Many people know that I am, among other things, a recovering addict. I've had my ups and downs with drugs and I've voluntarily subjected myself to various treatment options before I was ever in trouble with the law.
Now, before we get too deep into this, you should also know that I support decriminalizing all drugs. Yes, even the really nasty stuff like crack-cocaine and crystal meth. I think that when the status quo tries to take away voting rights from people who are stricken with addiction problems (like Rick Scott is attempting to do), our Democracy crumbles.
Given my intimate experience on the matter, I can recognize what we call "addict behavior" in others. I see this behavior in Governor Rick Scott.
In short, I would not be at all surprised to find out that Rick Scott is an alcoholic. He displays all the tell-tale signs as I know them. In the recovery community, it is referred to as "King Baby Syndrome" and Governor Scott epitomizes this.
Let's flash back to a night before the Republican Primary Election in West Palm Beach, when a handful of wealthy GOP donors were waiting anxiously to hear the first debate between Gubernatorial hopefuls Rick Scott and Bill McCollum. Members of the Boca Raton Republican Club never got to hear that debate. What they got instead was a weird political/religious sermon from Esther Scott (Rick Scott's mother).
According to anonymous sources:
"Scott should have been finished right then and there. You should have seen it... This guy [Rick Scott] never even showed up!"
"Bill McCollum was there and ready to speak. Hell, even Rick Scott's own MOTHER was sitting there waiting for him. She had to get up in front of all the wealthiest Republicans in South Florida and make excuses for her son not being there. The best thing the old woman could come up with was "God has chosen my son to become Governor of Florida."... She REALLY said that! Can you believe it?"
According to both anonymous eye-witnesses, the only explanation they heard for Rick Scott's absence came when he called 15 minutes after the debate had been scheduled to start and reported that he was either lost or stuck in traffic somewhere in the Florida Panhandle!
If you've ever looked at a map of Florida, you can clearly see that the Panhandle is absolutely as far away from West Palm Beach and Boca Raton as you can get in Florida. Some Scott supporters reportedly threw their hands in the air, tore up their signs and shouted obscenities on their way out the door.
This is not something that a sober person does.
But of course, there's more. Rick Scott will also not entertain any questions from the media about essential issues regarding his life prior to being elected Governor. In fact, he gets downright hostile when he's asked to explain his past.
For me, there is no greater annoyance than someone who wants to believe that I'm high on drugs when I'm completely sober... I get that. But years of fending off these kind of questions can create a nasty character defect in a not-so-recovering addict. This character defect will eventually bleed into all other areas of their personal and professional lives and ultimately consume them in one final gulp. This "final gulp" was just on the verge of happening when the media caught wind of the fact that Rick Scott had swindled thousands of elderly persons out of their Medicare dollars.
See Rick Scott's "don't you DARE Question me" attitude in this video:
So, why am I questioning Scott's sobriety in the public square? That's the easy part... I'm calling him out on his hypocrisy because he's questioning the sobriety of all the little people under him... Another hallmark of addiction left unchecked.
Rick Scott wants all public employees to be subject to random drug tests... But so far, he's been unwilling to subject himself to the same rule. Had there been a breathalyzer lock on his car, maybe his mother wouldn't have been forced to embarrass his party. Had he done the first 3 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, he might have learned to focus on himself before worrying about the other addicts in the room...
Governor Scott, please... get help. We will gladly part with some tax dollars for your treatment (as well as for those who are unfortunate enough to have landed in jail) because we need honor and productivity to be restored to your office and throughout Florida. I'm totally sincere in saying that.
I agree, he is likely on something. His attacks on poor and drug-using may be what in psychology is called "reaction formation," a defense mechanism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_formation
Alcohol and maybe cocaine. He has all the signs. But try proving it. Floridians gave him the power and he is wrecking the state. He is an employee so he should take the first drug test and have the results made public.
What we need are serious, muckraking journalists who can get the proof to put him behind bars where he belongs. It seems like he is breaking laws left and right but Pam Bondi is in his pocket.
There are lots of problems with his proposed drug testing. Food Stamps is a federal program with federal rules and guidelines. Florida can't make our rules stricter than the Federal rules. There are over 3 million people now receiving food stamps. Are all 3o million going to have to pay for their own tests when they can't even buy their own food?
Also, most people receiving food stamps have children. Are the children going to be denied food because their parents are on drugs? Will there be a follow-up on those whose drugs tests are found to be positive?
Is he going to charge state workers for their drug tests as well? If not, then he's discriminating against the poor.
I agree, he is likely on something. His attacks on poor and drug-using may be what in psychology is called "reaction formation," a defense mechanism.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_formation
Alcohol and maybe cocaine. He has all the signs. But try proving it. Floridians gave him the power and he is wrecking the state. He is an employee so he should take the first drug test and have the results made public.
What we need are serious, muckraking journalists who can get the proof to put him behind bars where he belongs. It seems like he is breaking laws left and right but Pam Bondi is in his pocket.
There are lots of problems with his proposed drug testing. Food Stamps is a federal program with federal rules and guidelines. Florida can't make our rules stricter than the Federal rules. There are over 3 million people now receiving food stamps. Are all 3o million going to have to pay for their own tests when they can't even buy their own food?
Also, most people receiving food stamps have children. Are the children going to be denied food because their parents are on drugs? Will there be a follow-up on those whose drugs tests are found to be positive?
Is he going to charge state workers for their drug tests as well? If not, then he's discriminating against the poor.