Democrats Respond to Cretul and Atwater Shooting Down Special Session

On Wednesday afternoon, House Democrats turned to Rep. Adam Fetterman of Port St. Lucie to respond to Speaker Larry Cretuls, R-Ocala, letter maintaining that a special session is not needed to remedy the economic damage caused by the oil spill in the Gulf.

Today, Floridas Republican legislative leaders have once again shown their disdain for the people of this state, said Fetterman. By ending the Deepwater Horizon workshops without either concrete action or a call for a special session, they have turned their backs on those Florida families and businesses hurt by the spill. First it was delay, now it is denial. That is unacceptable.

While my Democratic colleagues in the Legislature began in earnest in early May calling for aggressive state action, Republican leaders instead chose to play political games with Governor Charlie Crist, added Fetterman. As a result of the foot-dragging and gamesmanship, we have no action, no remedy, and frankly, we have lost many opportunities to even act at this point.

Had legislative leaders responded attentively in May, we could have been prepared with real solutions to the crises facing many Florida families and small businesses, continued Fetterman. Instead, our do-nothing Republican leaders have failed to make even the simplest improvements to the process by which citizens and small businesses can seek compensation for damages. As a result, we are now forced to do what either BP, the federal government or their so-called `pay czar tells us and that is unacceptable.

Florida deserves better, concluded Fetterman. We deserve action and we deserve legislative leaders who act honestly, deliberately and with the best interest of the people of this state. Today, the Republican leadership team failed all of us.

Other Democrats also weighed in.

Floridians saw straight through the empty promises coming from Tallahassee and Senate President Jeff Atwater, said former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the Democratic nominee for CFO who is running against Atwater. This entire special session debate has been nothing more than an attempt by Tallahassee politicians to tarnish the Governors image at all cost, leaving our Northwest Florida small business owners without the relief that they desperately need. Jeff Atwater is just part of the same old failed Tallahassee political act.