Florida House Democrat puts heat on Republicans to find money for Haiti
by Michael C. Bender | January 13th, 2010UPDATE: From Rep. Adam Hasner’s House Majority Office via Twitter: Unbelievable. Incomprehensible tragedy and FL Dem Ron Saunders plays politics with Haiti earthquake. Zero class.
Saunders
“They know where all the secret stashes are,” Saunders said. “I used to know where they were when I was budget chairman.”
Saunders, who hopes he can lead House Democrats to overcome a 76-44 disadvantage to Republicans this year, said he wasn’t playing politics with the tragedy unfolding in Haiti. “If I wanted to play politics, I’d say we should use the $6 million Republicans misspent on an airplane hanger,” Saunders said. “But I’m not going to bring that up.”
House budget chairman David Rivera, R-Miami, responded: “The speaker is looking at options to assist the victims of the disaster in Haiti.”
The earthquake in Haiti has hit home for a number of South Florida state lawmakers, including Rep. Mack Bernard, D-West Palm Beach, who was born in Port-au-Prince and lived there until he was 10 and moved to Delray Beach.
“Not just my family, but a lot of other people are on my mind right now,” Bernard said.
Bernard
“I received calls from people last night saying they felt like this was the end of the world for them,” Bernard said.
Bernard said a deal has been worked out with the Port of Palm Beach to take the items to Haiti. Bernard was part of a similar effort with the port after hurricanes struck Haiti in 2008, he said.
“Haiti is our 68th county,” Sachs said. “We are inextricably tied to Haiti as the state of Florida and we will not forget them in this greatest hour of need.”
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist was scheduled to visit the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center this morning to monitor the disaster.
Tags: disaster, earthquake, Haiti, Mack Bernard, Maria Sachs, Ron Saunders
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January 13th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Please remind the democrats currently in Florida that Florida is NOT solely responsible for Haiti, like California and Texas aren’t solely responsible for Mexico.
There is help for Haiti on the other side of the mountains. Haiti is not isolated. They SHARE the island with the Dominican Republic.
Has unemployment decreased in Florida?
Have Foreclosure problems ended in Florida?
Is there money to spare in Florida?
Does everyone have jobs?
Can you afford to pay more taxes for more people seeking to immigrate to a struggling country with a faltering economy?
The State has economic problems and can not afford to be an open-armed state.
We have NO money. Our children will be in debt for generations! Counties are TAXING the public left and right with FEES and increased TAXES and this goofball wants Floridians to dig deeper into their empty pockets!
THE USA sent $20 MILLION to Haiti prior to this earthquake. And MILLIONS prior to that.
Let the Dominican Republic house the unfortunate, the USA (not Florida) can help to rebuild Haiti. This could be an opportunity to re-establish the country.
Don’t forget…over the mountains is the Dominican Republic. They can help Haitians.
Wasserman Schultz and other democrats seek to initiate another boatload of immigrants to Florida.
Vote OUT democrats. They seek to strip you of your health, wages and swamp our state.
Vote to oust democrats.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
I think Ron Saunders is an idiot for wanting to waste Florida taxpayers money. I am all for supporting Haiti during this tragic event and recovery. However, I expect that the United Sates government will provide the financial relief to help (and we Floridians send our tax dollars to the Federal government to do spend for such international support. I truly hope Floridians “donate” goods, services and money to help, but I don’t think the State of Florida has a role.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Maria Sachs wants to make Haiti a county of Florida!!!!
Don’t vote for her. She’ll bankrupt our state further.
Out with demoncrats. It is THAT political group that is diluting this great nation. They have stripped us.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
What is Israel doing to help Haiti?
January 13th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Why don’t you stroke a check yourself, Ron?
January 13th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
How about this for the Democrats: Stop spending our hard-earned money that is not for your frivolous personal agendas/use.
As for Haiti, I feel sorry for them…in any tragic event such as this, it’s monumentally sad. I’m sure the global community will try to help the best they can. But, I agree with most of these posts…Democrats haven’t been willing to budge on anything so it’s on your hands to help out, stop ridiculing the Republicans for every little thing that doesn’t go your way. So childish, really. Grow up!!
January 13th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
It’s not a right to help people, it something you have to earn. I fear as Americas we have not worked hard enough to earn the right to help everyone who needs it. I wish the people who step in front of us all to lead. Would consider that keeping American strong is the best way to help the rest of the world. If we keep diluting our nations wealth, in the future we will not be able to give aid to even our own people. Just look back at Katrina! We cannot sometimes do as we should, sometimes we can only do what we can
January 14th, 2010 at 7:10 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SayfieReview.com, PostOnPolitics.com and Nina Hayden, FL GOP Majority. FL GOP Majority said: Unbelievable. Incomprehensible tragedy and FL Dem Ron Saunders plays politics with Haiti earthquake. Zero class. http://bit.ly/7G9QYp [...]
January 14th, 2010 at 10:24 am
[...] Florida House Democrat puts heat on Republicans to find money for … [...]
January 14th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Republicans thinking about themselves, wow what a suprise!!!
January 14th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Why don’t the repugs just admit they dont care about the blacks in Haiti.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
WE HAVE AMERICANS WHO HAVE NO JOBSSSSSSSSSSS….I DONT CARE ABOUT HAITI…EVERY WEEK I SEE PPL AT WORK GETTING LAID OFF AND SELLING THEIR HOUSES…HAITI IS A JOKE OF A COUNTRY AND THE DEMOCRATS WILL MAKE IT THAT WAY HERE…AND STOP BLAMING BUSH!!! UNLIKE THE FIRST LADY OF THE US HE WAS AND IS PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN…INDEPENDENT OHIO
January 14th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
AND TO THE LAST COMMENT..I DONT CARE ABOUT THE BLACKS IN HAITI..I ONLY CARE ABOUT THE BLACKS IN THE USA..THEY DONT PAY MY BILLS, SEND MY KIDS TO COLLEGE, OR ANYTHING
January 15th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
four years ago, my family was a 2 income family one child. today we are a 1 income family with two children, the youngest 11 months and severly disabled, and i am 6 months pregnant with twins. it has been a confusing and rough 2 years for me, with its good points along the way, not many but a few. even though money is a major concern for me, and my bank account has been overdrawn more times then i would like to remember within the past year, i am elated that i can help out by donating a few dollars to the red cross. why you ask, because i know in my heart that excluding the worst case scenario and me losing my a child, God forbid, my worst day wont be as bad as what many of these people had to endure for many years prior to the earthquake. living in america almost guarantees that at the very least i will have somewhere to live and something to eat. i read an article about a year ago that said some people had to eat a mixture of mud and sugar. i have lost a lot of possession and wealth in the past few years, and it does not seem like it will be the way it use to be prior to me being laid off. however, once i got over the initial shock and the dust settled, i thanked God that i was born in America. the safety nets in place is also part of what makes this country so great, not just that you can say anything you want. i am all for this country helping out other nations. at frost i use to stay awake crying worrying what will i do, now i stay awake counting my blessings in disbelief that as bad as things are, they worked out so unbelievably well. i hope and pray to God that at the very least this earthquake will be a clean slate for Haiti and the will mimic our system. it is in everyone’s best interest. Thank God for America, we are not without our flaws, but lord knows how much worse things could be. i have to say it again, Thank God!!!!!!!!!