Should we just go ahead and move the state capital to Mar-a-Lago? And what's the latest on the Veggie Libel law?
News and commentary for thoughtful Floridians and other Americans
Political analyst David Silverberg asks an intriguing question in his most recent post on his Paradise Progressive site:
What would Florida be like under a Gov. Byron Donalds, the current frontrunner to win the Republican nomination?
His answer is disturbing:
For all intents and purposes, under a governor Byron Donalds, the capital of Florida might as well move from Tallahassee to Mar-a-Lago.
As Donalds puts it in his first priority listed on his campaign website: “Enact the Trump Agenda: Byron is committed to implementing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Great Again.”
Make no mistake: Donald Trump will be governor of Florida in all but name. That’s because Donalds has pledged his fealty to Trump so completely, extravagantly, and excessively that the idea of a shred of independence or autonomy or even a stray individual thought is unimaginable.
See his full report here:
House panel agrees with Senate, drops ‘food libel’ provision from Farm Bill
The Florida House State Affairs Committee, bowing to growing opposition to a proposal to allow food producers to sue critics for libel, caved this week, adopting an amendment spiking the language.
The offending language in HB 433, the Farm Bill, would have authorized producers to sue people or organizations criticizing any food products or processes. That would have expanded a state law now allowing “food libel” actions involving perishable products.
“This provision posed serious concerns about the right of everyday citizens to speak honestly about issues impacting their communities. Protecting our waters depends on the ability to raise concerns openly and without fear of financial retaliation,” Daniel Andrews, CEO of Captains For Clean Water, said in a news release following the House committee vote.
Florida Phoenix has the update on this legislation. Check it out here:
Don’t blame the immigrants
Donald Trump and his sidekick, J.D. Vance, like to point their fingers at immigrants for Europe “losing its identity.”
Not so fast.
Our correspondent in Berlin, Robert Brecha, has a different take.
When I hear Donald Trump or J.D. Vance lament that Europe is becoming “unrecognizable,” I always look around in mild confusion. I have lived in Germany and Italy long enough to know what unrecognizable would actually look like. Trust me: it is not the local Döner shop or the Senegalese street vendor that makes Munich or Milan feel unfamiliar. It is the fact that I can order a “Double Cheeseburger Deluxe” in the shadow of a 14th-century cathedral without switching languages.
See his intriguing look at how the English language—and culture—is the real culprit. His guest commentary is here:
Forget ‘affordability’ — Trump retreats to his ‘stolen election’ mantra
As Donald Trump’s numbers sink on almost all fronts, including the economy, and with GOP midterms looking increasingly dire, it’s time for Trump and his cronies to resurrect the most emotionally charged issue for many MAGA voters. It’s time for “stolen election” to take center stage again!
Forget “affordability.” That’s yesterday’s mantra for mobilizing the MAGA voter base. With prices rising and Trump’s tariffs taking their toll, “stolen election” is the revived and already proven mantra to mobilize his voters.
And as deep-red districts turn blue in off-year contests and Trump’s poll numbers weaken further, the betting odds for a continued Trump/MAGA stranglehold on the House and maybe the Senate are slipping each day. What’s worrisome is that Trump may be using his “stolen election” playbook this year as a launching pad for a concerted drive to undermine the entire upcoming midterm election.
Florida pollster Mark Schulman has the numbers. Check out his article here:
COMING SATURDAY:
Is it true that the state Legislature is about to add $2 million to the state budget for the development of a “Trump orange?” Miss Mingo has the answer to that and other pressing questions of the moment. Check out her column Saturday.
J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a Florida online news service dedicated to sharing news and commentary relevant to Florida readers, whether it originates in the Sunshine State or elsewhere. Bruce is an award-winning former newspaper editor, journalist and author living in Florida, his native state.
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Thank you for reading the Tropic Press newsletter. You also have access to the Tropic Press website for additional and previous posts, an archive of posts from our advice columnist, Miss Mingo, occasional guest commentaries, and information about The Strange Files series of mysterious adventures and other books.
Why has politics become so tedious and tiring, doesn’t anyone care more about average Americans than agendas and personal power? Trump has ruined the America I loved and he and everyone emulating or supporting him should be considered treasonous, their actions do more to destroy American democracy than any other malicious anti-American act ever has!
Adherents to any personality cult are an embarrassment.