Gov. DeSantis should shoulder responsibility
Florida is again the epicenter of COVID-19 as the new variants surge across the state. The daily record of hospitalizations and cases strain our public health infrastructure. Nurses, doctors, custodians and other staff that keep hospitals running are exhausted. Yet Gov. Ron DeSantis is missing in action, putting his political ambitions before the health and safety of Floridians as he gallivants across the country for high-end political fundraisers.
As a state lawmaker, it is my top priority to work with all stakeholders and all political parties to defeat this pandemic. And as a mother, small business owner and Black woman, this fight is deeply personal for me.
As parents, we must have the right to work with local school districts to issue mask mandates, especially when the impact of the new COVID-19 variants on our children are unknown. Yet DeSantis’ latest crusade is waging war against schools that take public health measures to protect students. He even signed an executive order threatening to defund schools that require students to wear masks and directed the Florida Department of Education to withhold salaries of superintendents and school board members who defy him.
As a business owner, I know that the faster we get COVID-19 infection rates down, the faster our state’s economic recovery. Businesses have a right to protect customers and workers with vaccination requirements, yet the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis have denied this right, even wasting our public dollars to file suit against cruise lines who want to require vaccines.
And while the governor continues to mock public health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci and the usage of masks, Department of Health data shows that Black Floridians are the smallest share of vaccinated Floridians. These vaccination rates are linked to historic health disparities and race-based exploitation in this country, and require government officials working hand-in-hand with community leaders to address. Instead, DeSantis attends multiple high-profile fundraisers with wealthy donors that cost $5,000 to $25,000 per ticket.
Rather than take responsibility as governor of Florida, DeSantis chooses to scapegoat Florida’s hard-working immigrant families by blaming them for the spread of
Businesses have a right to protect customers and workers with vaccination requirements, yet the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis have denied this right, even wasting our public dollars to file suit against cruise lines who want to require vaccines.
COVID-19. This is shameful and outrageous. As essential workers in the agriculture, medical and hospitality industries, among others, our immigrant community helps to keep our country moving and our economy afloat, bringing food to the table of American families while putting their personal health on the line. They deserve our thanks, not baseless blame.
Black immigrants are a part of this equation. According to a report by the Florida Policy Institute, there are over 700,000 Black immigrants in Florida. One in five of these immigrants work in health care. As a Black woman born and raised in Jacksonville, I know that the success of my family is tied to that of my immigrant neighbors. The governor is wrong to try to distract and divide us. He should instead join us in supporting a path to citizenship for our immigrants in this state, protect all essential workers, and put the needs of Floridians ahead of his partisan political ambitions. We deserve a governor who puts Floridians first.