More than 40 demonstrations and counterdemonstrations are planned Tuesday across Florida, as opponents and supporters of Gov. Rick Scott's proposed tax and budget cuts rally on the opening day of the 2011 Legislature.
Neither side is predicting how many people will turn out, but both camps are jousting for position -- and that could lead to confrontations at some venues.
In Tallahassee, "Save Our State" tea partiers already stole the march on "Awake the State" progressives by reserving the old Capitol grounds, a favored venue that can accommodate thousands of ralliers.
"Awake the State" organizers settled for a much smaller site outside the Leon County Courthouse, two blocks away.
One veteran political activist, speaking on background, noted:
"It's the oldest trick in the rent-a-mob playbook: When your band of protesters is small, you target a tiny venue to make it look like there's a surging, overflow crowd."
County officials said the courthouse grounds can only accommodate 100 people, and the rally permit requested by FACE Alliance said "less than 100" would attend. But, as of Monday, the "Awake the State" website announced "139 attendees."
That bit of stage management is not likely to fool anyone because the "Save Our State" tea event -- highlighted by a noon rally on the old Capitol steps -- is expecting a far larger throng. Among the afternoon speakers will be Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island.
In addition to their Tally rally, organizers with the Florida Alliance and Tea Party Network also plan satellite demonstrations at 10 venues ranging from Fort Myers to Titusville to Lake City.
Tea's scattered rallies are an effort to counter the "Awake the State" far-flung itinerary of protests on Tuesday. In some cases -- notably Tampa and Fort Lauderdale -- the two sides have scheduled demonstrations at the same or adjacent locations.
"Awake the State" says it has 32 rallies set for 30 cities. Though the events are billed as "grass-roots" uprisings, planning has been orchestrated by Progress Florida, with backing from public-employee unions and other liberal organizations. including MoveOn.org.
Social-media postings by teachers and other government workers anxious over their pay and benefits unofficially predicted a total combined participation of 8,000 people statewide.
On the "Awake the State" Facebook page, Kathy Daly Hass wrote, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER -- that is recall, impeach, prosecute Rick Scott, or he can resign!"
Another Facebook posting from Gainesville links to a rally sign-up page hosted by MoveOn.org, the controversial and confrontational activist group founded by hard-left international financier George Soros.
Mark Pafford, a Democratic state representative from West Palm Beach, urged protesters to "make a statement and be loud! Make sure [lawmakers] know you exist ... and you are not taking any more destruction of the middle class."
All in all, thousands of Floridians may attend events that support or oppose proposed state budget repair bills on the day that the Republican-controlled Legislature opens its 2011 session.
"Awake the State" is attempting to mobilize public-sector employees by tapping into simmering angst over education reforms and Scott's call to require government workers -- including teachers -- to contribute 5 percent of their salary toward their pensions.
On the other side, tea party and patriot groups say they are rallying in support of budget reforms and tax cuts designed to kick-start Florida's slumping economy. Scott campaigned on a pledge to create 700,000 private-sector jobs over the next seven years.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale could become a flash point as a local tea organization says it will stage a "counterprotest" outside the federal courthouse on Broward Boulevard, where "Awake the State" plans to rally.
"Remember, the majority of people who have public-sector jobs know what the government is up against getting our budget under control, but they are scared to speak out because of the backlash their Obama-directed, thug union bosses will unleash on them," a tea e-mail advisory stated.
"As usual, bring cameras to film the nonsense and vulgar language that the left spews."
Danita Kilcullen, founder of the Fort Lauderdale Tea Party, told Sunshine State News, "We hear that the union will be busing people in." That report could not be independently verified.
Both Fort Lauderdale events are scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
In Tallahassee, Patricia Sullivan, who chairs the 58-group statewide Tea Party Network, said she plans to participate in a series of face-to-face "interventions to infuse courage into legislators to focus on the long road ahead."
"We will meet with every Republican senator who signed that [pro-high-speed rail] letter, including Thad Altman and Paula Dockery," said Sullivan, who also chairs the North Lake Tea Party.
More than 100 tea party leaders will stay in Tallahassee through Thursday, when they plan to meet with the legislative budget director and other key state leaders.
According to "Awake the State," the FACE-sponsored rally in Tallahassee may be one of the smaller events -- though it could look like standing room only to tightly focused TV cameras.
Jabari Paul, director of FACE Alliance, which is headquartered in Miami Lakes, remained unavailable for comment.
In any event, state officials hope that Tallahassee's capitol complex will be spared the kind of defacement inflicted on the Wisconsin statehouse. Officials in Madison estimated last week that protesters' taped signs caused some $7 million in damage to the capital's marble building during the weeks-long siege, though initial accounts of damage have since been discounted.
--
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
