The Florida Roundup - DeSantis-Newsom Debate; Education News

Episode Date: December 5, 2023

This week on The Florida Roundup, we discussed the debate between Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom with fact-checking from PolitiFact Florida’s Samantha Putterman (04:00) and then simulcast with LAist daily news show AirTalk (19:14) to hear what both Floridians and Southern Californians thought about the showdown. And later, we hear some of the major education stories from across the state (38:28). Plus, a Florida distillery will bottle a new signature rum from The Rolling Stones (47:14)

This is the Florida Roundup. I'm Tom Hudson. Thanks for being along with us this week. Gary Mormino is a retired history professor from the University of South Florida. He's studied and written about Florida history for decades, chronicling the everlasting optimism, shifting politics, and unrelenting growth of our state. His most recent book examines Florida during the first decade of this century. He writes, quote, The Sunshine State and the Golden State represent America's two great dream states. Florida and California. Grapefruits and grapevines.

Tropical storms. Santa Ana winds. A Democratic stronghold that is now deep red. A once Republican state that is now reliably Democratic. Both ends of the Sun Belt, Florida and California, the third largest and the largest state by population. COVID, abortion, home building, the environment, taxes, the two states often are positioned as opposites, rivals, including the two governors, Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom. Like two boxers trading insults, the two have been making implicit and explicit rhetorical punches before meeting this week for a debate

on Fox News. People have left California. People have come to Florida. They voted with their feet over these since both of us have become governor. The fact that he took the bait in relation to this debate shows that he's completely unqualified to be president of the United States. The two governors have leaned into and even encouraged the comparisons. They have relished the contrast of their politics, policies and personalities, even with their own campaign style ads, even though they're not running for the same office, at least not yet. I know you guys got a lot of problems out here, but your governor's very concerned about what we're doing in Florida. That's not freedom. It's Ron DeSantis' Florida. The two governors met in Georgia Thursday night for an event that Fox News called the Great Red State versus Blue State debate.

We don't even have an income tax, and yet California has a higher sales tax than we do. He taxes low-income workers more than we tax millionaires and billionaires in the state of California. You have the freedom to defecate in public in California. You have the freedom to pitch a tent on Sunset Boulevard. I don't like the way you demean people. I don't like the way you demean the LGBTQ community. I don't like the way you demean and humiliate people you disagree with, Ron. You almost have to try to mess California up. You want to bring us back to a pre-1960s world, America in reverse. So how do you think the state of Florida is doing? Is Florida on the right track?

Email us your thoughts now. Radio at the Florida Roundup dot org radio at the Florida Roundup dot org. Later on in this program, we will be simulcasting with colleagues in Los Angeles live in California to hear from Californians. What do you want Californians to know about living here in Florida? 305-995-1800. Call now. Line up the calls. 305-995-1800. Both states certainly occupy a place in the American psyche as places of the future, fun, and opportunity, right?

So what should Californians know about you and your life as a Floridian? What do you want to hear from Californians? All right, maybe it gets down to this. Disney World or Disneyland? 305-995-1800. 305-995-1800. Radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Radio at thefloridaroundup.org is our email your emails

and phone calls are coming up in just a bit so plenty of insults and interruptions let's stick instead to the information that the two governors talked about last night sam putterman is along with us reporter with our partner, Florida Politifact. Sam, welcome back to the Florida Roundup. Nice to have you again. Hi, thanks, Tom. Happy to be here. So lots of accusations, lots of facts, lots of data was certainly included in this event. I'm going to call it an event, not a debate. It certainly was fascinating to watch and to listen to. But let's cut to that information and let's start really with with where the rivalry here kind of began with these two governors. And it was, I think, focused on population. Let's hear from Governor DeSantis and what his claims are regarding movements of people.

