Gelber: GOP-led Florida in 'state of denial'

Rep. Dan Gelber, the House Democratic leader, is distributing a policy paper that says Republican leaders have "accepted mediocrity in nearly every aspect of our government."

He gives a bleak assessment of the state education system, health care and the attempt at property tax reform. Gelber says he has a few ways to change "chart a better course for our state and we don't need 100 ideas to (do) so -- we merely need a handful of meaningful ones." Read it here.

Responds Majority Leader Adam Hasner: "Never let it be said that Minority Leader Gelber is not a man of irony or humor, for in the same “white paper” where he calls for bi-partisanship and decries “government by bumper sticker” he unleashes a torrent of partisan talking points under the catchy headline, “State of Denial” and unmistakably uses 13 pages to communicate his own bumper sticker idea: “Dan Gelber for Senate.”

Comments

Good for Leader Gelber! He is absolutely right. At least someone is calling out the Republican "leadership" (and I use that term loosely).

This from a party that disenfranchises 2 million of its own voters? What right do you have to lecture anyone on denial?

You can tell he is very serious by the 2 bills he sponsored--child restraint and ticket resellers.
What a heavy-hitter.

The ones in denial are fatcats like democrats Dan Gelber & Steve Geller that supported the drunken spending of local government at taxpayer's expense.

On January 29th, the voters spoke and the FL Legislature now have their mandate. Next move should be to provide more meaningful property tax relief as promised by the governor.

A spending cap amendment should also be considered since local governments are fightning tooth & nail against the wishes of the people.

Let's get it on the Nov ballot & let the people decide.

democrats = tax & spend

Just say NO!

Waiting for the response from Greer and RPOF in my hotmail account in 5...4...3...

307
Repubs are in charge - period.

Rubio, Pruitt, Crist.
Bush, Byrd, Thrasher, Feeney, Bense, Webster, Lee, Jennings, King

Budget goes from 40 B to 70 B - - property taxes go up a kazillion percent

Bring out the partisan rhetoric all you want. In your heart of hearts you know your guy has his hands on the wheel as we go into the ditch

3:18pm,

The House Republicans wanted to really cut property taxes meaningfully last year as expected by Floridians but the DEMOCRATS threaten to block the proposal. So we got a watered down Amendment 1. But it was better than nothing.

So don't blame the Republicans. Check the bill votes from last year if you don't believe me.

It's the fatcats like democrats Gelber & Geller.

The Rublicans want to raid the Trust Funds - those are fees charged to a specific group of people (like hairdressers, contractors, etc.) or a industry (construction, hair salons, etc.) or condominiums (which are charged $4.00 per unit per year) which is supposed to be used to enforcement, compliance, education, etc. So these people are TAXED by being required to pay a FEE for a SERVICE the State is supposed to provide but DOESN'T because the Trust fund is raided. Humm, wasn't there a tea party in Boston on this issue???? Perhaps it is time to send each member of the Legislature and the Governor a tea bag - as reminder (that is, if they didn't graduate from a Florida school)!!!!!

Now that you boys have established your ability for pithy comments and letters that continue to waste time and tax dollars… any chance you lying criminals could do something about PROPERTY INSURANCE!

You remember that don’t you? It was just one of the lies you monkey-sticks told, to get elected!

Gelber has always been about one thing and one thing only...the promotion of Dan Gelber.

[moderate]

3:41

What's with the heavy emphasis on construction workers and hairdressers?

Next you'll be talking about policemen, Indians, leather-clad bikers, sailors, and the rest of the Village People.

You go get 'em Youngman.

I thought tea bagging was a gay thing?

Republicans = no tax & spend.

simply following their leader

hes a drunk in denial and the rest of his crew are enablers

simple as that!!

Republicans = no taxes on public bathrooms & spend all the twenties you wish!

Democrats = stash bribe money in freezer in my own Congressional Office & spend all the twenties you wish!

Republicans' chair Jim Greer = no taxes on strip clubs & spend all the one dollar bills you wish (on the girls)

Republicans = give bribe money to stash in freezer, and spend all the twenties you wish... on boy pages and big, black police officers who hang out in public bathrooms!

This is getting nasty. Republicans must be realizing that the wheels are coming off their gravy train.

Dan Gelber disenfranchises Florida Democrats.

It is remarkable that neither Hasner or Greer even tried to refute Gelber's points but instead attacked his motives. It goes to proove that they are indeed in denial as they continue to sell their failed supply side trickle down economics that have failed both nationally and in Florida.
And by the way, It was the Republican led Senate that rejected the House property Tax bill, not the Dems.

