Props to the Times' Alex Leary today for doing us all a public service – querying many of Florida's GOP House delegation about what they think about immigration reform, since House Republicans will be the deciding caucus in seeing whether or not such legislation gets passed this year.
Not one of those members of Congress quoted sound enthusiastic in supporting the 844-page bill as a whole, with perhaps the most negative remarks coming from the delegation's senior member, Pinellas County Congressman Bill Young, who tells Leary that though he will certainly listen to any lobbying from co-sponsor Marco Rubio, "amnesty is amnesty."
Of course, when asked what then he would do about the estimated 11 million undocumented people in the country, Young said he had no clue, sounding a bit like that catch phrase that the late Freddie Prinze said back in the 70's – roughly that it's not his job to figure that out.
Except it is – isn't that what we elect members of Congress for? I guess you could say his response is better than Mitt Romney's declaration that those here without papers need to "self-deport," but isn't it the job of the 535 members of Congress to figure out a big problem like this?
GOP Senators have tacked on more than 300 amendments to the Rubio bill which begins markup in a Senate committee today. It ain't going to be easy…
Speaking of Rubio, it always seems to us that the Florida freshman Senator always has to make sure to placate the political right whenever he can, since he's going out on a limb on the immigration legislation. Then again he's just joining with a host of Republicans in coming out against President Obama's pick for Labor Secretary, Tom Perez.
In three weeks, a whole big group of folks from Tampa will be traveling to Cuba in a trip organized by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, including three City Council members. One of their colleagues, Mike Suarez, raised objections two years ago about a letter sent out by a member of council – but he says he has no issues with his comrades this time around.
And in Largo, nearly 100 people who live in an RV Park fear that they may be thrown out on the street in a couple of months, which is why they made their case before the Largo City Commission Tuesday night.
This article appears in May 9-15, 2013.