Category Archives: Transhuman News

NORTH AMERICA

For this University of Toronto (UT) law professor as well as for Vincent Wong, a Toronto lawyer and former lecturer at the universitys law school, Exhibit A for undue donor influence is not the expected perk of naming of a building as it is in so many American colleges and universities which have accepted gifts with strings attached from foundations such as Charles Koch Foundation.

Rather, it is the controversy the dean of the faculty of law, Edward Iacobucci, touched off in early September 2020 when he set aside the unanimous recommendation of the hiring committee (which Wong served on) that Dr Valentina Azarova be offered the directorship of the universitys International Human Rights Program (IHRP).

Students and teachers at UT demanded her reinstatement after claims that the offer was rescinded by management due to her work on human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and that the decision allegedly was made under pressure from Tax Court of Canada Judge David E Spiro, whose family had donated CA$10 million (US$8 million) to the universitys medical schools.

To quell the row, Iacobucci turned to retired Supreme Court of Canada justice, Thomas Cromwell, to look into it.

According to both Raume and Wong, Cromwells report, which was released on 29 March 2021, hardly supports his assertion that I would not draw the inference that external influence played any role in the decision to discontinue the recruitment of the Preferred Candidate, Cromwells rather twee way of referring to Azarova, even though she had been identified in the press.

On 4 September 2019, spurred by an e-mail from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs that said Azarova was academically unworthy and that her appointment could lead to a public protest campaign [that] will do major damage to the university, including in fundraising, Judge Spiro wrote to the assistant vice president responsible for donor stewardship, whom Wong believes to be Chantelle Courtney.

Both Raume and Wong dismiss the slur against the University of Manchester international law scholar who has written extensively on the Palestine/Israel issue.

Over the next few hours, Spiros message was relayed up the ladder to the law schools assistant dean of alumni and development, the dean of the Juris Doctor programme and, finally, to Dean Iacobucci. As Wong told University World News, not one of these university officials replied that hiring decisions were confidential and strictly internal affairs.

Despite Iacobuccis instructions that there be no further communication with Spiro, early in the afternoon of 4 September, Courtney wrote to the Alumnus (Cromwells locution for Spiro, even though his name had been widely reported in the press, especially after he became the subject of a complaint before the Canadian Judicial Council in October 2020 alleging that the Tax Court judge had breached the ethical guidelines; a formal inquiry is ongoing).

According to Cromwell, Courtney wrote: Quick update understand from [the Dean] that no decisions have been made in the matter discussed. Ive communicated the points discussed and he will connect w[sic] me next week. Look forward to closing the loop w[sic] you.

A few days later, Iacobucci announced that negotiations with Azarova had ended and that he was dissolving the search committee and starting the search again. The deans reason, that the university and Azarova had not been able to agree on whether she would spend the summers in Toronto, surprised Wong, who had been told by another member of the committee that negotiations were proceeding apace.

Upping the ante on Cromwells assertion that there was no smoking gun that would allow him to find that the Alumnus had influenced the decision not to hire Azarova, Raume says: You dont have to watch murder mysteries on television to know that [the question of where Azarova would spend the summers] usually set off alarm bells in the detectives head.

The controversy led to a series of resignations at the university, including Law Professor Audrey Macklin, who resigned from the faculty advisory board she had chaired and which had supported the hiring committee in its unanimous finding that Azarova was the best candidate for the position. The committee told Iacobucci that Azarovas writings on Israel were well within the zone of professional legal studies.

Wong also resigned from his position as a researcher at the IHRP so that he could speak out.

More than 100 IHRP students and alumni sent a letter to Iacobucci, calling for a thorough and public review of donor practices at the law school, as well as of the alleged improper external influence and pressure by, in this case, a member of the judiciary.

For his part, Iacobucci denied that Azarova was offered a job or that outside influence played a part even though she said she was offered it on 11 August and accepted on 19 August 2019, according to the Globe and Mail.

In a letter sent to the faculty of law, Iacobucci said: Even the most basic of the conjectures that are circulating in public, that an offer was made and rescinded, is false, adding that he would never allow outside pressure to be a factor in a hiring decision.

Iacobucci said no offer of employment was made due to legal constraints on cross-border hiring within the timeframe required. Other considerations, including political views for and against any candidate, or their scholarship, were and are irrelevant, he wrote.

