We’re all too familiar with the things you can’t do in this state. It’s a lot more than buying reasonably-priced home-owners insurance; convincing our best and brightest to go into teaching; insulating ourselves from those reminding us how they did things “up North”; or wading into the Gulf of Mexico in June without shuffling.
You can’t, for instance, raise revenue by taxing a key part of the revenue base: services. Just ask former Gov. Bob Martinez about that. It cost him a re-election.
Or how about a sensible, non Cold War-era policy towards Cuba? Ask the South Florida vendetta crowd, who have been holding a foreign-policy veto for half a century, about that. If you dare.
Or settle into a truly secure feeling when it comes to protecting Florida’s Gulf coast beaches from worst-case, off-shore oil-drilling scenarios. Just ask BP or Gov. Rick Scott or Sen. Marco Rubio about that.
Then there’s high speed rail. It’s so 21st century. Forget short- and long-term jobs, I-4 redevelopment and Orlando-Tampa synergy. Tea party ideology and selected libertarian think tanks will carry the day. Just ask — oh, never mind.
Now add another. There’s no provision in this state to recall a governor. No matter the circumstances. No matter how outrageously counterproductive such an official may be to the best interest of Florida. No matter how perniciously polarizing a presence.
You can recall a county commissioner. Or a mayor. Recall that the mayor of Miami-Dade was recalled just last month. But not statewide officials.
Actually, we’re like 31 other states sans recall options. Only they’re not Rick Scott’s ideological lockbox, Floriduh, a state still reeling from the impact of the Great Recession and Ponzi-scheme growth scenarios.
But there is an impeachment provision. And there’s even an online petition circulating around. But, alas, you realistically can’t do that either.
That’s because it’s takes a two-thirds vote of the House to impeach. And this is no House divided; more than two thirds are GOPsters. Chances are better that Gov. Scott will dump his Solantic interest.
The grim reality is this: turning down billions in federal rail money; pushing for mandatory drug tests for state employees; minimizing transparency via the media; greasing the skids for a potential conflict-of-interest scenario; trying to cut our way to prosperity; and foot-dragging on voter-approved, fair-districting measures are likely not “impeachable” offenses.
Alas, merely offensive.