Key dispute in preK-12 budget: last-minute $50,000 for Haitian American history

After two straight days of late-night meetings, lawmakers were racing to agreement on the preK-12 portion of the state budget. But talks broke off this morning with five issues left for House and Senate budget chairs to resolve this weekend.

Of note is the Senate's surprise push to include $50,000 for Haitian American history. The budget line item was not part of either chamber's preK-12 budget in previous weeks and showed up during the budget conference process.

That money is taken from a $100,000 allocation for the Task Force on African American history, so the Senate offer is $50,000 for African American history and $50,000 for Haitian American history.

Rep. Gwen Clarke-Reed, D-Deerfield Beach, said the move caught her "really off guard." 

"My bone of contention is that there’s legislation that says African American history should be taught and it is not being taught and it’s not been funded," she said. "Here we have an opportunity to fund it and then they decide, you know, to do something else."

Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, denied the move was a member project, but rather that "some of the members wanted to be able to, if we had African American history, then Haitian American history ought to be included."  

Comments

[Sean]

Bull !!!! Wise is only looking out for his best bud--- Gary Siplin's-- pet project.

[Yekepyt]

what can you really do with $100,000 anyway? If you are serious about teaching African/Haitain American history, shouldn't it be in a curriclum for all students?

[Another racist move...]

$33,000 for African American, $33,000 for Haitian American, $33,000 for White American history...

[Mike Fasano Backer]

What are you talking about: Haitian-American history? When I went to school, all the history was made by European people. All this new nonsense about the role of African-Americans and Native-Americans and now Haitian-Americans is just discrimination against the white folk who were once the only people who made history.

Maybe, the National Colored League's players were better, but it is a historical fact that they weren't in the the big leagues at the time. Maybe, Satchel Paige could have struck-out Enos "Country" Slaughter every time he met him, but the historical fact is he didn't.

What changed about our history?

I'll tell you what changed: facts. Mike Fasano is right: history should be based on facts. If something wasn't a historical fact in the 1950s then it can't be now.

Who do all these idiots think they are, pretending that all these diverse groups contributed in the past to make the world of today? We make-up our history as we go along and should not change it from what was taught back when Ike was in the White House and free to tell a racist joke in the Lincoln bedroom if he wanted to.

Where do these people want us to go, after all: changing history and all to include people who've got no right to believe they belong?

[Bella]

How about Latino/Hispanic American History?

[Private Sector supporter]

The only place there are more jerks under a capital dome is Washington, D.C. These people must be understudying.

[Toussaint]

Did you know the following?
1) The first known European settlement in the new world was in Haiti;
2) The largest military unit in the pivotal Battle of Savannah for US independence was made up of Haitians;
3) The first successful civil rights movement in the world was in Haiti;
4) The Louisiana purchase would never have occurred without Haiti;
5) The ban on the importation of slaves in the U.S. in 1808 would not have occurred without Haiti;
6) Simon Bolivar got his funding and support for Latin American Independence from Haiti;
If you didn’t know these things, it is money well spent.

[I passid duh FTAC]

Floriduuh!

"Last in Education; First in Corruption!"

... go figure

[terminator]

12:59
what in the heck happened after that?
the place is a h*llhole!

[terminator]

what's next?
Somalian-American History?

[What?]

Only in Tally does spending $100,000 "just because it is in the budget" make any sense.
News flash, you need to find money!