what his claims are regarding movements of people. California has more natural advantages than any state in the country. You almost have to try to mess California up. Yeah, that's what Gavin Newsom has done since he's been governor. He's the first governor to ever lose population. They actually at one point ran out of U-Hauls in the state of California because so many people were leaving. All right, Sam. So how about this idea of Californians leaving the state, a net population decrease since Gavin Newsom was elected governor? Right. Yeah. So it is true that California's population declined for the first time ever in 2020, and it's been declining since then. After the 2020 census, California actually lost a House seat for the first time in its history. And also to DeSantis' point about U-Haul, it is true that U-Haul said it ran out of one-way trucks and trailers in California

at the start of 2020 as a result of large demand of people moving out of the state. The loss of the congressional seat is significant given that Florida has increased its congressional representation. Talk a little bit more about that as a metric of population. Well, when it comes to at least like the per capita stuff that Newsom said, I don't know if we got into that yet, but Newsom countered that he said that more Floridians are coming to California than the other way around in the last two years. And measuring per capita, Newsom is right, that more Floridians have actually come to California than the other way around in the last two years. And measuring per capita Newsom is right, that more Floridians have actually come to California than the other way around in the

last two years. Yeah, there's always ways in this data, you know, there's the raw numbers, and then there's the per capita. Florida certainly has grown in population over the years, so has California, but California remains significantly larger. So that per capita comparison is the idea, like, let's kind of compare oranges and oranges as opposed to, you know, maybe almonds and grapefruit as the case may be. Right. And the difference is actually pretty small, though, in the per capita. It is, you know, it is more Floridians moving to California, but it's 1.32 per 1,000 Floridians and 1.31 per 1,000 Californians. So the difference is very small.

Yeah, very tight, very tight. It's still dream state, certainly for a lot of Americans. Let's hear what Governor Newsom had to say to the host of this Fox News event, Sean Hannity, regarding population movements out of California. Can you explain this migration out of California and going to red state? You mean, hold on, you mean the last two years, more Flor California and going to Red State? Hold on. You mean the last two years, more Floridians going to California than Californians going to Florida? I put up on the screen. That's going to be fun to fact check. So we'll just start right there. All right. All right. The governor calling you and your colleagues out there, calling them to calling you to order

here. Talk a little bit more about this, this two way migration and the way that Governor Newsom sees it. Right, right. So yeah, he's obviously looking at California's population. As we just said, he's saying that, you know, when it comes to the population per capita, it really is more Floridians moving to California. As we said, that difference is, is pretty small. And experts have questioned whether, you know, it's a meaningful statistic. But in raw numbers, you know, more Californians moved to Florida than the other way around. It comprised of about 50,700 people from 2021 to 2022. But again, it doesn't account for California's higher population. And one 2023 poll found that around 45% of Californians who were considering moving to another state cited housing costs as a factor, which has been an issue in California that long predates Newsom. Yeah, certainly. And something that the two states share in terms of affordability crisis for housing. Speaking of which, if you have lived in California, listening to us here in Florida, maybe you're visiting Florida from California.

You've got family in California. Maybe they visited here over the Thanksgiving holiday or you've got plans over the winter holidays. Join the conversation. We're going to be connecting live with our colleagues in Los Angeles coming up in several minutes, but we'd love to hear from you now. 305-995-1800. 305-995-1800. We're fact-checking the event between the two governors, the governor of Florida and the governor of California, that was held last night on Fox News with Sam Putterman with PolitiFact Florida. Sam, let's talk about taxes and economics, because that was often cited by the governor, Governor DeSantis,

as a magnet for Florida and a magnet pulling Californians away from the Golden State into the Sunshine State. Here's Governor DeSantis last night. How many people leave Florida to go to California because they pay less taxes? I've not seen that. Are people going from Florida to New York because they pay less taxes? Of course not. They come to Florida because they pay lower taxes.

So putting aside the population piece, which we just spoke about, Sam, let's talk about taxes and kind of how the governor framed taxes here in Florida. Yeah. So among the 50 states, Florida has the 11th lowest overall tax burden, right? While California has the fifth highest according to annual rankings. But the overall tax burden doesn't really address the differences between workers' share of taxes. And it's also difficult to compare the states in general just because they're so different and it's tricky. But for instance, you know, Florida has no income tax and California does. So the states are just wildly different, but it doesn't really reflect where workers are paying their taxes and, you know, what income brackets.