However, on 22 April 2021, delegates from the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Council voted to censure the University of Toronto the first time it has issued a censure to any university since 2008 because of the administrations failure to resolve concerns regarding academic freedom stemming from the hiring controversy.

When reviewing all the evidence, CAUT Council delegates concluded that the decision to cancel Dr Valentina Azarovas hiring was politically motivated, and as such constitutes a serious breach of widely recognised principles of academic freedom, said CAUT Executive Director David Robinson.

In a close examination of the facts of the case, CAUT Council found it implausible to conclude that the donors call did not trigger the subsequent actions resulting in the sudden termination of the hiring process, noted Robinson. The University of Toronto Administration could have re-offered the still-vacant position of director of the International Human Rights Program (IHRP) to Dr Azarova.

Ohio State University political philosopher Emma Saunders-Hastings, author of the forthcoming Private Virtues, Public Vices: Philanthropy and Democratic Equality, believes that while the University of Toronto case is interesting because it looks like a particularly obvious case of donor influence in short-circuiting a decision that had already been made by other people, the case shows more about how influence works within university administrations.

Anyone whos been around a university knows that often influence is much more subtle. It doesnt even have to be the donor exerting influence. There is such a hunger for donations that fundraisers and administrators spend a fair bit of time thinking about what would appeal to donors. How we could better attract donors, she says.

Disinvestment drives donor reliance

Between 1985 and 2019, the percentage of university operating revenues paid for by provincial governments in Canada dropped from 81% to 47%. Similar disinvestment by governments across the United States is one of the main drivers allowing donors such as the Koch family and the foundations it supports, and the Sackler family, to capture entire faculties.

According to Bethany Letiecq, professor of human development and family science at George Mason University in Virginia, the drive to disinvest in higher education dates back to the 1970s when the then-governor of California, Ronald Reagan, pointed to the anti-war and civil rights protests on the campuses of the states universities and said: You know what the problem with universities is, they inspire critique and questioning and demand transparency.

The disinvestment that followed in California and elsewhere opened the door to a different kind of big-money donor than had traditionally existed. The Rockefeller family and foundation cut multimillion dollar cheques to universities and colleges across the country. But once the money had been given, notes Saunders-Hastings, they were pretty hands-off.

The same cannot be said of the Richard and David Sackler family, which owns Purdue Pharma, the company that marketed the opioid OxyContin, the main drug in the opioid crisis; in 2020 Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers agreed to an US$8 billion settlement. The Sacklers are what Saunders-Hastings calls venture philanthropists who believe that since they are giving the money, they should exercise oversight over how the money is spent.

Over the course of several decades, the Sacklers and the company donated US$15 million to Tufts University in Boston.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules stipulate that for a charitable gift to qualify as tax deductible, the donor must relinquish control over the gift and trust that the institution will follow the stipulations in the gift agreement.

For example, a donor can stipulate that a gift be used to research COVID-19 vaccines on children and that the research be done in the United States. A donor cannot, however, say that they want a particular researcher to be part of the programme or direct the outcomes of the research.

When she saw the gift agreement between the Sacklers and Tufts, Audrey Kintzi, executive director of the Philanthropy and Development Program at Saint Marys University of Minnesota and a member of the ethics committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, could scarcely believe what she saw.

Yikes!" she said. Who wrote this thing? she asked University World News.

Under the agreement, Purdue Pharma appointed one member of the steering committee of the Pain Research, Education and Policy (PREP) Program, a graduate programme that received US$300,000 per year from 1998 to 2004 and US$500,000 per year for the following three years.

Further blurring the lines, Purdue Pharma was allowed the option to collaborate on Tufts research and to attend Tufts pain management symposia. The company even laid claim to developing curricula for the programme.

In a January 2019 memorandum filed with the states Superior Court, Maura Healey, attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, summed up the PREP programme as a degree program at Tufts University [designed] to influence doctors to use its [Purdue Pharmas] drugs.

Healey also detailed how, in addition to funding the PREP Program, the Sackler family pursued an intense relationship with the university, one of the fruits of which was the renaming of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as the Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

According to Healey, Purdue got to control research on the treatment of pain coming out of a prominent and respected institution of learning.

