A couple of weeks ago I posted a little something about Ward Connerly's travails in Florida. It seemed at the time that he ws going to leave here and go to Nebraska, Maine (or vermont, can't remember) or Arizona for his next campaign. He has since decided to stay. He hopes to get something on the ballot in 2000. Sen. Bob Graham (D) says, "What Floridians want is the politics of moderation, the politics of opportunity for all our people. We don't need somebody from California to come in here and tell us how to do ou business." Connorly, in an amazing rhetorical move, compared FL's affirmative action policy with the death of the guy who was dragged to death behind the truck in TX. ""When a man is tied to the back of a pickup truck and dragged to death simply because he is black that is your business. When someone is denied an opportunity to go to college because of the color of their skin...it's your business."
He wants to use the same language he used on the other ballot initiatives but that might not fly--FL law allows only a single subject per ballot initiative. It might have to be broken up into several amendments. The only FL group backing him at the moment is the Associated General Contractors Council so its not clear where the money is coming from.
It looks like our gov. Jeb! who kept yammering on about Blacks and diversity and opportunity and bla bla bla is tacitly supporing Connerly. When Connerly was here Jeb! said the campaign was divisive and he wouldn't support it. Now he's saying "we have a process for referendums and initiatives. I'm going to wait and see if what's been talked about on paper turns into reality...I'll have a comment on that if there's something to comment on." He also said his staff is looking at FL affirmative action policy. With a repub gov and legislature, this state is pretty much fucked. They're pushing through a lot of ugly policy which I'll write a bit abut in a day or two.
frances