Congressman Soto, Kissimmee Commissioner Eady Discussed Housing Crisis, Need for Presidential Leadership to Handle Unemployment Crisis
On the second day of the Republican National Convention, Congressman Darren Soto and Kissimmee City Commissioner Angela Eady discussed the housing crisis in Central Florida and the need for President Trump to provide more assistance to the renters facing eviction as the unemployment crisis rages in Osceola County.
Access to affordable housing has long been an issue in Central Florida, and the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated this crisis. As Floridians, especially those in Osceola county, continue to face high levels of unemployment, Donald Trump simply isn’t helping. Under his chaotic leadership, he allowed the eviction moratorium to expire and refused to negotiate the HEROES Act.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CALL
Congressman Darren Soto – WATCH HERE
“As the Republicans are holding their national convention, we see for many of Florida’s families [that] rent is past due, the mortgage hasn’t been paid, bills are piling up and the pandemic seems to have no end in sight. In Central Florida, we need a hero, but lately we have found only a villain in president Trump. It’s been over 100 days since the House Democrats passed the HEROES Act.”
[…] “We pass this bill and we save Florida’s families from being thrown out in the streets, including many Hispanic and African American families that have been hardest hit during the coronavirus pandemic… So what is Trump waiting for? Golfing, self-gratifying speeches, and dithering won’t cut it. Neither will tweeting divisive nonsense every day, nor will the unworkable, do-nothing executive orders — those are not working…most of the executive orders related to housing don’t work for Florida — we don’t have as much public housing, we need housing assistance for folks facing foreclosure and evictions in private residences and apartment buildings as well.
“House Democrats have already met the president half way…and he’s refused to compromise.”
[…] “This is the last major leadership test before the general election and Donald Trump has once again failed to rise to the occasion to the detriment of millions of Florida’s families. Joe Biden will unite the country in leadership and action.”
Kissimmee City Commissioner Angela Eady – LISTEN HERE
“We as the city of Kissimmee have provided assistance to our local residents with… rental payments as well as mortgage payments, but we need more. We need more. And in order to get that, we need Vice President to be our president, to help us recover from this horrific pandemic that we are experiencing. It is not going to get any better as far as providing assistance unless we elect [Vice] President Joe Biden to be our president, to guide us, to give correct and accurate directions to our governor on how to provide assistance [to] the residents here.
“We need assistance and we need it now. We have people that are living in hotels…the hotel is not set up for a permanent residence for a citizen. We need affordable housing.”
Jeanette Nuñez: “Never Trumper” to MAGA lackey speaking on behalf of “biggest con-man there is”
In 2016, Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez tweeted that Donald Trump was the “biggest con-man there is” and accused him of being a supporter of the Ku Klux Klan. Instead of being “#NeverTrump,” as she claimed in 2016, she’s now fully backing the president she once accused of supporting white supremacy.
When asked in 2018, Nuñez didn’t take back what she wrote about Donald Trump, saying, “it is what it is.” Strikingly, that phrase is exactly what President Trump said about 1,000 Americans dying each day during the coronavirus pandemic. Nuñez apparently dropped her accusations that he supports white supremacists after he passed the tax scam —when asked if she believes he is “now credible” after criticizing him two years prior she responded, “I think he’s done a lot of good policies that have helped Floridians, starting with the tax cut and on other issues.”
“Donald Trump certainly hasn’t changed since Nuñez tweeted her criticism — he continues to sow division, lie to the American people, and traffic in hate,” said FDP spokeswoman Frances Swanson. “While it’s clear Republican leadership has settled for chaos and incompetence, the American people don’t have to.”
Tampa Bay Times: Jeanette Nuñez, DeSantis lieutenant governor pick, deleted tweet calling Trump ‘con-man,’ KKK supporter
“Her past harsh criticism of Trump is notable because DeSantis won the nomination largely on the endorsement of the president. In fact, DeSantis frequently accused his Republican rival, Adam Putnam, of not being a supporter of Trump.”