Tufts staff sent the Sackler reports showing how Tufts and its affiliated hospitals helped Purdue develop a publication for patients entitled Taking Control of Your Pain, that touted the benefits of opioids. Healey cited a 2000 memorandum noting the importance of finding opportunities for Purdue to influence the work of Tufts in the Massachusetts medical marketplace and beyond.

Given the cosy relationship between the Sacklers and Tufts Raymond Sackler served on the universitys medical school advisory board for almost 20 years beginning in the late 1990s it seems almost predictable that the gift agreement was written on Purdue Pharma, not Tufts, letterhead.

Nor is it surprising that in his report released in December 2019, Sanford Remz, one of the lawyers Tufts hired to investigate the schools relationship, could not find the usual paper trail that would lead to a gift agreement.

The absence of these records, which should have been electronic, stunned Ann Boyd-Stewart, assistant dean for development and alumni relations at Indiana Universitys Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She told the Chronicle of Higher Education last year: It cant be that backward, an institution thats been around that long [it was founded in 1852], before asking incredulously, They have no policies in place?

Boyd-Stewart summed up the situation at Tufts as, Look the other way; just get the money.

Indeed, in 2013, six years after Purdue Pharma executives pled guilty to charges brought by the United States Justice Department, Tufts President Anthony Monaco travelled to Purdue Pharmas headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, to present an honorary doctorate to the very ill Raymond Sackler.

There was money there. Thats why they gave the honorary degree, Boyd-Stewart says.

Even as students militated for it to end, and as state after state sued Purdue Pharma over the opioid crisis, Tufts stubbornly maintained its connection with the Sacklers. Given universities penchant for avoiding controversy, even more surprisingly, Tufts relationship with Purdue Pharma survived the 2017 exposs, published in Esquire and The New Yorker, about how deeply the Sacklers were enmeshed in the university.

Prompted by Remz report, Tufts announced it was severing its links to the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, and ending the PREP Program this year. Perhaps the most public disavowal of the Sacklers was the image of a man standing on a ladder chiselling Arthur M Sacklers name off the Tufts Medical Center building.

Using wealth to leverage influence

We understand that wealthy folk, billionaires in particular, have always used their wealth to leverage influence, Jasmine Banks, executive director of the public interest research non-profit UnKoch My Campus, told University World News.

Charles Koch and his donor network are, however, unmatched in the level of their impact and influence that is used to capture our common good institutions such as universities.

Koch is an American businessman and philanthropist who this month was ranked the 16th richest person in the world by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

According to UnKoch My Campus, between 2005 and 2018, Charles and his brother David and the seven foundations they fund have donated US$344,582,039 to almost 550 colleges and universities, the vast majority of which are in the United States.

Abroad, the Kochs donated to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Liechtenstein, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, University of Hong Kong, as well as three in Canada: Carleton University in Ottawa, McGill University in Montreal and University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Founded only in 1972 and thus lacking a large endowment, George Mason University (GMU) in Virginia was particularly susceptible to the Koch brothers money. The lions share of the $100 million was divided between GMUs economics department, which is now dominated by libertarian-leaning economists, and GMU law school's Law and Economics Center, Letiecq says.

Ten million dollars of Koch money and US$20 million from an anonymous donor enticed GMU to rename its law school the Antonin Scalia Law School, commemorating one of the most conservative United States Supreme Court justices in American history, who died in 2016.

The Koch brothers foundation money also bought them seats on the committee that chooses the professorships they fund. UnKoch My Campus found that the professors selected followed the Ayn Rand philosophy of anti-government and unconstrained capitalism.

Rand, it should be noted, is a favourite of wealthy donors who seek undue influence (as well as of former US congressman Ron Paul, who named his son, the present junior and libertarian senator from Kentucky, Rand).

According to Gwendolyn Bradley, senior program officer for the American Association of University Professors: One of the most egregious examples of the past decade involves BB&T Corporation, a banking company, which reportedly made major gifts through its foundation to at least 60 universities, many of them public. ... [Institutions were required] to teach a course on a particular political perspective Objectivism and the morality of capitalism, including Ayn Rands book Atlas Shrugged.

Koch money reaches out from GMU to influence both the federal government in Washington a scant 20 miles away and state governments across the country.