The income piece is, I think, important to talk a little bit about because oftentimes that's kind of where the tax comparison begins. And frankly, sometimes, Sam, right, it's where it ends as well. But as anyone who is living in Florida or California or anywhere knows, there's a lot more taxes that you pay than just an income tax, right? There's sales taxes, property taxes, other fees associated with just the cost of living. So, you know, talk about as a politifact checker, comparing accusations or facts around taxes that are solely focused on income tax versus kind of the total,

what's often referred to as the tax burden that somebody may have to encounter. Right, yeah. So I think it was DeSantis that said, what was it, that California sales tax, right, was higher than Florida's tax burden in general, or however he had worded it. So it does depend on the state and where it's at. But Newsom had said to DeSantis that Florida taxes low-income workers more than we tax millionaires and billionaires in the state of California.

In fact, let's hear from Governor Newsom last night making just that claim. He has one of the most regressive tax rates in the United States of America. It's the number three most regressive state in America. And what that means is simply this. Who does he tax? He taxes low-income workers more than we tax millionaires and billionaires in the state of California. How about that claim from the governor of California?

Yeah, so Newsom does have a point here. So one study, right, by the by the Liberal Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy examined whether state tax systems rely on higher income taxpayers or lower income taxpayers. Newsom's office told us that this was the study he was referring to. So this data is from 2020, but it find that in california the top one percent of households for incomes paid 12.4 percent of their income in state and local taxes by comparison in florida households in the bottom 20 percent of incomes paid 12.7 percent of their income in state and local taxes so by this metric newsom's right and if you want to compare the tax burden for the lowest 20 of households in income income, California also has lower taxes. Households in the bottom 20% paid about 10.5%

of their income in taxes in California compared with Florida's 12.7%. And wealthy taxpayers also came out ahead in Florida where the tax burden for the top 1% was only 2.3% of income, which is far lower than the 12.4% rate for California millionaires. Yeah. Again, when we're talking about that tax rate that most people think about, that income tax rate, which of course there's no state income tax in Florida, so it's not a progressive income tax rate as it is in California, as opposed to a sales tax rate, which doesn't matter what your income is. Everybody pays the same kind of rate, regardless of what your household income is. Let's talk about abortion.

This was previous to this event last night on Fox News, and during the conversation with the two governors, a key point of a distinction between how the two governors have approached the abortion question, particularly in the post-Roe v. Wade world that all 50 states find themselves in. This is Governor Newsom talking about the abortion positions and policies and legislative efforts by the governor and other Florida Republicans in the statehouse. Ron DeSantis signed the most extreme anti-abortion bills in America. He signed a bill banning any exceptions for rape and incest. And then he said it didn't go far enough and decided to sign a six-week ban

before women even know they're pregnant, Ron, before women can even access a doctor's appointment. So extreme is your ban that criminalizes women and criminalizes doctor. I want to ask Sam Putterman with PolitiFact about that last claim by Governor Newsom, but we should kind of set the table here that the six week ban on abortion law was signed into law. It is currently on hold. It is not the law of land in Florida as the 15 week ban is still being decided at the Florida State Supreme Court.

Should the 15 week ban be upheld, then the six week ban will be the law of the land. So to Governor Newsom's claim here that Governor DeSantis's six week bill is, quote, so extreme that it criminalizes women and criminalizes doctors. Yeah. So when it comes to penalties, the law penalizes physicians. But whether it also criminalizes women is less clear. And we previously rated a similar claim half true. The law says that anyone who actively participates in an abortion commits a third degree felony, which opens the door to prosecutors charging women. But we really don't know yet whether they will or how courts would respond to such charges. And DeSantis has also said that he doesn't want women prosecuted, only doctors. So it's more of a wait and see. Wait and see and

almost, you know, have the courts decide what the legislature may have meant by actively participates as the language stipulates in the legislation. Crime rate, another key difference in the two governors. Sam, you and I on the program have talked about crime rate statistics and it can get a bit difficult to talk about them. Here's Governor Newsom last night talking about Governor DeSantis' record on crime. He has a 66 percent higher gun death rate than the state of California. It's a higher murder rate. Go to places like Jacksonville. Go to places like Orlando. Go to places like Tampa. The murder rate's off the charts compared to cities like San Francisco. So Governor Newsom there in California wanting to talk about the gun death rate comparison in Florida. How about this claim,

