Gimleteye wrote yesterday that "The slime throwers can't be far behind" and he was right. On the Redistricting Petition that just made the ballot, Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) chief executive Barney Bishop said, his powerful lobbying organization plans to mount a legal challenge to keep the amendments from reaching voters: “This is a proposal that is an answer to no problem that exists. We already have the courts to review these things.” Bishop blamed the amendment on Democratic-leaning trial lawyers and union groups.Barney Bishop said of Lesley Blackner’s attempt to get the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment on the ballot in 2008: "The point of the fact is that we are going to make sure she doesn't get on the ballot. Her ox is getting gored? Too bad. Grow up. We play for keeps."
On reforming Property insurance, he said in April 2009: “We’re looking at the potential bankruptcy of the state of Florida." He also supports oil drilling off Florida's coast. Always on the wrong side of an issue in my view, yep, he is on my barf meter.
From the AIF website: Since 1920, AIF has pursued a pro-business agenda based on our members’ recommendations. Our every move is calculated to promote the well-being and common interest of Florida business and industry on issues relating to Energy, Environment, Growth Management, Health Care, Insurance, Labor, Legal, Taxation, and other matters of concern to the business community.
9 comments:
It is not just that his group is on the other side of an issue, it is his arrogant delivery of the message that is the problem.
Almost a million Florida voters put the petition on the ballot why go against the will of the people to vote? this group doesn't follow it's own mission to promote-- it is anti messages most of the time.
could be the anti-santa
All those Tea Party people are really going to line up with Barney and his Friends from Associated Industries? It looks like opposition to reform of districting is purely a Republican deal. Wonder what the Tea Party makes of that? Or Fox News?
Florida residents need to take back control of the State from these idiots. Amendment 4 and redistricting reforms must pass.
"The point of the fact is that we are going to make sure she doesn't get on the ballot. Her ox is getting gored? Too bad. Grow up. We play for keeps."
Ths quote from AI should be used over and over again during the coming year in support of HTD. Anyone who talks and acts like this must be on the wrong side of the issue.
More useless partisan bickering, the people get it in the keester no matter which party they vote for. I may not like the anti-santa but he's right this amendment is aartisan wolf in sheeple clothing.
I will abstain
Amendment 4 is not needed. Fair, compact districts are.
AIF is the Tallahassee Mafia.
I fought them as a student activists. Instead of challenging ideas, they challenge the groups. Classic AIF: attack through the courts and bury citizen groups under a pile of legal bills.
In my college days our student organization's funding structure, which unfortunately could be screwed with by the Legislature, became a five-year vendetta of AIF. Our sin? Pushing for better recycling in the State and trying to restore the bottle bill. In states that have one, a bottle bill produces an 80% recycling rate on products subject to the law. Did they fight the merits? No, they attacked the funding of the group pushing the plan to 1) distract us so we had to spend most of our time fighting for survival, and 2) to silence their opposition by stripping them of funds.
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