Rick Scott bused Charter USA kids to cheer his budget signing. Democrats forced out.

[madfloridian]

The Democratic party here is still trying to get some answers to how this happened. He is the governor of all of Florida, not just The Villages where the signing was held.

And what kind of lesson is that for young kids to be bused in to cheer that about which they most likely have no clue. That is the purest form of political manipulation. Public schools do not allow their students to do things like this.

From the Orlando Sentinel Blog June 10.

Charter school kids bused to Gov. Scott’s Republican budget signing rally


Picture courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel. Charter kids get day off school for Republican rally?

Who were all of those cheering students at Gov. Rick Scott’s budget signing/Republican political rally in The Villages a couple of weeks ago? Why were they there? How did they get there?

I had been meaning to find out, but what with one thing and another put it off until now. But this story still has legs. The outrage over Sumter County sheriff’s deputies removing Democrats from the event continues, as Scott’s office waffles on whether it was a “private event” financed by the Florida Republican Party as his staff said at the time.

What fascinated me was reports that the students were from charter schools. Now, other public schools have all kinds of policies about not participating in political activities, so I guess this is another one of the freedoms that have been granted to taxpayer-financed charter schools.

..."As it turns out, the kids were from the P.M. Wells and Four Corners charter schools in Osceola County. Both are run by Charter Schools USA, a large charter management firm whose CEO, Jonathan Hage, served on Gov. Scott’s education transition team when Scott took office in January. Scott is a big fan of charter schools and routinely pulls them in for photo opps, although it is uncertain whether as Governor he has ever visited a traditional public school. If he has, the media has not been made aware.

Unfortunately there was no admittance for Democrats. They were asked to leave.


No Democracy for Democrats? Deputies removed them from Scott rally. (Sentinel photos by Joe Burbank.)

Here is more about the effort of Democratic party to get an answer as to why Democrats were not permitted to attend the budget signing.

From WTSP 10 News

Democrats call for investigation into removal of protesters at Gov. Rick Scott's budget signing event


Sheriff's deputies escort protester Lawrence Shipley out of the town square prior to Gov. Rick Scott's bill-signing rally on Thursday, May 26.

Tallahassee, Florida - Florida Democrats are calling for state investigations focusing on why some protesters were removed from Gov. Rick Scott's budget signing event at the Villages last month.

Fifteen Democratic members of the Florida House have sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, urging them to launch the investigations.

They want Atwater, who supervises the state's finances, to see if any tax dollars were misused when the governor's staff directed police officers to remove the protesters before the event.

Democrats, including Rep. Alan Williams, also want Bondi to determine if there were any criminal violations of people's rights.

They will need good luck on the Pam Bondi, Jeff Atwater requests. They are not inclined to cross the governor.

I call that a misleading photo op which manipulates children into cheering something they do not understand.

[QC]

1. I dunno, I think this picture Scott's office just released is kind of touching.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pKXTdtQj64c/SvJoqxGInqI/AAAAAAAABVE/shTFTh1DZtM/s320/mao-poster+children.jpg

[Obamanaut]

2. More ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=1184009

[madfloridian]

3. Thanks, I love seafan's posts. I am glad the Dem party is looking into it.

I was afraid they would not bother.

:hi:

[madrchsod]

4. "...there is no hope..

no reasoning

this rainy day in june.."

[madfloridian]

8. Your words...

Just about the way it feels in Florida right now. :-(

[KingFlorez]

5. Wonder how many coins they were promised for their piggy banks?

Republicans always love to give the illusion of a cult of personality if they can't really have one.

[madfloridian]

6. Scott seems to need to be idolized, even if it is a fake thing.

Guess he thinks it means something.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Prince Potemkin lives on. nt

[Hugabear]

9. He's made the Villages the defacto capital of Florida

Whenever he wants to sign a bill or give a speech that would normally be very unpopular, he jets right on down to the Villages.

[Starry Messenger]

10. The Villages have their own charter schools too, for employees' children.

I find that super-creepy in and of itself. Takes the company store to a whole new level. http://www.tvcs.org/

[madfloridian]

11. Scott's asst said he did not "need to talk to the press." Bad attitude.

"The $69.1 billion budget signing took place in a town square owned by The Villages Community Development District, which functions as the community’s government. The space, however, is leased to The Village’s corporate developer. And in this case, it was subleased by the Republican Party of Florida, said Barbara Vesco, director of entertainment and special events for The Villages.

Scott staffers dressed in dark suits and wearing black ear pieces summoned Sumter County Sheriff’s deputies. They told the deputies that the state budget signing was a private event and that a group of Democrats standing or sitting in the last two rows of the audience must leave.

Deputies went to tell the group to leave. The Democrats mentioned how the event was described as being open to the public in the local newspaper, The Villages Daily Sun. “Well, I don’t read that paper,” the deputy responded.

...The deputies received their instructions from Russ Abrams, a $60,000-a-year special assistant to Scott. When a Herald/Times reporter approached Abrams to ask why some people were being asked to leave, Abrams said: The budget signing was “a private event.” When asked more questions, Abrams said: “I don’t need to talk to the press,” and then, “I don’t have anything to say.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/27/2239282/scotts-office-denies-removing.html#ixzz1OynaJsVK

[radhika]

17. The police are on board with Scott...

In WI, it was critical that the police/fire unions backed the protesters. I don't see that happening in FL - and this wasn't even a protest. It was posted as a public event, a bill signing ceremony.

[madfloridian]

19. Surprisingly I was reading somewhere that law enforcement unions...

were backing off from him. I will see if I can find the article.

[QC]

12. Kinda reminds me of this....

[formercia]

25. Or this:

[JAnthony]

26. Both of the above... thanks for those!

[titaniumsalute]

13. I can hear that Rick Scott phone call to his PR person

Rick: "Hey this is Rick. I need a bunch of kids delivered to my budget signing at the Villages. Kids don't know I'm an asshole yet."

PR Person: "That's a great idea Rick. How about some dark ones so you look like you're liked by everyone."

Rick: "Solid! let's do it.'

[madfloridian]

14. It really could have gone just about that way.

:)

[Turbineguy]

15. Repubs are good at imagery and

faking it. And since that seems to be so easy in the U.S. they are successful.

[radhika]

16. I feel for FL Progressives - it'll be a rough 4 years n/t

[Rex]

18. Well, when you elected a known criminal don't get surprised

by their actions! I honsetly don't think Florida can get any more fucked! Then again I said the same thing after Jeb fucked over Florida and was wrong...

[Initech]

20. Is this... What country is this????

[sulphurdunn]

21. I got a kick out of the sign

LESS WASTE MORE EDUCATION. Since Gov. Felon has gutted the education budget, I guess this means that money is waste, so if you cut the money out of education you get more of it!

[toddwv]

22. But this isn't indoctrination...

nope.

[craigmatic]

23. Fuck charter schools just another step in the direction of repigs privatizing education and getting

rid of the teacher unions.

[russspeakeasy]

24. With the crook Scott as gov, it's going to be a long 3 1/2 years.

[MikeMc]

27. An AFT or NEA member might use this as a teachable moment

To discuss the concept of 'Potempkin Village' with the young Americans who are students.