This is what leadership looks like.
On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke in that state’s Manatee County and described three actions he was taking in the wake of Hurricane Helene and the ongoing longshoreman’s strike.
He listed three executive actions.
The first was on lifting time restrictions on rentals, so residents who need a place to stay while they recover their homes are not limited, for instance, to 30-day periods.
The governor also authorized supervisors of elections in the hardest-hit counties, including Taylor and Manatee, to make appropriate accommodations so people are still able to vote, like how they were after Hurricane Ian.
Then, DeSantis said it was “unacceptable” for the dockworkers’ strike across the East and Gulf coasts to affect residents who need supplies to rebuild homes and businesses.
“At my direction the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected to maintain order, and if possible, resume operations that would otherwise be shut down during this interruption,” the governor said.
Internet wags have already responded to Governor DeSantis’ remarks on the port operations, in a bit of apparent wishful thinking. (WARNING: Implied harsh language)
DeSantis is about to f*** this guy up. pic.twitter.com/6XPLb2S3Lk
— Florida Dad (@FloridadadD) October 3, 2024
Humor aside, Ron DeSantis’ actions are in stark contrast to the Harris/Biden administration’s half-measures and delayed reactions.
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Governor DeSantis did point out that the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be ordered to open ports, where possible, although it’s unclear how this will work. He described other measures, such as the suspension of tolls, intended to make the flow of goods through the state more efficient.
At my direction, the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected by the strike to maintain order and, where possible, resume operations.
It is unacceptable for the Biden-Harris administration to allow supply chain interruptions… pic.twitter.com/KfzVbBgI10
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 3, 2024
It is unacceptable for the Biden-Harris administration to allow supply chain interruptions to hurt people who are reeling from a category 4 hurricane.
Meanwhile, the Harris/Biden administration is promising $750 to each of the storm victims. That’s a tiny fraction of what the federal government is handing out to illegal aliens. It’s not even a spit in the wind compared to what we’ve dumped into Ukraine.
This is what leadership is all about. Action. Governor DeSantis didn’t consult political advisors, he didn’t look at the current polling, and he didn’t wet a finger and stick it in the air to see which way the wind was blowing. His actions will help people affected by the storm; these executive actions will help people in the affected areas in Florida to vote, they will help the people suffering from storm damage to get the goods and services they need to begin to recover, and if there is a way that the ports can be opened, that will help not just in the storm-damaged areas of Florida but everywhere in the path of Hurricane Helene – and elsewhere.
On Tuesday night, at the vice presidential debate, we saw one young Republican who is a promising up-and-comer. On Thursday, in Manatee County, Florida, we saw another.