Sam, and the overall general claim that Governor DeSantis made that the total violent crime rate in Florida is much lower than compared to California? Right. So Newsom's claim about the 66% higher gun death rate is close. We found that according to 2020 federal data, Florida's gun death rate was 14.1 per 100,000 residents compared with 9.0 per 100,000 residents in California. So that's 57 percent higher for Florida. But, you know, both governors can point to other statistics to bolster their case as the safer state. Like, for example, California's overall homicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people was higher than Florida's rate of 5.0. So both and both states ranked below the's rate of five point zero. So both and both states ranked

below the national rate of six point three. But for instance, Florida's gun homicide rate was five point eight seven per hundred thousand people. And that's higher than California's four point six five rate. Yeah. One of the points there that Governor Newsom wanted to focus on, as opposed to the overall violent crime rate. COVID, of course, put these two governors really on the national stage. Very different responses as two governors really on the national stage. Very different responses as the months wore on during the pandemic. Governor Newsom in California has made this a significant point of contention with Florida. And, of course, Governor DeSantis has made it one of the centerpieces of his presidential ambitions.

Here's Governor Newsom now talking about Governor DeSantis's early decisions in the pandemic. You passed an emergency declaration before the state of California did. You closed down your beaches, your bars, your restaurants. It's a fact. You had quarantines. You had quarantines. OK, so you can hear Governor DeSantis calling Governor Newsom's claims false. What's a politifact, Sam?

So, yeah, many local governments in Florida closed beaches for a limited time, but DeSantis didn't close them statewide. He issued an executive order in March 2020 that directed Floridians to limit their gatherings at beaches and to support local beach closures. And he also ordered beaches in Broward and Palm Beach counties to close for 11 days, you know, following some recommendations from the CDC. But DeSantis' refusal to close most beaches actually, you know, to spring to the spring break crowds, you know, that drew heavy criticism and litigation. You know, when it comes to the bars, Newsom was on firmer ground. He, DeSantis ordered all bars and night clubs to close for 30 days. Restaurants didn't close. They were limited to a 50% capacity and some social distancing. But in general, overall, it's important to remember that

governors nationwide issued multiple orders in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. DeSantis issued one on March 1st to establish COVID-19 response protocol. And on March 4th, Newsom declared a state of emergency to help California prepare. So there we are, right? Here we are. There we are. Yeah. Sam Putterman with PolitiFact.

Real quick, Sam, just 20 seconds or so. But this was an event. This was a political spectacle. What did you take away from it as a reporter? I think that it was quite a spectacle. I think that it showed, as we we talked about the divide between Florida and California and how much there was to argue about and, you know, and the comparisons between every single facet of life and sort of the divide between some of, you know, conservative policies and liberal policies. So we thought it was very interesting and a lot of substantive policy

discussion. That was just perfect. I agree. Sam Putterman with PolitiFact Florida. Thanks, Sam. Coming up next, we'll join our public radio colleagues live in Los Angeles for a simulcast 305-995-1800. I'm Tom Hudson, and I want to welcome listeners of LAist 89.3 in Southern California to the Florida Roundup here in the

Sunshine State. We're simulcasting this part of our program in Florida, the Florida Roundup, with LAist's daily news program, AirTalk. We're live in Los Angeles. We're grateful to be along with them and host Austin Cross. Hello, Austin. Great to be along with you. Hi, Tom. It's so great to be with you. For the next few minutes, we're going to have a cross-country conversation in light of last night's debate on Fox between Governors Newsom and DeSantis. And as you folks in Florida have already been talking about, yeah, it was a raucous night, downright messy at times. But in between the scuffles, the governors were able to contrast their policies. So what we want to do today is talk about not the men on the stage, but the issues themselves and how they affect the lives of people living in California and Florida. So what do you want each other to know about your

life? Have you maybe moved or lived in both states? Californians, if you used to live in Florida, we would love to hear from you. Floridians, if you used to live in Florida we would love to hear from you Floridians if you used to live in California we would love to hear from you too we're talking about cost of living affordability of housing education what would you like to share today what can you learn from each other our number here for Southern California listeners eight six six eight nine three five seven two two I'll give that one more time eight six six eight nine three five seven two two yeah and if you're in Florida, the phone number is 305-995-1800, 305-995-1800. The economy, Austin, education, the environment, the environment, right?