The law schools Law and Economic Center regularly hosts corporate-backed free market educational workshops for federal and state judges and attorneys general.

The Koch-funded Mercatus Center at GMU works with the Koch-funded (but innocuously named) American Legislative Exchange Council and the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS), another Koch-funded institute nestled in GMU, to act as bill mills, which write draft bills such as the infamous bathroom bill that would ban transgendered people from using female washrooms. Republicans at the state level then propose such drafts in the state legislatures.

According to Letiecq, both Mercatus and IHS pay little or no rent to GMU, yet their staff receive university benefits such as tuition waivers. Charles Koch is the chair of the IHS, Koch-funded faculty are members of the board of both Mercatus and IHS and some other members are affiliated with the Charles Koch Foundation.

GMU has virtually no oversight of either corporation, yet both benefit from their affiliation with GMU, which provides them with a veneer of academic and intellectual legitimacy, Letiecq says.

Pouring millions into Republican coffers

Late last November, as then-president Donald Trump and his supporters were spreading the lie that the federal election had been stolen, Charles Koch appeared to take some responsibility for the partisan division he abetted by pouring millions into Republican Party coffers, by stating, Boy, did we screw up.

And yet, at the same time, seven hours up Interstate 95 in Boston, Massachusetts, and notwithstanding the new donor guidelines the Tufts administration was committed to in order to prevent a repeat of the Sackler scandal, Tufts University and the Koch family were readying to announce the opening of the Tufts Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA), funded by a grant from GMUs Mercatus Center.

The cSPA bills itself as a nonpartisan analytical centre modelled on the Congressional Budget Office. It hardly is, for Charles Koch sits on the board and has influence over hiring decisions.

Indeed, the cSPA resembles other institutes set up by the Koch family. As Banks of UnKoch My Campus notes, referring to the regulatory study centre at GMU, the cSPA will also be full of Koch-funded researchers and also accepts Koch funding and then, surprise, surprise, they are absolutely against meaningful regulation of fossil fuels [the Koch fortune comes from oil and gas].

In fact, the gift establishing the cSPA was not Kochs first major gift to Tufts. Two years earlier, the university received US$3 million to establish the Center for Strategic Studies.

According to the universitys student newspaper, The Tufts Daily, this donation received relatively little backlash because it went to academics deeply sceptical of foreign intervention who made credible-sounding statements about remaining independent.

Letiecq would take a less charitable view, classifying it as part of the Koch familys charm offensive. This grant and even ones like the US$15,000 to Sarah Lawrence College, a small liberal arts college near New York that is renowned for its left-wing views, have two possible functions, she says.

First, they can be viewed as a test. The thinking goes that the Kochs will give small amounts to see if someone comes back, says Letiecq. The Kochs can see if there is movement around the acceptance of the money and activities desired by the Kochs.

If they accept small donations, then maybe they would be welcoming of a large donation and of building a deeper relationship, Letiecq told University World News.

The other possibility is that the Kochs know they are under scrutiny and they want to hide behind a veneer of respectability, Letiecq added. Look, were not so bad. Look at what we are doing. And that hides the work they are doing that is anti-government, anti-labour, anti-tax, anti-environmental regulation.

Knowing what line not to cross

All of the North American colleges and universities examined here are either developing or have strongly written policies designed to prevent undue donor influence.

For instance, the University of Torontos guidelines for donations, states: The University does not accept gifts that require it to provide valuable consideration to the donor or anyone designated by the donor, such as employment in the University, enrolment in a University program, or a University procurement contract.

To these, Kintzi says, what is also needed is better education of both donors and university grant acceptance officers. Both must be made aware not only of the law, especially the IRS regulations (and, in Canada, the Canada Revenue Agencys), but also of what constitutes a conflict of interest and what cannot be written into a gift agreement.

University officers must have a strong ethical backbone and be willing to say to donors, there is the line and you cannot cross it. And faculty and students must keep a wary eye on big money grants.

Saunders-Hastings agrees. She closed our interview by saying: It feels bad to criticise the generous person who you think is generally doing good things for the institution or department. But theres a need to cultivate a certain ingratitude that makes the criticism by university officials, students and faculty possible.

