Quote of the Day

"We are not abandoning these children; we are preparing these children for a life on their own."

Rep. Dana Young

Actually Mrs. Young, you are abandoning these children. Claiming that you are preparing them for the real world by forcing kids out of the DCF system two years soon is like claiming you are teaching someone to swim by throwing him into the water.

The Florida House voted 79-38 to age children out of the system at 21. Currently the law states that kids aren't aged out of the DCF system until 23.

Let's be clear about this. These kids have no families to fall back on. Florida Republican has run the Department of Children & Families incompetently. Children have died in the DCF system run by Gov. Jeb Bush's administration. Former DCF chief Kathleen Kearney resigned because children were lost missing are killed under DCF supervision.

The Agency of Persons With Disabilities sued the family of Kevin, a blind boy with cerebal palsy. Kevin's doctor told the St. Petersburg Times that thermal blankets were needed for Kevin's well-being. The cost was $360.00. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities refused to pay. The medical company decided to provide the blankets for free.

The Agency For Persons With Disabilities decided to sue. For some bizarre reason they decided that the state must have repayment for free thermal blankets. Charlie Crist put an end to the lawsuit when he because governor.

I ask how exactly is Florida preparing foster children for the real world. The pro-life attitude of Republicans doesn't seem to extend to children once they are born.

An Interesting Thing Happened At the Tiger Bay Forum

An interesting thing happened at the Tiger Bay forum debate between Republican Dana Young and Democrat Stacy Frank. Young received boos when she refused the condemn Florida's ban on gay adoption. St. Petersburg Times reporter Janet Zink reported that the "crowd applauded loudly" when Frank made this statement.

The crowd applauded loudly when Frank firmly stated: "I support gay adoption."

I can't imagine that kind of reaction for gay adoption two years ago at a Tiger Bay forum. Social trends are changing in this country. In 2004, Karl Rove riled up the social conservative base of the Republican Party with a constitutional ban on gay marriage. In 2010, Stacy Frank gets the crowd fired up by declaring her support of gay adoption. Now Frank would probably not get that kind of reaction in the Panhandle, but the political ground on gay rights is certainly shifting.