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For a complete list of Miami Herald recommendations for the November 6 general election, click here.
Andrew Gillum is the best candidate to bring Florida back to the center, to ensure that the middle class and the working class do not continue to bear the brunt of Tallahassee's misguided spending; again to act on behalf of the Floridians to whom the present administration has refused health insurance; return to highlight public schools, which serve the majority of children in the state; become a leader in the fight against rising sea levels and environmental degradation.
The tenacity, political intelligence and commitment to public service that propelled this mayor of Tallahassee to victory among the most popular candidates of the Democratic primary of August speak a lot. We believe that each quality will be useful to him because he will probably face and negotiate with a legislature dominated by the Republicans. These legislators used to line up behind a governor whose often biased sense of public service was too often his own.
Floridians can not expect more from the same if Gillum's Republican opponent, Ron DeSantis, settles in the governor's residence. It would not be good for Florida or the people who call it at home.
It is unlikely that in a race where problems must be at the center of attention, DeSantis and his substitutes have attempted to portray Gillum as a socialist, extremist and anti-Semite. Gillum is nothing of all that. Although he has received the support of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a so-called "democratic socialist," Gillum has categorically and ethically rejected the etiquette. Indeed, his approach is not close to a public property platform by the government.
DeSantis uses exhausted fear tactics to win votes. However, voters should really be alarmed by DeSantis' close proximity to supporters and contributors who made racist comments, especially during the candidate's appearance. His lukewarm repudiation does not convince us that he would be the governor of all Floridians. This is something voters themselves should reject. Gillum has led a comprehensive, optimistic and engaging campaign across the state, another quality that speaks well of the head of state he would be.
In terms of the most important issues for Floridians, Gillum and DeSantis offer Floridians a distinct choice.
Gillum would work with the legislature to develop Medicaid. There are at least 400,000 Floridians who do not have health insurance. Even then, local taxpayers still subsidize uninsured people by paying for the most expensive care – provided in emergency rooms, where these patients get sicker as much as possible. By providing coverage, Florida would reduce the burden on local taxpayers by providing them with less costly preventative care.
DeSantis opposes the expansion of Medicaid and, in Congress, voted – again and again – to repeal the Affordable Care Act, particularly with respect to pre-existing conditions. It would have hit the people of Florida hard. Now, DeSantis wants to run a state that directs all other ACA members. The Commonwealth Fund ranked Florida 48th for access to quality care. This is such a pressing problem that many Republicans are trying to backtrack, unconvincingly, despite their fierce opposition to maintaining coverage of pre-existing conditions and other popular elements of the CAA.
Gillum would lobby for more funding for traditional public schools. The Scott administration escaped them, with charter schools getting a bigger and bigger share of the education budget.
Traditional public schools and their students would not prosper under a DeSantis administration. Like the Republicans in the Legislative Assembly, he would continue channeling funds to charter schools. We think that charters add to the range of school choices because parents are looking for the best way to educate their children. However, these for-profit entities received favorable treatment from the Legislative Assembly at the expense of students attending many traditional public schools. Gillum could change that.
Gillum understands the urgency of tackling sea-level rise and other environmental challenges. And it is heartening to see DeSantis oppose fracking and support the construction of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee. This decision, along with his decision to reject donations from the sugar industry, earned him the endorsement of the Everglades Trust. But he is less intent on banning offshore drilling and his Congressional votes belittle his "green" candidate status. It co-sponsored a bill that would prevent federal control of waterways and advocated for the reduction of both funding and projects under the Environmental Protection Agency.
While DeSantis did not do much to distance himself from his racist supporters, Gillum opened an FBI investigation on Tallahassee City Hall, thus darkening his campaign. DeSantis exceeded expectations by calling Gillum corrupt, deliberately ignoring Gillum himself not being the target of the investigation.
After eight years of misplaced priorities, it is time to turn the clock back to a Florida that works for more of us, which builds on its prosperity and does not waste its more valuable resources, be they fiscal, environmental or human.
The Miami Herald recommends ANDREW GILLUM for the governor of Florida.
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