See the original post here:
Do donors have too much influence over universities? - University World News

Illustration via Marijuana and the Law

Republicanss do not favor marijuana legalization. Anyone who thinks they do is delirious.

Ever since South Dakota and Montana legalized adult use in November, Republicans have been pushing back. Let's count the ways:

In South Dakota, a circuit court struck down Amendment A in February. "The failure to submit Amendment A through the proper constitutional processvoids the amendment and it has no effect," Judge Christina Klinger wrote in her decision.The ruling is being appealed in the state Supreme Court.

In Montana, the legislature has been trying to rewrite the language of Initiative 190, removing home grow and instituting a 20% sales and a cap on THC potency.

In Idaho, the legislatureis pushing a state Constitutional ban on legalizing "certain psychoactive drugs," such as marijuana. This would prevent medical or recreational legalization from happening in the state.

"Hey Dems: Don't expect any support from across the aisle."

In Mississippi, medical-marijiuana Initiative 65 is being reviewed by the state Supreme Court. A suit brought by a local mayor claims, like in South Dakota, theconstitutional amendment processwas "improper."

In Florida, on April 22, the state Supreme Court ruled that an inititiative effort byMake it Legal Florida was "misleading" and that it could not appear on the 2022 ballot. The organization had already compiled more than 500,000 signatures to get on the ballot (they need nearly 900,000). Now, they have to start over. What was misleading about the language? According to Chief Justice Charles Canday, "A constitutional amendment cannot unequivocally permit or authorize conduct that is criminalized under federal law. A ballot summary suggesting otherwise is affirmatively misleading.

In addition, in states that have recently passed legalization bills - New York, New Jersey, New Mexico and Virginia - there has been absolutely no Republican support.

And to think some cannabis advocates believed Trump and his White House favored adult use and medical marijuana in states. That was never based on reality. The only Republican Senator who might flip for pot is Ron Paul, but that's a longshot. Plus, several Dem Senators - John Tester (MT) and Jeanne Shahen (NH) - have said they would not support legalization legislation.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer shrugged off the disloyal Dems, stating on April 20: "Hopefully the next time this unofficial holiday 4/20 rolls around, our country will have made progress in addressing the massive over-criminalization of marijuana in a meaningful and comprehensive way."

Just don't expect any support from across the aisle.

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Publisher of CelebStoner.com, former editor of High Times and Freedom Leaf and co-author of Pot Culture and Reefer Movie Madness.

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Five States Where Republicans Are Trying to Block Marijuana Legalization - CelebStoner

Good Sunday morning.

So can we all agree that going forward, one legislative leader per Session needs to schedule a major family event for the last weekend before Sine Die?

The picturesque wedding yesterday of the other Mr. and Mrs. Wilton Simpson in Trilby was not only a beautiful occasion for the bride and groom, but it also provided a much-needed pause in the legislative deliberations for all of those involved in The Process. I cant remember the last Saturday of a Session NOT being consumed by budget negotiations. So what a treat it must have been for everyone who has worked nonstop the last eight weeks to be able to enjoy a wonderful April weekend away from the business of government.

Now, President Simpsons son will only be married once, so we need Speaker Chris Sprowls to step up and plan a communion or a recital or something for one of his kids for next March. Sen. Kathleen Passidomo and Rep. Paul Renner have more than enough time to plan something significant of their own for 2023 and 2024.

Spotted in Trilby: Former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Sens. Aaron Bean, Danny Burgess (who was the wedding officiant), Joe Gruters, Travis Hutson, Kathleen Passidomo, Kelli Stargel, Reps. Randy Maggard and Josie Tomkow; David Browning; CoryGuzzo; JohnHolley; FredKarlinsky, Lori and Lee Killinger;and Jon Rees.

We hope you have enjoyed this series of Brunch newsletters. This is our last edition for the 2021 Session, although maybe Brunch up again during the Special Session. Thank you to our title sponsors, Jeff Johnston and Amanda Stewart. Their support goes directly to the compensation of reporters and editors who work the weekend to put together this newsletter.

Happy belated birthday to Amanda, who celebrated her birthday this week at the best (or maybe worst) possible time as lawmakers were hashing out a historic budget amid a pandemic. We hope she had a great day, even if it was hectic, and made time for a refreshing and much-needed adult beverage.

