Leon County Indivisible
Activism for Busy People
President Donald Trump wants to eliminate voting by mail throughout the country, but Gov. Ron DeSantis doesn’t think he means it, at least for Florida. Trump has repeatedly railed against the practice – even though he has voted by mail himself in the past.
Yet even in 2020, when he cast a mail ballot in the Florida’s Republican primary, he noted the Sunshine State’s handling of mail ballots was an exception to his usual aversion to the voting method.
George Conway warned that President Trump might never leave the White House if he had complete control of the city’s police force and National Guard. “Some people were saying that what they’re doing in D.C. is going to be a model for other cities. But I think they’re just cutting straight to the chase, because if you want to have a coup against the constitutional order, you want to control the capital city, and if he has control of the policing in the city of Washington, you know, there’s no —how do you stop him?”
“Who’s gonna tell him to leave the White House?”
This 31st annual Institute for Policy Studies Executive Excess report takes an in-depth look at the 100 S&P 500 corporations with the lowest median worker pay, a group dubbed the […]
n the predawn hours Thursday, the Florida Department of Transportation sent crews to Orlando’s Pulse nightclub memorial and quietly erased one of its most visible tributes: the rainbow crosswalk that had stretched across West Esther Street since 2017. By sunrise, the vibrant symbol of resilience had been replaced with the stark black-and-white lines of a standard crossing. Protests over the latest effort by the DeSantis administration to erase the LBGTQ+ community began almost immediately after the repainting was discovered. Orlando residents showed up with chalk and a message for DeSantis – “We will not be erased!”
DeSantis plans to open a second detention camp, which will be located at the Baker Correctional Institution. ICE Air will operate from the Lake City Gateway Airport, about 13 miles from the new camp. For the record, both locations are within easy driving distance of Leon County. It is highly probable (though this is speculation on your editor’s part….) that people currently held at the Everglades Detention Center will be moved either to this new camp or to Krome Detention Center in Miami, prior to being removed via ICE Air (see our article about Avelo Airlines, which operates ICE flights from several Florida airports). Note that this lawsuit hinged on environmental protections for the Everglades, NOT on due process for the people being held in the camp under horrific conditions. Expect the deplorable treatment of our fellow human beings at the hands of Florida fascists to continue at the new facility.
Editor’s Note: The stocks that comprise the “Magnificent 7” – Google (Alphabet), Microsoft, Amazon, Open AI, Meta, Tesla, Apple – comprise 35% of the stock market. All have made hugely […]
The Proton Guide to Privacy at Protests walks you through the steps you need to take to protect yourself while protesting.
Tallahassee city commissioners voted unanimously to take a hard look at the 287(g) illegal immigration assistance agreement between the Tallahassee Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The “informational item” – championed by Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who recently announced his mayor campaign – would look into current litigation in South Miami that questions whether Florida cities and towns are required to enter immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. City staff would also consider the ramifications of Tallahassee piggybacking onto the lawsuit.
But there was deep concern from Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson over potential retaliation from Governor Ron DeSantis, who has ousted public officials who he says are thwarting Florida law.
Faith traditions call us to welcome the stranger, protect the vulnerable, and love our neighbors. In the face of renewed ICE enforcement actions and immigration raids, we must be ready to act swiftly, courageously, and in solidarity. This action plan equips faith communities to respond immediately and meaningfully when immigration enforcement threatens the well-being of undocumented individuals and families in our communities.
Scott Bessent, Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary, let the cat out of the bag when he said that their new “Trump Accounts” are intended as a backdoor way to privatize Social Security. Their idea is to get people to put money in these accounts beyond the $1,000 the government will give each newborn, so that they will be able to phase out or scrap Social Security. Your “Trump Account” will serve as a replacement. You would be charged thousands of dollars per year to manage these ‘Trump Accounts”, making you poorer and Wall Street richer.
Energy costs are already rising in Florida, with a $1 billion rate increase on the way for Florida Power and Light customers. Florida currently houses 128 data centers, with 4 in Leon County. Not only do data centers drive up energy costs, but they are rapacious users of water that would otherwise be destined for homes and business. In a recent opinion piece, Buddy Rizer, executive director of the Loudoun County Economic Development Department in northern Virginia, discusses his plan to speak with the Florida Public Service Commission about expanding the number of data centers in Florida under the guise of ‘economic opportunity”. Not only do data centers place pressure on the grid, causing electric bills to rise for everyone, they generate inordinate amounts of noise 24 hours a day, consume massive amounts of water, and increase pollution. Many other states – including Rizer’s own state of Virginia, have discovered that data centers are terrible neighbors. Keep an eye on this issue.
The Trump administration is deploying ICE deep into the hearts of our communities in an effort to spread fear among immigrants. In many places across the country, immigrant families – even citizens – are terrified to go to work, to do their shopping, to go about their lives for fear they may be rounded up by unaccountable masked men. We’re asking Indivisibles to engage in visible non-cooperation with ICE’s raids on businesses and workplaces. Participants will disrupt Trump’s terror raids by visiting local businesses, speaking to the owners/managers, and distributing signs of solidarity.