What the fuck, Florida?

[Ensign Steve]

What about ape on frog action? Cuz that's more like masturbation at that point.

[The Man]

Rick Scott's mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients costs more money than it saves. Have I mentioned recently that his wife owns and operates a drug testing company? I mentioned it in the OP, but it can't be mentioned too often.

[The Man]

The mayor of Orlando has dropped charges against 27 Food Not Bombs members who had been charged with violating Orlando's prohibition against feeding the homeless.

[Kyuss Apollo]

It's like Florida was invented by Hitler.

[Ari]

Florida: Hitlers zoo.
"Elahi also contends the mayor is violating the ordinance by allowing Food Not Bombs to feed on the steps of City Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays. According to Elahi, the ordinance restricts feedings to twice a year at any one facility in the Greater Downtown Park District, a two-mile radius in Downtown Orlando."

Hurry children, it's time to go see the bi-annual feeding, did you bring your slop shoes? If you are good, you might even get to toss food into their pen!

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

98% of Florida Welfare Applicants Pass Drug Test, Discredit Tea Party Gov - COLORLINES

Shock of shocks.

[The Man]

Mandatory drug testing for welfare applicants has been nixed by the courts.

edit: Albeit temporarily for now.

[SR71]

Here's a variation on the theme in PA.

House passes bill to require drug testing for some welfare recipients - Daily American

[Watser?]

They should obviously introduce drug/alcohol testing for politicians in those states.

[JoeP]

And for posters who thought that but couldn't be bothered to get around to posting it before you did.

[Ari]

Damn what has the world come too, it's getting harder and harder to use the government to force the poor into buying your Wife's Company's drug testing kit. How else are you supposed to make money? Class warfare I say!

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by Watser?

They should obviously introduce drug/alcohol testing for politicians in those states.

You mean like this guy wants to do?

Rep. Robert Hagan’s bill would require statewide officeholders, legislators, members of Gov. John Kasich’s jobs board and recipients of federal bailout money to pay for their testing for un-prescribed pharmaceuticals, illegal drugs and alcohol. Officials testing positive would have to undergo treatment or be booted from office.

Hagan says it’s hypocritical for lawmakers to say they’re protecting taxpayer money by testing welfare recipients for drugs if they themselves won’t submit to testing.

[JoeP]

Vote Hagan!

[The Man]

This week in voter suppression.

[The Man]

Rick Scott's drug testing of all state workers has been ruled unconstitutional. That won't stop the asshole from wasting additional taxpayer funds by appealing the ruling, however.

Also Scott cuts funding for rape crisis centres during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. What a dick.

[The Man]

A Florida couple are almost certainly going to be convicted of murder after leaving a long trail of incriminating digital evidence which includes them discussing how to get rid of the body.

Meanwhile, Rick Scott is still an asshole.

[BrotherMan]

It's a puzzling decision from the governor, a favorite among Tea Party activists and limited government advocates.

Is it? Is it really puzzling?

[SR71]

The voter purge goat rope continues apace. The disenfranchisement program contained a requirement for new voter registrations to be delivered to local election boards within 48 hours, or face a fine. The DOJ told Scott's people this was unacceptable. Rick Scott don't care! Based on a segment of Rachel Maddow last night, the local officials are not impressed by Scott's honey badgeresque indifference, and are not going to buck the DOJ.

Florida Voting Law, Immigrant Voter Purge Halted - International Business Times

The voting law imposed tough new restrictions on voter registration, generating a backlash from Democrats and groups that said the new regulations were unnecessarily harsh. Groups that don't deliver election officials voter registration forms within 48 hours of signing someone up face a steep fine, a requirement that led the League of Women Voters to suspend its registration drives and saw a high school teacher face thousands of dollars in penalties.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle said on Thursday that the law carries "burdensome record-keeping and reporting requirements that serve little if any purpose, thus rendering them unconstitutional."

"The short deadline, coupled with substantial penalties for non-compliance, make voter registration drives a risky business," Hinkle wrote. "If the goal is to discourage voter registration drives and thus make it harder for new voters to register, the 48-hour deadline may succeed."

[The Man]

Central figure in election-rigging scandal goes missing as FBI probes Republican Rep. | The Raw Story

A political strategist is thought to be on the lam after she failed to show up for an interview with prosecutors about a campaign scandal involving Rep. David Rivera (R-FL).

Authorities last week raided Ana Alliegro’s apartment and seized her computer and cell phone. She was scheduled to speak to prosecutors on Thursday, but now not even her lawyer knows where she is, according to The Miami Herald.

Prosecutors believe that Alliegro may be involved in shadow campaign, in which Justin Lamar Sternad ran as a Democrat “ringer” in the 26th District primary in order to help defeat fellow Democrat Joe Garcia. Authorities are probing Rivera, the Republican incumbent, to find out if he was behind the scheme as effort to weaken or defeat Garcia before they faced off in the general election.

...

This state, man. This shit is too weird to make up.

[LadyShea]

What is a "ringer"?

[Ymir's blood]

Think 'dead ringer.' In this case, someone who runs as a member of a party to act as a spoiler in the primary and siphon votes.

[Janet]

I never knew ringer was short for dead ringer. I know ringer as someone who is an expert who is secretly thrown into a contest against people who are not that skilled. Dead ringer I've always heard used for a lookalike. Are they really connected?

[LadyShea]

Dead ringer I've always heard used for a lookalike

Me too

[Qingdai]

I thought a ringer was someone who was professionally trained and showed up to play pretending they weren't professional. I don't get how that works into "Dead Ringer," where's Ermir when you need him.


Linguistic alert!

[Sock Puppet]

Yeah, while I know what they meant, I don't think "ringer" was the right word there. "Plant" or "spoiler" might be better, although those don't quite work either.