That wasn’t a letter Vanessa Baugh wrote to our esteemed governor on behalf of the Manatee County Commission last week.
It was a valentine.
Actually, it was a disgrace.
The letter, addressed to Gov. Ron DeSantis, was in support of a special session by the Florida Legislature set to start Monday. DeSantis wants to see laws passed that prevent businesses from discriminating against employees based on their vaccine status.
The commissioners, in a 6-1 vote approving the letter Baugh drafted, want the governor to know they support personal choice when it comes to the government imposing vaccine and mask mandates.
That, on its face, is well and good. The subject matter is not the issue here.
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The issue is the waythe letter is written. It’s almost like Baugh is praying to DeSantis with lines like “Thank you, Governor DeSantis, for standing up to the corporate media. You have always been a champion of individual liberties and freedom since you took on the role of Governor.”
Thank you for standing up to the corporate media? Seriously? Is this the way all residents of Manatee County wish to be represented?
And:“People should not have to choose between keeping their job or their children getting an education because of getting a vaccine. Additionally, this overreach will exacerbate the supply chain crisis and destroy our workforce. We cannot allow our fellow Floridians to continue to be bullied into making a personal decision as a condition of supporting their families. As you said, we must stand up for the rights and liberties of all Floridians.”
Just spit-balling here, but why does Baugh – and, by extension, the commissioners – find it necessary to write a letter to DeSantis in the first place? A letter about anything? Apparently, the Manatee County Commission is so influential all of a sudden? Seriously, are any other counties in the state of Florida this arrogant?
At first blush, this looks like just another sorry case of political grandstanding, which is nothing new. See: Abortion, James Satcher.
Unfortunately, this is far worse. In fact, it may be the most despicable thing Baugh has done as chair, and that's saying something.
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Remember how proud we all were of “VaccineGate?”That’s where Baugh created a vaccine priority list in her wealthy Lakewood Ranch district that included herself, something that didn’t fly too well considering the commissioners had agreed on a countywide lottery system, a system fair to all residents.
That whole debacle caused a rash of negative headlines nationally, and a rash for DeSantis, who was dragged into something so messy that Nikki Fried, Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture, called on him to suspend Baugh.
But here's where it really gets bad: A complaint was filed earlier in the year against Baugh with the Florida Commission on Ethics alleging that 18 ethics violations were committed. There are no indications from the commission, or any other source, that Baugh's case is no longer active or that these complaints are unfounded.
If her case is indeed still active, and that appears to be so, a final determination should be announced before the end of the year.
The Florida Commission on Ethics, of course, could conclude she did nothing wrong, or it could impose penalties ranging from a small fine to sending their decision to DeSantis, who could remove her from office if he so desired.
To repeat, it is possible DeSantis could remove her from the Manatee County Commission.
Ah, the drafting of this little love letter makes a bit more sense now, doesn't it?
You see, thisletter had nothing to do with the commission's support of DeSantis or your personal freedom. This was a ruse. A sham. And the six commissioners who voted in favor were duped.
No, this was not a letter at all. It was a gushing valentine to the governor of Florida written by an elected official protecting the best interests of herself, and nothing more.
Contact columnist Chris Anderson at chris.anderson@heraldtribune.com. Please support local journalism by purchasing a digital subscription.