Housing affordability is something we share. The insurance issue when it comes to property is natural disasters and catastrophes, something also these two Sunbelt states share. So how do you think your state is doing? I put it this way earlier, Austin, Disney World or Disneyland? All right. How about that? I like that. 866-893-5722 again for our Southern California listeners. You know, Tom, as I

watched the debate last night, in the first few minutes, arguably not much of a debate, more of a scuffle, but I couldn't help but wonder if debates like these are really the best way for candidates to discuss issues that matter in the lives of everyday people because there's so much focus on soundbites, the back and forth scoring points, and ultimately each person dismissing their opponent's claims as lies. As the calls come in, Tom, I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. Yeah, you know, I mean, I think there was a lot of policy talked about, but of course it was overshadowed last night by the personalities involved. I think that is certainly obvious to anyone who witnessed it and knows these two individuals as big personalities and big politicians with significant ambitions.

I do think, though, that it's also an opportunity that can't be passed up because it is a way for voters to be able to hear from candidates in a way that they don't always hear from candidates. Now they try to engage with one another. I do think that a conversation like the one held last night is best without a live audience. We've seen that with the debates. It's best with fewer candidates so we can have a longer time discussing some more substantive issues.

And I think always, Fox News didn't always accomplish this necessarily, but to be grounded, moored with facts, right? That's where we want to push off from here. Of course. And just to tack onto your audience point, could you even imagine so much talking over each other at the beginning? If an audience was added into that fray as well, Tom, that would be so challenging. I understand that you might have a caller on the line, Tom. In fact, we do, yeah. Katie has been listening into our conversation from Sunny Isles, Florida.

Katie, welcome to our programs. You were a Californian, and now you're a Floridian. Yes, I am actually in Clay County, Florida, which is like a little bit underneath the Florida-Georgia line. It's like a very Florida place to be. And I used to live in a very California place to be. I was born in Los Angeles, California. And so yeah, I'm 29 years old and I moved when I was 14. So I feel like I have the best perspective. So that's why I called. I was the Npr all the time um so i was like okay i feel like

this is my calling so uh the difference between states is lifestyle these two governors can't even be like compared because they just have two completely different situations in front of them they can't be judged by the state that they have, because the state that they have was there before they got there, first of all. I just also want, like, everyone to hear that and know that and appreciate that. Katie, given your unique perspective, you know, what do you make about the lifestyle differences, about the opportunity differences that you have experienced in California and Florida? opportunity differences that you have experienced in California and Florida?

So my family was like solid middle class in California and solid middle class in Florida. And I'll say it like, there's just so many more poor people like on the streets out there and so many more cities. So out here, if you're in, like, Jacksonville, you'll see the exact same thing that you'll see in Los Angeles. First of all, I also want to say that. Jacksonville is growing exponentially. It's the fastest growing, like, place. I don't even know if that's true, but maybe other than Miami, right? Like, maybe in Florida. I don't even know if that's true, but maybe other than my Miami, right? Like maybe in Florida, I don't know. But it is littered with homeless people in a couple more areas than

Florida. But that I don't, again, that's not really Newsom's fault. That's just like, it's been that way. Katie, it's Austin Cross from Los Angeles. And thank you so much for calling and sharing your perspective. It's really valuable considering that you did live here. I guess I have a two part question. It's one when you think back on your time living here, how do you feel about it? You remember it in a positive way. But then my other half to that is, if given the opportunity, would you maybe consider moving back?

