Highlighted issues in Florida.
Artimese Bryant | The FAMUAN
Now with Ron DeSantis and Jeanette Nunez have been declared as Florida’s new Governor and Lieutenant Governor, what will become of Florida in the near future under their leadership?
One of the many promises DeSantis made during his campaign was to boost classroom spending for students and teachers and retain Florida’s status as having the second lowest college tuition in the country.
“To maximize Florida taxpayers’ investment in our students, Ron DeSantis will implement the 80 percent Classroom Spending Plan, which ensures that 80 percent of public K-12 education spending goes directly into the classroom,” boasted DeSantis’ campaign website. “This will cut bureaucratic waste and administrative inefficiency and ensure that money is being spent where it matters most.
“Florida now boasts five of the top 100 public universities in the country, including one in the top 10. We have the second best 2-year college graduation rate in the country and the 8th best 4-year college graduation rate in the country – while maintaining the second lowest tuition in the country and 6th lowest percent of students with debt at graduation.”
DeSantis’ stance on immigration became an influential subject of his campaign, and helped him win the approval of President Donald Trump. He wants to halt illegal immigration along with not allowing any “sanctuary cities” in Florida, and he wants to “enact E-verify to ensure a legal workforce and higher wages for Floridians.”
“Ron is strong on borders, tough on crime and big on cutting taxes,” Trump tweeted. “(Ron DeSantis) loves our military and our vets. He will be a great Governor and has my full endorsement!”
Protecting the environment and cutting taxes were also important topics for the Harvard Law grad.
DeSantis wants to restore the Everglades and stop toxic algae discharges. Red tide and algae clogged water have been problems for some Floridians, if the Governor elect can accomplish his goals it could mean clean water for a lot of people.
As far as his stance on the economy, according to his official campaign website, DeSantis strongly feels that keeping taxes low will encourage Floridians to spend their money and help the economy.
“Ron DeSantis is committed to putting more money back into the pockets of Floridians because he knows they can spend their money better than government,” states the site. “During the last eight years, Florida has consistently cut taxes and fees. In doing so, the state has seen tremendous economic growth and created more than 1.6 million new jobs.
“As Governor, Ron DeSantis will ensure we never become a high tax state hurtling towards bankruptcy like states that continue to spend on the backs of their citizens.”
While the promises DeSantis made during his campaign have been undeniably alluring to his supporters, during a debate in October, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum warned that Florida’s new leader might have questionable character.
“My opponent, endorsed by (Trump), has run this race very, very close to the Trump handbook, where we call each other names, where we run false advertisements,” he said during the debate.
“My grandmother used to say, ‘A hit dog will holler,’ and it hollered through this room. I’m not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist. I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.”
It is unclear whether DeSantis will be able to keep all of his campaign promises, as the US House of Representatives flipped to a Democratic majority during after the midterm elections. If DeSantis can accomplish his goals though, Florida’s future could be bright.