MAGA GOP continues to ignore the damage climate change is doing to Florida.
Who needs a hot tub when some waters in Florida are over 100 degrees? The water is so hot that many coral reefs are bleaching and dying. At the once beautiful Sombrero reef, scientists report 100% mortality. Florida is now experiencing the hottest July on record. MAGA GOP climate change denial damages our environment and weakens our economy by stopping public policies that could lessen the problem.
The MAGA GOP refuses to see the connection between a healthy environment and a prosperous economy. An unhealthy environment hurts tourism. Who is going to dive on a dead reef? Who will go to a beach polluted by blue green toxic algae? Who will pay the cost of more intense hurricanes and flooding caused by a warming planet?
Continuing down the climate change denial path is a devastating choice. We could choose public policy that limits climate change, but MAGA GOP will not consider it.
A good example is DeSantis’ refusal to accept federal energy funds. Instead of transitioning to non-carbon polluting fuels as quickly as possible, MAGA GOP adheres to fossil fuels. DeSantis gets millions of dollars of campaign contributions from power companies. As a result, he protects their profits instead of our economy and climate.
A transition to non-polluting energy is sound policy and sound economics. The U.S. economy is humming now in a large measure because of the Inflation Reduction Act that powers the recovery with investments in renewable energy and infrastructure projects. Growth is better than expected. Inflation is cooling off faster than anticipated. Unemployment remains near half-century lows. Wages are now rising faster than inflation. The stock market is near all-time highs. Wall Street banks no longer predict an imminent recession.
A transition to non-carbon polluting energy will stimulate higher wages, employment, and a healthier environment. It’s cheaper to get clean electricity from the wind and sun than from climate-polluting power plants that burn coal.
Unfortunately, the MAGA GOP doesn’t want prosperity. Its goal is to wreck our government and economy. It believes that if government fails, or the economy crashes, it can grab and hold power. It seeks to rule over us, not represent our interests.
We predict the MAGA GOP will refuse to properly fund the government and will cause a government shutdown.
We base our prediction on what the MAGA GOP says and does. The MAGA GOP has included culture war issues to the traditionally bipartisan defense bill. Its expressed goal is to deconstruct the administrative state. Here is what Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) says about a government shutdown, "We should not fear a government shutdown, right? Most of what we do up here is bad. Anyway, most of what we do up here hurts the American people. Most of the American people won't even miss if the government is shut down temporarily,”
Comments like Good’s are lunacy. Our government defends us from our enemies, protects our environment, provides income and health care to millions, builds and manages infrastructure, maintains national parks and forests, and much more.
Our government may be unwieldy and frustrating, but it’s better than an authoritarian, oligarchic system that MAGA GOP wants to impose on us. As Thomas Paine said, “Government is a necessary evil.” We defend the ‘necessary evil’ and work to make it better. MAGA GOP’s goal is to destroy it. Its January 6 coup attempt failed, but it continues the effort nevertheless.
Take Action
Talk to your Republican friends. Not all Republicans support the MAGA GOP. These Republicans may still be able to turn the GOP away from authoritarianism and oligarchy. FLVCS is convinced that common sense will prevail over authoritarianism if we work hard.
