Gelber: 'Floridians are watching'

In an e-mail to Democrats, House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber writes:

Members -- When you are in the minority, your only vehicle for change is your voice and the principles for which you speak out. When the majority party decides that they do not want your voice to be heard, and when they resort to procedural machinations to stop you from speaking, they are not simply disrespecting you, they are disrespecting your constituents and your principles. I understand this may be a hardship, but I would not ask you to stand together if I didn't believe in my heart that this was the only avenue available to us. I am proud to be your leader.

Dan

Gelber also put out this statement:

"Our ability to offer an amendment to HB 7045 was shut down this morning by House Republicans. To call the previous question and stifle debate is insincere and disingenuous. House Democrats wanted the opportunity to offer amendments and debate their merit, but were met with House Republican resistance.

"Democrats believe that raising standards (Rep. Flores’ bill) must be combined with measuring those standards through long awaited FCAT reform (Sen. Gaetz’s bill). This has been a longstanding principle of our caucus and the object of our prior bills. In the final weeks of session where bills make it or not, we need to combine good measures that will improve our state’s public school system.

"Floridians are watching and expecting this Republican legislature to pass legislation that improves our quality of life."

Comments

I think I just vomited in my mouth.

me too. Unfourtunately, his comments will play pretty well to the public. At the pace the Repubs are going, Gelber may be Governor in 2 years

Does this mean we won't hear Bucher's farewell address?

Under Jeb's tutelage too many repubs are becomming wanna be dictators. This sad repub agrees with Gelber

Voting down amendments you don't like is perfectly ok, simply ignoring them is at best childish, at worst dictatorial.

12:39 But you'll still vote for McSame.

Pass the budget and go home.

Yeah, you'll probably not make any headway against a bunch of hard-hearted term limited GOPers, Dan

it's called the rules gelber - any motion can be brought up by any member - figure it out and quit your baby whining

Hey, its cool 12:57 p.m., because reading the bills is in the Constitution and not just the rules, so I can personally live with every bill being read aload on the floor as required by the primary law of the land.

I love the Rubio is making them listen to the bill in their seats. Gelber wanted this, the Dems voted for it, now sit down and listen!
Any guesses who will fold first?

Rubio is such a moronic little jerk.

Hey -- this slows down the process, which is great. They only have to pass the budget. The fewer bills they pass, the less harm they do to all of us.

1:13 - what's the matter? did your pacifier fall on the floor?

RUBIO for GOVERNOR!

Good job pis_sing off the future Senate President by stalling his amendment

1:15 p.m. is so very right.

Is it possible that the Senate could also enact the reading requirement?

Bills are dying, and the good news, is that they are their bills not mine.

1:25 - No, that must be Rubio's pacifier you're looking at.

Gelber for Governor!!!

Rubio, you work for the people, do the peoples work... no matter how long it takes and stop being a cry baby.

they are watching a pathetic Gelber

Rubio will fold first.

[Omega83]

For a Speaker who lost 7 seats under his reign - and thus the 2/3 majority previous legislatures enjoyed - one would think he would put the games aside and leave on a high note.

He is currently jockeying with Johnnie Byrd as one of the least effective Speakers in recent memory.

1) Failed on true property tax reform
2) "Mistakenly" exempted his own district from property tax relief
3) Loaded the 2007 budget with $450m in turkeys that the Governor promptly vetoed.
4) Lost 7 House seats to Democrats, including several in Pinellas County, once the sole red urban county in the state.
5) Plays procedural games to accomplish nothing
6) Demoted 2 committee chairs who he could not get to go along with insurance.

Bense, Feeney, et al never had these problems. Rubio is borderline total failure.

3:26- It was nine. Rubio lost nine.

3:26 - uh, get your facts straight - it is Gelber who keeps motioning to have every bill text read in full - it is he and the democrats voting to have the bills read in full who are playing games

Rmember this November - GOP chose CSX over abused children, education, and TAX REFORM.

They pandered to insurance interests and looked only to protect their own pockets.

They bullied rather than led and passed bills to increase user fees, sold taxpayer paid for roads for quick cash turning them into toll roads which could be sold to foreign interets. They cut child abuse workers while they gave themselves a $1,000 bonus.

They cut medical services to chronically ill children while maintaining their own FREE HEALTH INSURANCE AND DENTAL INSURANCE paid for by - you guessed it - the taxpapyer.

These PART-TIME members are paid more for thier 60 days of bad behavior than the average state employee earns for an entire year.

So when you read MORE stories of children dying in Foster Care, when you watch the news and see the picture of children who died of child abuse - remember $700 million for CSX, $265 million for Rubio's friend, and pork for Rubio's projects.

Remember this November - They are counting on you forgetting.

[Donald Lance]

First off, this is not the first post today that speaks about the GOP trying to silence people. Secondly, House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber Is politicizing the issue by using words such as "Change". Didn't Florida just get thru with change? What the hell is change anyway? We ARE going to have a new pres. Isn't that change? Just another reason to vote Libertarian!

These idiot democrats think they are funny. Wasting taxpayer's money.

We will remember fat cat democrat Dan Gelber & his minions for this.

VOTE OUT EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRATS!

He thinks the people are watching...what planet is he from? No one out here is watching this as they are too busy with normal lives. In the end all people care about is being left alone, having low taxes and trying to get by in life and maybe improve their lot so their kids have a better life. They do not care about what goes on in Tallahassee.