Beyond the Sunshine: DeSantis' Legacy in the Shadows
Election Security Setbacks, Insurance Woes, and the Path to Redeeming a Legacy.
A few years ago, while visiting Yellowstone National Park, we had hiked about three vertical miles with approximately four more (horizontal) to go before reaching our car. My 12-year-old son was hot, tired, and had finished all our water. There came a point where he plopped on the path and refused to continue walking. No amount of cajoling worked. I finally had to color the situation with the harsh brush of reality:
"Sweetheart, this is where you go from being a boy to becoming a man. You are too big to carry, I can't save you, and no one is coming to your rescue. You have do this yourself and man up."
I suspect Ron DeSantis' big supporters are getting ready to have some version of that conversation with him. Let me explain. On January 15, the Iowa caucus will reveal what the uniparty, RINO establishment, and captured propaganda apparatus cannot bring themselves to face: Trump will blow DeSantis out of the water. This means he will have to drop out of the race, mend fences with the boss, and repair his tarnished image with the very constituents who re-elected him in 2022.
(I’m more visceral than Richard Baris. As a pollster, he has a reputation to protect - I don’t).
In promising to work for Florida yet setting his eyes on the big prize, DeSantis ushered in the now infamous SB7050. A "must-pass" legislation allowing him to run without resigning from the governorship. If that alone had been the legislative intent, fine. Whatever. However, attached to SB7050 were measures that set election security efforts back several steps.
In addition to abandoning his constituents for the past nine months, we now have an insurance crisis of gargantuan proportions that is shutting down small businesses, putting fixed-income Floridians at risk, and impacting virtually every person in the state. Homeowners' insurance rates have skyrocketed with increases of 20%, 30%, or even 40%. In 2020, Florida's average insurance premium was $2,165. Three years later, it is now approximately $4,200. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the national average is $1,700 per year.
Insurance companies are fleeing Florida, and others have chosen not to renew or have tightened their eligibility criteria. Most are demanding substantial rate hikes. Meanwhile, Florida is besieged by insurance fraud, with companies routinely denying and delaying damage claims to mitigate their losses. Policyholders have no other choice but to resort to lawyers, litigation, and third-party contractors to obtain the compensation our premiums were meant to fund. Make no mistake; the crux of the problem is not recent storms or hurricanes. It is attributed to the insurance companies' poor financial risk management investment strategies and questionable activities. Citizens are expected to shoulder the losses from their failed insurance management practices.
There is no shortage of expertise at the legislative level to have understood and remedied this crisis. In fact, Tom Leek, the powerful chair of the House Appropriations Committee, also serves as Chief Legal Officer for Foundation Risk Partners, a prominent national insurance brokerage and consulting firm. Since 2021, several insurance bills have passed through Florida's legislature, including SB 76 and HB 837, with little evidence that any of these benefit the consumer. Moreover, these laws provide incentives for insurance carriers to underpay claims and manipulate the insurance and legal system. This was amply exposed by the Citizen Coalition of Florida, with the insurance situation explained here:
From being a governor poster child and the conservative role model who elevated Florida as the "it" place during the pandemic and its aftermath, Ron DeSantis will return to the Sunshine State with a cloud hanging over his tenure. A repaired relationship with Trump will be politically expedient, but the heavy lifting must happen in Tallahassee.
Much like the resilience shown by my exhausted but determined 12-year-old in the face of adversity, Governor DeSantis now stands at a crucial juncture. His ability to confront challenges head-on, address the pressing issues facing Florida, and steer the state towards a prosperous future will ultimately define his legacy. We exhort DeSantis to demand legislation that serves the people and exercise his leadership so our red state, with a red legislature, and a red governor can finally and truly be a beacon of constitutional freedom and sound governance.
Leadership is not about being in charge. It's about taking care of those in your charge.
Simon Sinek
Father in Heaven,
We humbly seek Your divine guidance for our political leaders and powerbrokers. Grant them spiritual discernment to distinguish right from wrong and the courage to champion justice and righteousness. May those in positions of influence be transformed into courageous and moral servants, prioritizing the well-being of the people over personal gain.
Almighty God, we earnestly ask for Your heavenly host to occupy the halls of government, engaging in a spiritual battle on our behalf. Let the forces of justice and truth prevail, cleansing our political arenas of corruption and self-interest. Strengthen our leaders to resist temptation, grant them clarity in decision-making, and instill in them a compassionate commitment to faithfully serve the needs of the people.
Lord, we trust in Your sovereign will to illuminate the path towards justice, may Your divine light guide our leaders, we place our hopes for good governance in America in Your benevolent hands.
In Jesus’ Holy name.
Amen
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Excellent and informative video Debbie!!
Excellent piece Debbie and thank you! 🎯🙏