Tampa Bay Times: Jeanette Nuñez called Trump anti-Israel. That’s exactly what DeSantis called Gillum
“But now it’s DeSantis’ running mate, Jeanette Nuñez, a state representative with valuable ties to Cuban-American voters in Miami, who is being asked to reckon with critical comments she made against Trump in 2016, including charges that he supported white supremacy and was ‘”anti-Israel.’”
News Press: GOP’s DeSantis runs for Florida governor with Trump, but his running mate slammed president
“I was not an early Donald Trump supporter,” she said in an interview with CBS’s Facing South Florida in Miami in 2016 before the GOP convention. “In all honesty, he wasn’t my pick. He wasn’t, probably, my second or third choice.”
Florida Democratic Party Statement on Congressman Brian Mast’s Comments
Yesterday, the Sun Sentinel revealed deeply disturbing comments from old Facebook posts where Congressman Brian Mast and his Campaign Manager Rocco LeDonni “joked” about rape, murder, and having sex with 15-year-old girls.
These comments included Mast saying “im so proud of you…i hope you hook up with at least fifteen 15 year olds over there…its legel there right.”
Mast also replied to a post LeDonni made about picking up women and said, “how about don’t turn this rape into a murder.”
Statement from FDP Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo:
“Congressman Mast’s comments clearly indicate that he is grossly unfit to represent South Florida. Republican Party of Florida Chairman Joe Gruters must immediately denounce Congressman Mast’s violent comments about underage girls. Further, the Republican Party must act swiftly and wholeheartedly to condemn these comments by taking immediate action against the Congressman. We can not allow this type of behavior from those who represent us. I can’t believe I have to say this, but promoting rape and sexual violence, especially against children is abhorrent and those who do it are not fit for office.”
Florida Leaders, Analysts Call Out Pam Bondi for Lies and Hypocrisy after RNC Speech
On Tuesday, Florida leaders and journalists across the country highlighted the hypocritical, misleading, and downright-false attacks by Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi following her Tuesday night speech at the Republican National Convention.
- “The line of attack was noteworthy not only because of her allegations that self-dealing fueled Biden’s family’s activities in Ukraine and China, but because of the man she was making the case for: President Donald Trump.
- “President Donald Trump counts two family members, daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner as top White House advisors. His campaign has paid his family business at least $2.3 million.”
- “Democrats, meanwhile, questioned Bondi’s own ethics in counter-messaging her remarks. And left-leaning commentators cavilled about not getting a copy of Bondi’s speech in advance.
- “Bondi is a lobbyist who, when she was Attorney General of Florida, accepted $25K from Donald Trump before deciding not to investigate Trump University on behalf of the Floridians who were scammed’ razzed the liberal American Bridge group.”
- “Pam Bondi was supposed to prosecute an airtight case against former vice president Joe Biden. Instead, she merely rehashed long-debunked assertions that President Trump’s team made during his impeachment trial and reintroduced a number of other problems for Trump that were otherwise lying dormant.”
- “Least Self-Aware: Pam Bondi”
- “Bondi’s speech was the first sustained Hunter-related attack of the GOP convention. But it also raised the ghosts of the alleged wrongdoing that led to Trump’s impeachment in the first place: trying to get dirt on Biden at the expense of U.S. foreign policy interests.”
- “At least one speaker [Pam Bondi] at Republican National Convention said she was horrified by the corrosive effects of nepotism. Then Tiffany Trump took to the mic.
- […] When you’ve programmed back-to-back Trumps praising their father, going after nepotism doesn’t exactly land a blow.”
State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith:
NBC News’ Howard Fineman:
Joy Ann Reid on MSNBC:
NPR’s Domenico Montanaro:
Time Magazine’s Charlotte Alter:
The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay:
Huffington Post’s S.V. Date:
MSNBC’s Kyle Griffin:
PBS News Hour’s Yamiche Alcindor:
Florida Democratic Party | 201 South Monroe Street, Suite 300, Tallahassee, FL 32301