And if so, why or why not? No, I wouldn't move back. And it's because it takes forever to build anything out there. Anything. Absolutely anything. So when I was a child, there was a Taco Bell Target situation that started getting built when I was like six. It was still getting built when I left. Now, the first year that I moved here, I moved into a developing community. And the very next year, we had like three little communities and like a whole shopping center.

And I was like floored. I was like, I didn't know people could build this fast. I didn't know it was possible. I didn't know people could build this. I didn't know it was possible. Yeah, one of the many differences about development, certainly, between California and Florida. Katie calling us from Sunny Isles, Florida. Katie, thanks so much for joining us here on our simulcast.

Really appreciate it. And for folks just joining us here, this is LAS 89.3, but we are also joined with our sister station in Miami, and we are talking about the debate last night between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. For folks listening in in Southern California, if there's something that you want your cross-country compatriots to know about your life here, you just heard Katie's call. Katie used to live in Los Angeles. If you'd like to share your perspective, we have a line open for you at 866-893-5722. I'll give that again, 866-893-5722. You can also shoot us an email at atcomments at laist.com. Just be sure to include your first name and location. Austin, Katie had talked about the growth of Jacksonville, which is the largest city in the state of Florida. It's bigger than the city of Miami, for instance. And it was the sixth fastest, sixth largest growing

city between 2021 and 2022 in Jacksonville. So it certainly has been growing pretty fast there in Northeast Florida. Caitlin has been listening in from the Gulf Coast in Sarasota, Florida. Caitlin, thanks for your patience. You're on the radio. Thank you. I didn't get to listen to the debate yet. I am looking forward to it. That's actually why I tuned in this morning. But I just wanted to remind everyone in Florida that during COVID, during the pandemic, we were the freest state in this whole country. And I enjoyed that. My friends and relatives enjoyed that, coming to visit me. They said they felt like they were leaving communist China and coming to the real America. And you moved to Florida early in the pandemic. Is that right, Caitlin? Where did you move from?

I didn't move during the pandemic. I moved to Florida in 2019, like January 2019. Gotcha. Before. Well, great. Caitlin, thanks for listening and sharing your story from Sarasota. Austin, you know, that has been a real centerpiece of Governor DeSantis' presidential campaign when talking about Florida and how he managed COVID-19 and the pandemic. And that, of course, was one of those policy points of contention between Governor DeSantis and Governor Newsom that was on display last night during that Fox News event. Right. It certainly came up last night. I think that Newsom didn't really get a lot of words out about it because, you know, I think that Ron DeSantis took some issue with how it was being characterized, just how long any level of lockdowns lasted. Because I understand, so restaurants, I believe, were at half capacity,

and it was that bars were closed for a short period of time at the beginning of COVID. Was that what was happening in Florida at the start of 2020? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There was definitely a point where the economy shut down, and Florida a very hospitality driven economy, it had some significant repercussions. And arguably, it drove the governor to really be one of the first, if not the first, to move forward toward reopening commerce because of the hospitality centered economy that we have here in Florida. I want to give out our number one more time for listeners in Southern California, 866-893-5722 is our number. If you happen to catch last night's debate between California Governor Newsom,

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and if there's something that you want the people in Florida right now to know, we are doing a simulcast, so we are connecting with Florida right now. If there's something that you would like for them to know about your life, especially maybe if you moved here from Florida, if you lived in Florida for any amount of time, 866-893-5722

is our number. I understand you might have another caller on the line, Tom? Yep, Betsy has been listening in. Go ahead, Betsy, you're on the radio. Thanks for calling. Hi, yes. I've lived in Florida for about 30 years now, and I am in Oviedo, which is on what's called the I-4 corridor, very highly populated. And I'd just like to correct a misconception that folks outside of Florida might have about the lockdown. Schools here absolutely were closed during the pandemic. Public schools were closed. This had a huge impact on both of my funds and when uh the pandemic lockdowns are mentioned i feel like schools are are not talked about very much or it's implied that somehow schools in florida stayed open that's absolutely not the case so just wanted

to put that out there other institutions it was very much hit or miss but as far as coming here and feeling very free, no. We absolutely were subjected to masks and many other restrictions at businesses. It was up to some businesses to decide whether or not they would do that. Furthermore, I'd like to talk a little bit about the housing cost of living here. The home insurance crisis is, of course, well known to many listeners here that know too good about that, but it's hugely increased in just the past couple of years. I myself have suffered a $900 increase with no end in sight to that.

