The Florida Legislature claimed it had a public hearing for the special session it held during the first week of January of 2009.
The Legislature called it a public hearing, when in reality it was not a public hearing. Calling it a public hearing was and is a false claim.
The Republican led legislature announced there would be a public hearing one day before the hearing was to take place. In all actuality, the legislature knew that people across the state would not be able to attend. In reality, I was not invited, as many others were not invited.
Stephanie Keime and Lisa Richardson are parents of children in the Miami-Dade public school system. Stephanie said she "could not get to Tallahassee". As a result she and Lisa produced a short film called Florida Funding Funeral. The video featured a group of somber children placing their soccer balls, books, and other school items into a coffin. The headstone reads "Here lies our dreams". The video was on YouTube.
The number of concerned parents are numerous.
Colleen Wood of St. Johns County founded www.50thnomore.org, a website that helps parents contact their elected officials.
Bibiana Salmon and Malexys Morales organized the Mothers for Education Hunger Strike. The hunger strike lasted a week.
Liz Schlotzhauer, president of the John A. Ferguson Senior High PTSA helped organize a letter writing campaign to state lawmakers.
Cheri Ball an active member in the county PTSA, organized a parent meeting about the education budget.
A public hearing sounded good for the legislature. But the legislature knew it was not really a public hearing. The State Legislature knew that citizens such as myself and others who may have wanted to attend the session could not attend.
The legislature called it a public hearing, but it knew that the public, would not be able to make it to Tallahassee.
It ws really no public hearing. It was a fake invitation, knowing that the public would not be able to make it.
The Republican majority called it a public hearing, knowing it was not.
Frederick Bryant
January 25, 2009
Bibliography:
Kathleen McGrory. The Miami Herald. January 25, 2009, page 1A.
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