The Florida Keys. Even if you live in this magical paradise, when you hear those words it is hard not to think about margaritas, shocking sunsets and Jimmy Buffett crooning on a bar stool. As the Tourist Development Council would say, “close to perfect, far from normal.” It seems to describe us pretty well.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush returned to Tallahassee this morning, site of his greatest accomplishments during eight years in office.
Proclaiming “voters want to know what we believe in, but also what we’ve accomplished,” he went through a litany of his policies that made Florida a better place to live, work and play.
He cut governmental bureaucracy by more than 10 percent, he tackled the systemic problems of child welfare by creating the cutting-edge Community Based Care system, and he vetoed more than 2,500 budget items, thus earning him the nickname “Veto Corleone.”
Morality is always higher than law. Any sincere system of law, beginning with the Ten Commandments, is the human attempt to express morality in language. Law is itself higher than whim.
When law expresses “malus in se” it expresses that an offense against that law is “evil in itself” as determined by human experience. “Malus in se” laws include those against murder, robbery, bearing false witness, adultery, child abuse, and so forth. “Malus in se” is distinguished from “malus prohibitus.”
This sad day in history will forever reflect that the highest court of our land ignored the rule of law and the will of 51 million people in over 38 states in an illegitimate act of raw judicial power and arrogance.
The extra trips to the hardware store for plywood and nails to board up windows. The stocked pantries and cupboards with canned goods and water bottles. The spare batteries and flashlights stashed around the house. The safety drills to take shelter in hallways and bathtubs. These are all-too-familiar precautions we Floridians practice when hurricane season rolls around. Because, it is all about prevention.
In recent weeks, Florida has created quite a bit of political news as it relates to energy production, with members of Congress filing legislation both to encourage and discourage Florida as a contributor to our nation’s energy portfolio through offshore energy production.
Understandably, politicians are protective of our beautiful beaches to where tourists flock from around the world, and the great military presence in our state where men and women train to protect our country. Everyone will agree these are important priorities and economic drivers that should be protected.
It seems like just yesterday we recovered from the deluge of political ads to hit the airwaves and our mailboxes. If you have paid attention to the news, you know that the cycle never really stops and it will soon be back in our faces with presidential and congressional seats open in 2016.
