I’ll Promise My Peeps Anything They Want, Anything

   

Sometimes, I’m absolutely horrified at graduates from my treasured alma mater, Yale University. But when that graduate is hell-bent on measures that will accelerate misery, foment colossal destruction, trample truth, crush minority rights and rewrite history as pablum for rising generations, I get downright angry and ashamed. Especially when I know they know better. Particularly when they majored in history, having studied deeply failed autocracies and disastrous environmental and humane policies. They really do know better. Where did Yale go wrong? Harvard empowered his malevolent disregard of facts with a law degree. Where did Harvard go wrong. How can anyone explain or support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis? Just looking at his environment goals! His latest attempt to inflict devastation is nothing short of amazing!

In an article entitled “DeSantis, in ‘act of cognitive dissonance’ signs a new bill into law that ignores climate change threats,” the May 16th Associated Press notes that in its final iteration, “The word ‘climate’ was removed from the bill in 9 different places… Climate change will be a lesser priority in Florida and largely disappear from state statutes under legislation signed Wednesday, May 15 by Gov. DeSantis, which also bans power-generating wind turbines offshore or near the state’s lengthy coastlines.” Ask Floridian homeowners and office building managers how they like their new insurance rates?

With a headline reading “Florida tops US for home insurance rates’” USA Today’s Cheryl McCloud, April 1st, reports: “Brace yourself…. Home insurance rates are expected, on average, to increase 6 percent in 2024 but could jump as high as 23 percent in states with severe weather, according to a home insurance projection report from Insurify… That's making 30 percent of Americans nervous… With Florida property owners already paying more than four times the national average for home insurance, there is good reason to be nervous.

“Early forecasts for a hyperactive 2024 Atlantic hurricane season could bring even more rate increases in 2025, something no Florida residents wants to hear. AccuWeather is predicting an ‘explosive’ hurricane season that has the potential to break the all-time record of 30 named storms in a season… While home insurance rates increased 19.8% between 2021 and 2023, America's average rate of $2,377 was still far below the average rate of $10,996 paid by Florida homeowners.” AP. Indeed, 6 of the top 10 most expensive cities in the nation are in Florida. Insurify predicted costs will go up another 7% in 2024 to $11,759… and if you live in some parts of South Florida’s coastal regions, you may be shocked to learn that those average premium rates can reach $17,606 (Hialeah), $16,717 (Miami) and $15,584 (Fort Lauderdale). Facts, Ronnie, facts, that even your precious business magnates understand and have to pay through the nose for.

As DeSantis misinforms his voters, climate change is not merely a self-correcting cyclical pattern, it is truly only getting much, much worse, particularly for Floridians. That nasty and profoundly ignorant bill, which is clearly directly contrary to climate experts and the insurance companies who do business in Florida, “takes effect July 1 and would also boost expansion of natural gas, reduce regulation on gas pipelines in the state and increase protections against bans on gas appliances such as stoves, according to a news release from the governor’s office.” AP.

Try as he might, even with his MAGA rubber stamp state legislature, Ron DeSantis’ efforts to placate his climate change denying/marginalizing evangelical base are not going to make Florida a better place to do business, create more jobs or attract more homebuyers into the South Florida marketplace. They only make Florida increasingly dangerous and eventually prohibitively expensive. The above map, the result of a federally led science cooperative and published by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shows us where Florida faces the greatest coastal funding reality over the foreseeable future.

Why, Ron, why? Who’s writing those campaign checks for you and your legislative sheep? “‘This purposeful act of cognitive dissonance is proof that the governor and state Legislature are not acting in the best interests of Floridians, but rather to protect profits for the fossil fuel industry,’ said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director of the nonprofit Cleo Institute, which advocates for climate change education and engagement.

“The legislation also eliminates requirements that government agencies hold conferences and meetings in hotels certified by the state’s environmental agency as ‘green lodging’ and that government agencies make fuel efficiency the top priority in buying new vehicles. It also ends a requirement that Florida state agencies look at a list of ‘climate-friendly’ products before making purchases.” AP. And Ronnie believes the American people, as a whole, want this path? Seriously.

I’m Peter Dekom, and why should we worry about foreign terrorists, and malevolent foes like Iran, China, North Korea and Russia, when we have “much worse, right now” here in Florida alone?