REPUBLIC OR DICTATORSHIP?

An Opinion By Jan Bergemann 
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.

Published March 1, 2011

  

Have you ever wondered why our legislators in Tallahassee spew out so many useless bills and create laws that really do serious damage to the people who elected them? 
  
The answer to this important question is relatively easy to find: Florida is no longer a Republic as guaranteed by Article IV of the Constitution of the United States, but a Republic in the style of Ancient Rome, where two almighty rulers (like dictators) have outrageous powers.

Hundreds of years ago James Madison compared the republic to democracy, and found democracy in the United States "wanting." But what we see now is much worse than what James Madison ever could have imagined.

   

If your knowledge of ancient history needs some refreshing, here is a short reminder: During the time of the Roman Republic two (2) consuls were the head of the government. Consuls had supreme power in civil matters. Consuls were the head of the Roman government. They presided over the Senate and the Assembly. The consuls’ authority was nearly absolute.

  

And please don't forget: Ancient Rome destroyed itself -- from the inside out -- it was destroyed by power-hungry and greedy rulers! The enemies from outside the empire had easy pickings -- there was little left to defend the once great Roman Empire.

  

Here in Florida these two almighty dictators (consuls) are called Speaker of the House and Senate President; but their power is as absolute as that of the two consuls that ruled Rome.

  

I have said it for many years: Despite the fact that we elect 120 House Representatives and 40 Senators, we are actually not electing the ones who actually hold the power. Speaker of the House and Senate President are actually elected by their peers -- and they don't elect them because they are especially smart and/or knowledgeable.  Their motive for electing them is simple: They are the ones the other legislators from the same party figure to have the best connections to raise funds. For us -- the citizens -- it means that people are elected who are deepest in the pockets of special interest.

   

This year's Senate President is Mike Haridopolos. He is a history professor by trade, so he should be very familiar with the fate of Ancient Rome and the reasons for its downfall. His actual qualification to be Senate President: He is a great fundraiser and "bought" the seats for some of his YEA-sayers in the Senate. As to smarts: Haridopolos wasn't even able to accurately disclose his finances on a simple Financial Disclosure Form.  "Innocent mistake," -- or so he says.

[Florida Senate chief Haridopolos admonished in ethics case]

  

I have described before how the deals in Tallahassee behind closed doors really work. Arm-twisting and in my opinion plain blackmail are used to push bills supported by special interest and kill citizen-friendly bills. From killing the bills of the legislators being blackmailed to taking away committee seats, no trick is too dirty to use by leadership to force legislators to follow "orders."

  

In an article published last weekend, Mary Ellen Klas described in detail the dictatorial powers used by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President. She covers state politics for the Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau for many years and is most likely one of the reporters with the best insight of what's going on in Tallahassee behind closed doors.

[Two lawmakers dominate Tallahassee]

   

Klas tells it like it is -- and a few legislators absolutely agree, daring to break a taboo that many of the folks holding the power in Tallahassee don't want to be aired in public. Read the testimony of some of the still-legislators and ex-legislators. Senator Paula Dockery, a Lakeland Republican, will most likely end up with her office being in a broom closet, if she dares to tell it like it is! Haridopolos' vengeance has a long reach.

   

Haridopolos admits in the article that he might be heavy-handed -- I plainly call it dictatorial. The way our government in Tallahassee is being run is much closer to being a DICTATORSHIP than a Republic or a Democracy. 

  

What happened to "The Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave"?  The Founding Fathers of the United States would turn in their graves if they knew what happens in Tallahassee. I really don't think that is what they fought and died for!

  

If U.S. citizens -- especially the voters -- don't wake up really fast and change the way we are going, the once almighty United States Of America will end up the same way as Ancient Rome: 

DESTROYED BY GREED AND POWER HUNGER.


Two lawmakers dominate Tallahassee


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