A couple of other notes:

Get ready for the Oscars: Live coverage of this years Oscars begins on ABC at 1 p.m. with the Countdown LIVE!, with the preshow starting at 6:30 (you know you want to watch that red carpet) and the big show kicking off at 8. Watch for this years awards to feature more diversity after last years much-critiqued #OscarsSoWhite and #OscarsSoMale fiasco. Nearly half the nominees in acting categories are of color, and 70 more than any previous year are women.

Winners and losers with a Sabatini twist: What does Gov. Ron DeSantis have in common this week with Rep. Anthony Sabatini? Find out in Florida Politics columnist Joe Hendersons latest edition of winners and losers, in which he pontificates DeSantis Trump-like musings.

Budget taking shape

Legislators are finalizing major sticking points in the 2021-22 budget, as they hope to seal a deal in the coming days.

Whats changed: Lead negotiators in the House and Senate appear to have reached agreements on education and health care spending items that had been major sticking points in the negotiation process.

Teacher and prison bonuses: More than $22 billion will be slotted away for education expenditures, including funding for a $1,000 teacher and principal bonus proposal. That money will be paid as a thank you to educators who pushed through during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prison workers will also earn a similar bonus, thanks to savings gathered from shutting down a prison.

Medicaid cuts are axed: Leaders backed off on cuts to Medicaid that could have tallied hundreds of millions of dollars. Hospitals and nursing homes would have borne the brunt of those cuts, but negotiators have backed off the funding slash.

Whats left: Lawmakers must still agree on distributing $10 billion in federal cash being shipped to Florida as part of the American Rescue Plan. And they are working to agree on a plan to bump pay for low-wage state employees to $13 per hour. Senate President Simpson has voiced support for that increase.

Tick tock: Lawmakers have until Tuesday to meet Fridays scheduled Session end date and avoid going into overtime.

Cate Sine Die

Are you among the anxious wondering when the 2021 Legislative Session will end? Sure, theres the scheduled end date of Friday, April 30, but will it hold? And what time will the hankie drop?

A charitable cause: Kevin Cate of CATECOMM fame has opened his annual #CateSineDie challenge, where he offers cash to the charity of choice for whoever gets closest to the actual closing time. Thats Price is Right rules, however, so no going over.

Whos in? Cate says 50 people have placed their bets on when this years Session will officially wrap. With the gambling compact moving forward, maybe Cate can court a casino to help take these wagers next year.

Whats the consensus? Among those dozens of entries, Cate says the median prediction for the end of the 2021 Legislative Session is Friday, April 30 at 18:45:30. Thats 6:45 p.m. (plus 30 seconds).

Entries are closed, but plenty will be watching to see whether their predictions and weekend plans will hold.

Thumbs-up to freedom

Republican Rep. Danny Perez, whos in line for the 2024-26 House Speaker role, is releasing a new video aiming to support several anti-communism measures in the Legislature this Session. And that production is also taking shots at several high-profile Democrats as well.

The aim: Perez tells Florida Politics the more than 2-minute long video funded by his PC, Miami United looks to add support to a measure aiming to set up a Victims of Communism Day for public schools. Legislators are also pushing a measure blocking universities from entering into an agreement with a communist regime, or an entity that is organized and exists under the laws of a foreign country governed by a communist regime, concerning research, development, courses, or student or cultural exchange or to establish a campus.

Year-round message: We wanted to make sure that the anti-communist message isnt only a message of campaigns season, Perez said. Its got to be a year-round message, and that was something that we thought we would be able to portray through this video.

On the attack: But the video has plenty of campaign fodder as well. It argues the policies of some more left-leaning American Democrats are a slippery slope or equivalent to those of oppressive Latin American regimes. Pairing images of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with ominous background music and quotes about the perils of socialism make that point clear.

Fair game? I do not think that every Democrat is a socialist or a democratic socialist for that matter, Perez clarified, arguing the videos main focus is on giving a hand to those legislative proposals. Republicans have beat the drum of socialism for years, even as many Democrats have rebutted those claims. Thats particularly true in South Florida, where Democratic candidates have not been shy in calling out socialist countries and even comments from their own party members playing nice with those regimes.

