Bummed as I was when Ron DeSantis bowed gracefully out of the presidential scrum, it was nice to have arguably the finest chief executive in fifty states back home in Florida running things full-time.
He hasn't taken a breather to recuperate from the campaigning either, plunging right back into the business of keeping FL humming along.
The legislation he announced support for today, though, is kind of funny in its own right if you think about it in a national context. It's a shot sent squarely across the bow of California's soft-on-crime, unctuous Randall Flagg clone, Gavin Newsom.
FL state Rep Bob Rommel (R-Naples) - originally a New York native who won't go back because of the crime - has introduced a bill hiking penalties for retail theft. And not only does it target these retail gangs hitting stores in swarms, but porch pirates are also included by substantially lowering the threshold for felony chargeable thefts.
Start saving those Ring videos of the bums making off with your goods.
...The bill would make it a third degree felony for an individual who joins five or more people in retail theft, a second degree if the same group encourages others to join in through social media, and a first degree felony for any repeat offenders who have already been convicted of the same crime within a one year time period.
And the punishment for criminals who steal delivery packages from private properties will be a felony if the package is valued at or above $40. Currently, the law enforces punishments of a felony if the product is valued at $100 or above.
They've already got the companion bill working in the FL Senate.
De Santis was unambiguous in his praise for the proposed legislation and with his warnings for retail criminals.
BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis announces support for legislation by Rep. @Bob_Rommel to crack down on retail thieves, hike criminal penalties
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 13, 2024
"If you do it [steal] and get caught, you go back to the well again. They should drop the hammer on you!" pic.twitter.com/F4kHnxpk0y
"...Part of it is to make sure the penalties are severe enough to deter people from doing this into the future. And right now we have a situation in Florida where you only get a felony if you do five different retail thefts within a forty-five day period. Well, excuse me. Ah, I mean, you shouldn't do it at all, but if you do it and get caught, you go back to the well again, they should drop the hammer on you...And you should not have to get five thefts to make a felony..."
As opposed to Gov Oleaginous, whose carefully powered nose was severely knocked out of joint when, after watching a shoplfter casually leave with merchandise at a Target and asking the checkout clerk why they didn't do something to stop them, was told, "Ask the governor. It's his policies allowing this."
So, California Governor Gavin Newsom goes into a Target store and watches a shoplifter steal merchandise. Then he is shocked when the store clerk says it's because his policies allow it. Gavin is now the new male Karen. Wake up California. pic.twitter.com/xwErBRIehA
— Richard Becker (@Richard10264108) February 2, 2024
"But it wasn't MMMEEEEE!" Newsom whined, blaming Prop 47. The clerk wasn't falling for the greasy dirt ball in the tailpipe trick.
...He told the store clerk that Proposition 47 made theft of goods with a value over $950 into a felony and that is one of the lowest thresholds in the nation.
Newsom said, 'By the way, it's the 10th toughest in America. Look it up. No one gives a damn about that. She said, 'Well, we still don't stop them because of the governor.''
Newsom got himself a big mad and then asked the question everyone in CA has been asking themselves:
...And it was $380 later, and I was like, 'Why am I spending $380, everyone can walk the hell right out,'' he said.
Welcome to YOUR state, dude. Maybe if you got out more, you'd realize how craptastic life is and why you're bleeding residents. Perhaps even store clerks would know who you were although that could prove awkward.
Here in FL, we know how lucky we are.
...DeSantis said he is “pleased” with Rommel’s proposals and called on leaders to approach public policy by being tough on crime, in comparison to New York and California.
...[FL AG Ashley] Moody said that Florida is attracting a lot of new residents, and attributed that trend to DeSantis’ and Republican leadership on “law and order.”
“That is not only important for our citizens […] but it’s important for the men and women who wake up every day and put on that badge [and] go out to work, because they know that their leaders have their backs,” she said. “Florida is leading.”
It's nice to have someone who takes the citizens' interests to heart and acts on them.
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