Florida’s Republican governor has vetoed a bipartisan bill passed by the legislature, where Republicans have supermajorities, to require the state health department to issue water quality advisories and close beaches when pollution reaches unsafe levels (see story here).
What gives? Why did he do that? It’s not hard to figure out. A clue to his mindset is this governor, under “massive pressure,” closed beaches during the pandemic, but “only briefly.” He fiercely resisted closing restaurants and other businesses, even though keeping them open spread Covid-19 and cost lives.
Florida is a tourist state, and its beaches bring people and their money to local businesses. A closed beach means fewer customers. Gov. DeSantis has only one priority, keeping the businesses open and the money flowing. Business profits is all he cares about. People’s lives and health don’t matter to him.