South Florida focus: Joining Perez in the video are fellow Miami-Dade County-based Reps. David Borrero, Tom Fabricio, Juan Fernandez-Barquin and Anthony Rodriguez. I will never give up on freedom, the lawmakers say.

To watch Freedom is Our Business, click on the image below:

Hardware upgrades

Division of Elections leaders had reason to balk this week when the House and Senate in budget conference zeroed out improvements to agency hardware. But hey, whos trying to hack into and screw around with voter databases and election results these days?

Line item loss: The House had appropriated $500,000 for election legacy hardware replacement, but the Senate had left that out of its State Department Budget. When the chambers agreed on Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations funding, the spending didnt make the cut.

Already a fraction: The budget request already represented a quarter of what Ron DeSantis proposed budget included. The administration budget called for $2 million and presented the technology spending as an important need. Upgrading the applications and hardware will address security concerns and replace the unsupported hardware that range in age from three to 10 years old, the administrations proposed budget explained.

Hacker habit: The budget cut also seemed especially alarming amid talks of election integrity and the risks faced from foreign influence campaigns. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Laurel Lee testified to lawmakers that a malicious attack on Floridas voter registration website might have been behind a crash at the registration deadline for the general election. She noted the site saw an inordinate boost to 1.1 million hits on the site in an hour.

Hoop there it is

The third annual Hoop Day, co-hosted by a group of Democratic female Representatives in the House, celebrates the dangly circle earrings by asking women to wear their favorite pair of hoops.

Hoop story: The day is based on an incident from the 2019 Session when a female intern was told during intern orientation that hoop earrings were not professional. The unofficial Hoop Caucus disagrees.

Hoops on the House floor: So often we are told that hoop earrings, though they are sacred in many of our cultures, are not professional, said co-host Rep. Anna Eskamani, while wearing her hoop earrings on the House floor Wednesday. This was an opportunity to highlight that hoop earrings can be professional, just like all the other cultural characteristics that make our lives and experiences so unique.

Hoop history: Hoop earrings have been around since 2500 BC and are associated with female empowerment, particularly among minority groups.

From Korea to The Capitol

The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA) welcomed the Consul General of the Republic of Korea Young-Jun Kim on Thursday.

Secret Service Man: The 30-year career diplomat joked he was a secret service man, but really, Kim has served as Korean Consul General in Atlanta, promoting favorable business environments for Korean companies in 6 southeastern states, including Florida.

Bearing gifts: The Consulate gifted Florida 10,000 Korean-made face masks to protect Korean War veterans against the COVID-19 virus. On hand to accept the gifts were Laurel Lee, Floridas Secretary of State, and Jim Hartsell, Deputy Executive Director of the FDVA.

Continued Friendship: Lee called the masks a symbol of Floridas continued friendship with the Republic of Korea. Cultural and diplomatic exchanges, such as that which we have here today with our international partners, lead us to a deeper understanding of our shared values and can help keep Florida an incredible and diverse place to live and do business.

Veterans remembered: There are more than 118,000 veterans of the Korean War living in Florida. Last year was the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, but Kim said associated events were canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Id like to express my deepest respect and appreciation to all the Korean War veterans, Kim added.

Water, water everywhere

Floridas [ahem] historic Emergency Operations Center launched an untimely water feature this week, the latest sign of its deterioration, and a well-timed one too, given where the Legislature is in the Session.

Setting the scene: The visual said it all, with standing water on the bottom of the stairwell standing as the latest evidence a fix is needed.

Jareds take: The exiting head of the Department of Emergency Management, Jared Moskowitz, quipped on Twitter Friday: Whats this? Whats this? There is water everywhere. Whats this? I cant believe my eyes there is a three-story leak from a pipe during budget negotiations on a new EOC. Whats this?

Biden bucks: It looks like serious money may be coming to resolve the issue for the next head of the EOC, with the House and the Senate agreeing as of now to slot $100 million for a new facility.

Baby showers and budget seasons

The end-of-Session appropriations drama took a back (rear-facing) seat for a moment this week as some House Republicans worked on a different sprinkle list. A baby shower was held for Rep. Fiona McFarland, a Sarasota Republican expecting her second child in July.

