Outorganized and outvoted in 2010, left-wing groups are taking aim at Gov. Rick Scott and Republican lawmakers on March 8. But they'll have to do it at a distance.
"Awake the State" rallies are scheduled at 17 locations around Florida on the opening day of the 2011 Legislature. That's up from the eight announced just last week.
A rally site in Tallahassee was announced Monday, but organizers couldn't capture the prime real estate at the Capitol.
A tea party coalition had already reserved the old Capitol grounds on March 8 for a rally in support of Scott and his proposed $5 billion in budget cuts. The noon "Save Our State" rally will be preceded and followed by tea party visits to lawmakers.
Using social-media websites, "Awake the State" organizers at Progress Florida and Florida Watch Action are marshaling unions and like-minded groups to fight back. "Awake the State" is still hoping to draw a crowd of up to 8,000 for its 2 p.m. rally outside the Leon County Courthouse.
"No Floridian Can Afford More Budget Cuts," declares the Progress Florida-produced website, which pinpoints the locations and times of the March 8 protests.
Twitter and Facebook postings from followers chime in with comments such as "Stand UP for Police Officers, Firefighters, Teachers and other public employees."
Another bemoans an alleged "$3.3 billion in budget cuts to education alone!!" though state spending remains the same in the governor's K-12 budget.
While public-employee unions are keeping a low profile, there is no doubt that government workers have the largest stake in the brewing budget battle.
Scott wants employees to contribute 5 percent of their salary toward their pensions -- a proposal that teachers call a 5 percent "pay cut." The governor also has said that the state work force could be reduced by 5 percent.
Although "Awake the State" organizers see the ongoing confrontation in Wisconsin as a model for action, Scott has not specifically challenged the collective-bargaining privileges of state-employee unions, as Gov. Scott Walker has done there.
Sen. John Thrasher, R-Jacksonville, has, however, introduced a bill that would halt automatic payroll deductions of union dues and prohibit their use in political campaigns.
Buttressing Progress Florida's organizing effort is Susannah Randolph, a former spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson. Grayson, a hard-core liberal, was defeated in his bid for a second term last November.
Randolph, who heads the left-wing Florida Watch Action, and Progress Florida also teamed to produce another website, DirtyHari.org, which attacks state Senate President Mike Haridopolos. The Merritt Island Republican is the first announced GOP challenger to Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012.
Randolph could not be reached for comment, but Progress Florida, which bills itself as "nonpartisan," maintains close ties to organized labor, the Democratic Party and groups that promote causes ranging from gay marriage to abortion rights.
As detailed previously in Sunshine State News, Progress Florida's advisory board reads like a virtual who's who of "progressive" groups in the state.
Florida Watch Action and another leftist group, Citizens for Fairness in Florida, reportedly obtained the permits to rally at Tallahassee's Leon County Courthouse on March 8.
Unions and leftists agitating for public demonstrations don't bother Robin Stublen, a Punta Gorda tea party leader who is organizing the "Save Our State" rally in Tallahassee.
"They have just as much right to make an ass of themselves as anyone else," he said.
"It's real easy [for them] to bus people in to Tallahassee from Georgia and Alabama," Stublen added. "The more the merrier."
Teachers and other public employees are heavily represented in the plethora of Twitter and Facebook comments promoting "Awake the State."
Florida State University economics professor Randall Holcombe said, "There's an interesting dynamic going on here, as it appears that most of the people who are protesting Governor Scott's budget proposals are the people getting paid by taxpayer dollars, and the people who support the governor are taxpayers.
"I've seen the negative reaction of government employees, but so far, no negative reaction from taxpayers and private-sector employees."
Holcombe added,"Saying that 'Floridians can't afford budget cuts' misses the point.We can cut the budget and have less government, or we can expand the budget and have more government."
Stublen said his tea coalition -- which seeks to stiffen the spine of Republican lawmakers who might waver on the need for budget repair -- also will have grass-roots, roadside gatherings around the state.
"We just don't have a fancy website with fancy pins on it," he said.
Whoever has the bigger turnout on the streets March 8, professor Holcombe said, "Popular sentiment these days seems to lean with those who want less government, and lower taxes."
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
