model.

he is really a loathsome human being

Very small head...kind of reminds me of

"Mars Attacks" or something...I know that's kind

of mean, but every time I see him, it jumps out at me.:shrug:

Did they put all the "libruls" on cattle trains to be transported to reeducation centers?

It's written in the history books. And Republicans are excellent at repeating past mistakes.

Give them a little more time...

Rick Scott was the CEO of a health care company fined hundreds of millions (or was that over 1 billion) in fines and civil penalties for Medicare fraud. When he was questioned, Scott continued to plead the 5th over and over. Yet, despite his shady past, and because he was never formally indited, he was able to legally able to run for Governor. Somehow, a 1% majority of Floridians voted him in. To me, this was the equivalent of giving a burglar who was caught braking into your home and going through your valuables the extra set of keys to the house and telling them when you would be on vacation. This is a sore spot with me because I moved to Florida to be with family about 4 yrs. before Scott was elected.

Banish anyone who disagrees with you and implement your one-sided, narrow, destructive agenda. All in the name of freedom and justice and patriotism. And Americans keep electing these incompetent, dangerous goons like Scott, Walker, Kasich, Perry, Christie, etc.

THIS IS WHY THEY GET ELECTED IN THE LOW INFORMATION STATES.

THINK ABOUT THIS :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think:

still live in a Democracy?

Many Floridians cannot be bothered right now. They are too busy watching the Anthony's family circus (Casey Anthony Case). I hear that the trial has been playing in the local channels. I wish this case resumes soon or else I'll be giving a piece of my mind the minute another idiot attempts to ask me about the damn case at work.



Edit to say I hate typing on my phone...

BUT ARE THEY AFRAID?? TIME WILL TELL

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

--dare I say (Contact) Sport! :woohoo:


I don't need to go on another Hippie-weasel rant, do I?

DO I??! :evilgrin:

This is a liberal nation -- and even back to W it was obvious that he had

to control the crowds attending his appearances.

GOP/rightwing has worked decades - back to JFK era -- to try to create the

Hollywood sound state of a conservative/rw nation -- and it's a total lie.


They've had to spend billions upon billions to create this impression --

how much has it cost them to BUY government and our elected officials?

How much did it cost them to even find politicians who could be bought and controlled?

Let's see ... how much did it cost them to BUY NIXON, for instance?


Well, they had to have someone who wanted to keep something in their lives hidden --

blackmailable to begin with -- that was Nixon. Nixon in an era when to be a homosexual

was to be forced into the shadows.

And, what was the financial deal -- Nixon wanted $50,000 a year OVER HIS CONGRESSIONAL

SALARY. So what do we think they are paying today for bottom of the barrel candidates?

Yup, she's a Deadhead. :wow:

After watching MM film last night, I have lost a lot of respect for Bill Clinton. I can't believe what he allowed to happen under his watch. We truly haven't had a Dem in that office since Carter.

-P

its governors.

resign?

..."The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that judges can throw out cases because they don't like or believe the plaintiff ... even before anyone has had the chance to conduct discovery to prove their case. In other words, judges' secret biases can be the basis for denying people their day in court, without even having to examine the facts. Judges are also becoming directly involved in politics with the other branches of government. "....http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2009/12/american-justice-system-is-under-attack.html

..."Speaking on the floor of the U.S Senate during the truncated debate on the reauthorization of the PATRIOT ACT for another four years, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) – a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence -- warned his colleagues that a vote to extend the bill without amendments that would ban any Administration’s ability to keep internal interpretations of the Patriot Act classified will eventually cause public outrage.

Known as Secret Law, the official interpretation of the Patriot Act could dramatically differ from what the public believes the law allows. This could create severe violations of the Constitutional and Civil Rights of American Citizens."... http://www.washingtonsblog.com/