A caucus occasion: Colleagues in the GOP caucus organized the event, giving McFarland a heads-up to provide a gift registry. The freshman lawmaker was happy to step away from the data privacy bill, that other thing shes been carrying this session.

Technically a sprinkle: For the event-planning ignorant, this baby shower actually counted as a sprinkle because it was held for a second child. But the timing seemed appropriate, McFarland said, as everyone clamors for line items.

Guest list: The whole GOP freshman class stopped by, McFarland said, as did some (mostly female) veteran members. One notable male guest was Speaker-designate Paul Renner, who felt compelled to swing by after changing dirty diapers at home and share the glory of the experience with the expectant mom.

Pork barreling: McFarland stressed she didnt need much in terms of gifts, especially as McFarland expects a second child who can slip in hand-me-down clothes, but some cute outfits will return to House District 72 with McFarland. I think I might have a stroller waiting for me at home, she said.

Stop and smell the roses

As it has for the past century, everything was coming up roses in Thomasville, Georgias historic downtown district this weekend.

Taking over a small town: The first Rose Show was held in 1922 in this small (population: 18,500) town just a 30-minute drive north of Tallahassee. While attracting the rose culture crowd in its early years, its popularity exploded midcentury, when it expanded into a more populist three-day festival that now includes an antique car show, golf tourney, 5K run, outdoor market, and Shop & Sip, as well as displays dedicated to orchids and more pedestrian blooms.

Rose royalty: The highlight, a parade that at one time could attract 70,000 people, was canceled this year because of COVID-19 concerns. But attendees were invited to a Friday night interactive Historic Parade Experience to enjoy photographs from the past and meet the current Rose Queen and her court.

Why Thomasville? It became a popular retreat in the late 1800s for wealthy industrialists who wanted to escape the cold northern winters. Thomasville did some very clever marketing, taking out ads in like The New York Times and the Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Philadelphia Inquirer and promoted Thomasville as a winter resort, said Ephraim Rotter, curator of the Thomasville History Center. Thomasville considers itself and fairly, I would say the cultural capital of southwest Georgia.

Notable residents: Many of the areas estates are still in the hands of those families, while others are of more recent vintage. One of its most notable landowners is Ted Turner, who built his 29,000-acre Avalon estate in the area. His next-door neighbor was the late T.K. Wetherell, former House Speaker and Florida State University President, who owned Oak Hill Plantation along with his wife, former DEP Secretary, and State Rep. Virginia Ginger Wetherell.

A species known as the Cherokee rose occurs naturally in the habitat, which would have caught the eye of snowbirds. And those rich visitors hired landscape designers who went very heavy on roses, Rotter said. Rose pride caught on with the natives, and the rest is 100 years of floral history.

Brunching out

The Hideaway at Waterworks is a cozy, mid-century-inspired oasis tucked behind Tallahassees iconic tiki bar and restaurant. Both The Hideaway and Waterworks which has been open nearly 30 years are owned by Don Quarello, and each has its own fun and quirky atmosphere.

Setting: For now, there is outdoor seating or takeout only, but patrons can sit under the colorful umbrellas on the patio of The Hideaway cafe or Waterworks. Inside dining is expected to start again by early summer.

Menu: The cafe features breakfast and lunch all day. The new Fellini dish brings two fried eggs, prosciutto, tomato, arugula, provolone and French bread. Other classics include a lox and bagel sandwich, classic breakfast plate with eggs, toast, breakfast potatoes and choice of sausage, bacon or ham and the Tennessee Williams, with fried egg, pimento cheese, tomato and bacon on an English muffin. Brunch specials on Saturday and Sunday add items like pancakes and eggs Benedict, with lox and Florentine versions. The lunch menu offers sandwiches, salads, burgers, hot dogs and platters. Look for specials like housemade corned beef, pastrami and fried chicken.

Spirits/Coffee: Customers can order a range of coffee specialties and traditional breakfast beverages like mimosas, bellinis and Bloody Marys, as well as drinks served at Waterworks: coffee cocktails, Tiki and blended drinks (including pia colada).

Details: The cafe is located at 1133 Thomasville Rd.; 850-224-1887.

Hours: The Hideaway is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Via Rochelle Koff of Tallahassee Table.

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Here's Brunch, a pop-up, weekend email during the 2021 Legislative Session 4.25.21 - Florida Politics