Post # 208, Bob McKnight's Florida Commentary
Florida has led the nation with new Covid Cases, attacking the proven vaccine provided free by the U.S. Government, while issuing a $46 Million No Bid Contract to a vendor that lost 230,000 more cases, when Florida led the nation in new cases. That vendor made a $100,000 campaign contribution to DeSantis from the $46 Million.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made clear in 2018 his exceeding admiration for then President Donald Trump. DeSantis was a relatively unknown member of Congress from Florida who thought that with Trump's support, he could defeat the Republican favorite for Governor, Adam Putnam. He was right, although he won the General Election by less than 1% of the vote. He is far more popular today, especially with Trump's base in Florida.
Since taking office, DeSantis has done very little on his own, other than copy Trump's antics in Washington--from attacking immigrants unlawfully, to patronizing Russia and Putin, to walking away from NATO, and ignoring medical science in the Covid-19 Pandemic.
After Trump was turned out of office, DeSantis continued to walk away from questions about whether Biden won the election fair and square and whether he had been vacinated for Covid. DeSantis saw an opportunity to capture the freedom banter from Trump in the peak of the fight against Covid with masks, vaccines and distancing. He mysteriously brought in Dr. Joesph Lagapo from California who agreed with the Governor that vaccines did not necessarily work against the virus. Few if any medical professionals said that. The Doctor was discredited by his former employer and refuses to say whether he has gotten his innoculation for Covid. The Republican controlled Florida Senate will no doubt confirm the Doctor's appointment by DeSantis.
But now we find that the Governor, solely granted a no-bid $46 Million contract for a new, start up company called Nomi Health to manage Florida's Covid fight. It turns out that Nomi has little or no track record, having been formed two years ago. The Florida Department of Health, reporting to DeSantis accused Nomi of not reporting the records of 230,000 Covid cases, when Florida was leading the nation in new cases. Nomi did remember to send Governor DeSantis' re-election campaign $100,000 from the $46 Million, however.
It is expected that the Governor will respond to this disclosure similarly as did the Republican National Committee when the attack on our Capitol occured , saying it was just "Legitimate Political Discourse."