OPINION

Bullard: Gov. Scott could use a history lesson

Sen. Dwight Bullard
My View

They say those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it. So for a guy who started from humble beginnings, even lived in public housing, why would Gov. Rick Scott want to gut the same opportunities for others that allowed him to succeed?

In his second tour as governor of this state, Scott, more than anyone, should realize that people in need come in all shapes, colors and sizes throughout Florida.

They come in the form of our state workforce the governor scorns; the firefighters who work to defend our land and forests as intense flames and thick smoke engulf them; the first responders to disasters named “Andrew” and “Charley” and “Ivan,” rendering aid to devastated communities; the ones who take down fraudulent doctors and peddlers of addictive drugs; the assistant state attorneys and assistant public defenders who prosecute evil and defend the accused.

They also come in the form of places he’s forgotten, like Hendry and Citrus and Putnam counties, where the unemployment rates remain well above the state average, and the best jobs to be found are usually low paying and dead end.

Finally, they come in the form of our most vulnerable citizens he typically shuns: our seniors on fixed incomes, and those with disabilities, including our veterans. He remembers them for photo ops, and forgets them once the last smiling shot is taken.

With the halfhearted and soulless approach the governor has taken on issues like affordable housing, repairing our schools and listening to voters on their wishes for the environment and health care, it’s no wonder Florida leads the nation in the race to the bottom.

And so it’s somehow fitting that as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our country, we look at the state of affairs in Florida. And we reflect on a time not that long ago, when men and women rallied against a government that was out of touch and disdainful of its own people. Once the people had had enough, they rebelled. And they won.

As he jets about the country, paying homage to corporate titans, it’s easy for Gov. Scott to miss the view of the masses huddled 36,000 feet below. The ones still waiting for him to open doors of opportunity for them as readily as he does for his fellow CEOs. The Floridians of every hue working hard not just to survive, but retaining hope to one day thrive.

The ones who remember history, even if the governor has forgotten his.

Dwight Bullard is a member of the Florida State Senate, representing the 39th District, which includes all of Hendry and Monroe Counties and parts of Collier and Miami-Dade Counties. He teaches in Miami and serves on the Education and Agriculture Committee.