3:24
its me 318
Dems couldve stopped the early vote but not any version of ballot proposal that Pruitt & Rubio could have agreed on - - so give me a break.
Taxes up. Tax breaks for big business up. Middle class gets hammered again. Republicans in charge.

Hasner's comeback is priceless!!

There were some Senators who tried to get more on the tax reform, but the Dems, and some dense Republicans would not go along with the proposed legislation.
Sometimes it does pay to listen to the newbies.

Repubs spend like drunken democrats. If they don't start acting like republicans I'm going to help them lose control everywhere they have it. Maybe then they'll pay attention to their base. I'm republican and right now I can't tell the difference between these guys and when the democrats were in control of the state legislature. It makes me want to puke!

324- That is an amazing comment, since Rubio embraced Gelber's plan and it passed out of the house like 117-2 or something like that.

622 is right. The GOP is listless and rather than deal with it, they are lashing out like angry kids on the playground.

The fact is that the Republicans are in a state of denial about the only figure that really matters, and the real reason why Greer and Hasner are attacking him personally:

Gelber PLUS NINE and greatest year for any Democratic Leader.

Rubio MINUS NINE and worst year ever for a Republican Leader.

As Jim Rome says, the scoreboard never lies.

PS- If the Republicans want to get into a debate over the direction of the state and continue put blinders on and act like everyone loves the current tax structure, insurance scheme, education record and health insurance crisis, then Dan Gelber will hang another nine on them in 2008.

6:22PM,

Check the voting records.

Every Democrat voted against the House's meaningful property tax relief bill.

The Democrats also threatened to block other bills with their partisian politic

6:51pm,

your incorrect

The Republicans in the Senate did not have the votes without at least some democrats signing on.

The democrats were a major reason we had the watered down Amendment 1 instead of a meaningful property tax relief bill. They supported local government's drunken spending.

9:12pm,

get real, The Republicans will likely always have control of both houses of our legislature.

And don't get too cocky. Even if democrats win a few more seats, in a couple more years, it is likely there will be so much legislation & spending controls in our Constitution that even if democrats take control (highly unlikely), they will not have ability to gouge the taxpayers for their spending.
I LOVE THE FL CONSTITUTION.

12:36- You mean, Democrats are the reason why we didn't have the largest sales tax increase in the history of the state, maybe even the country? That is a fair point and one I am more than willing to accept.

12:39- So the Senate Republicans and CC take no responsibility for being unwilling to embrace the Rubio/Gelber plan that provided much deeper cuts, as well as more commercial relief and help to first time homeowners?

12:47- I remember a lot of Democrats saying that. Keep thinking that way, and the day of one-party rule will end faster than you think. Moreover, it wasn't my party that kept funding public education by increasing the state imposed property tax by hundreds of millions every single year.

[Zhombre]

Florida is definitely a state of denial for Democrats, since they are denied all but two statewide offices and one of those office holders, Bill Nelson, is a cautious, conservative Democrat who even says nice things about his colleague John McCain.

[Jason Straight]

Go ahead my GOP friends .Remember you are accountable to the voters for what your policies create and the middle class that your right wing policies killed..Stand before the man in 4 years youall will be in the minority..

[Ray]

One of the best articles I've ever seen written which has documented the destruction caused by the Republican Party to the working middle class of the State of Florida.

How anyone could possibly vote for a Republican in this State after the double Bushwhacking we got the past decade or so is beyond belief.

Zhombre- Can I introduce you to nine reasons why you are wrong?

[John]

As far as I am concerned, the current crop of politicians whether they be republican or democrat are worthless. This state is in such a mess it will take herculean efforts to clean it up. With all the petty bickering and finger pointing that dems and reps do with each other it is a wonder this state can function at all. The two party system is dragging the state and country down the road to oblivion. We need a clean slate of level headed people dedicated to taking care of government and not catering to lobbyists and special interests.

No matter what you say, Democrats are destroying our state by continuing supporting local government's drunken spending.

Good thing Floridians are now in control.

Amendment 1 was just a preview. Spending caps are coming next and they will be in our constitution. Once it goes in, it's not coming back out.

I say put these measure on the Nov ballot and let us the voters decide like a democracy.

[Zhombre]

12:21 -- sure. Make the intro.

3:06- How about asking them if we should have universal health care, in November, you know, like a democracy?

You have to be able to put universal health care on the ballot first.

Very doubtful with a evenly split US Congress

[zenator]

Just as it once operated to maintain Dem legislative power, redistricting now operates to safeguard the Repubs.