That's on top of my taxes going up from my home as well. So that's a burning crisis here, which our governor has done little to nothing to address. And many of us understand that that's not entirely within the purview of state government, but absolutely there are levers that can be thrown, and to date nothing has been done about that. Yeah. Betsy, I appreciate you bringing that topic to light here. Austin, it's something that the two states actually do have in common, the cost of insurability, the high cost of housing, certainly. George sent us this email from Margate, which is between Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.

He says that our maintenance has been raised four times as a condominium owner. He pays five hundred five dollars for a one bedroom, one bath. George writes, my cousin has a two bed, two bath in a very trendy neighborhood in Hollywood, California. And his cousin pays five hundred dollars for his maintenance, five dollars less. But that includes a private two car garage with a washer dryer. I have none of that, among other advantages, George writes from Margate, Florida. You know, I'll also say anecdotally, I've just heard from people that the prices in Florida, the cost of living, of course, increased because of people coming to Florida as well. That's something to consider. Jeff is giving us

a call from Long Beach. I want to put out our number one more time, 866-893-5722 for the folks in Southern California. If you'd like to weigh in on this conversation, the debate last night between California Governor Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Jeff, I understand that you lived in Florida for 14 years. Looks like you're now in Long Beach. Yes, sir. And so tell us about your experiences there. I'm sorry, Jeff, say that one more time for us. Yeah, yes, sir. In Florida for about 14 years, in Long Beach now for about 10. So, Jeff, tell us your thoughts, maybe what you're thinking at this point.

Yeah, I think, you know, both states have incredible positives to them i mean it's a lifestyle choice they also have some downsides um you know living in florida certainly the poverty there is is just as great if not greater there is great disparity in incomes um coming to california certainly it is more expensive but we do actually make more money in general. And so I would say that there isn't one state that's better than the other. I think they both have incredible positives to them. The lifestyle being number one. Jeff, I'm curious. You did live in Florida. You're now in Long Beach. Has there been any thought as you start to weigh those lifestyles as to whether or not you'd consider going back to Florida at some point?

That's really interesting. I actually had an opportunity a couple of years ago. And I think for me, being able to live in California and being outdoors 12 months of the year and not having to live in air conditioning all the time, strangely enough, is again a choice because I remember those summers in Florida. They were brutal. And so you couldn't necessarily spend all of your time outside. And the fact that we have mountains and deserts and there's just so many things that you can do in California. It was a choice for me to stay here and not go back to Florida.

That's Jeff in Long Beach. 866-893-5722 is our number here. Tom, I'm hearing you laughing over there. I'll give Jeff, I'll give you and California the topographical advantage. There's no doubt about it. You know, when we're 12 or 13 feet above sea level, that's a high elevation for us, at least in South Florida. But I think Jeff's bigger point is a really interesting one, right? And it is that both states have significant advantages, natural advantages and advantages of the people who are lucky enough to call either

state home. And the framing of all of this really is kind of troubling to me that somehow there's a rivalry between California and Florida, that somehow one state can only win if the other state somehow loses and that's just not easy we're just not a zero-sum game United States right I mean each state has advantages each state has troubles and they and they share in both of those aspects and that's kind of the framing of this and how this kind of rivalry has played out is is just a little sour to me at least. You know, honestly, I see the oversimplification. I also see this fueling more polarization because it kind of exacerbates divisions. There's context, of course, it's very important. And just a very limited scope. I would actually hope in the future if we wanted to have

conversations like these between, say say governors uh maybe be a little bit more long form maybe microphones would be turned off and maybe there'd be an opportunity for people to actually speak in depth and i know that it's not as you know hip it's not as uh it's not as sexy sometimes because it's not moving as fast but it's really the information about the issues that matters to people i'm hearing from my producers that it might be time for us to say goodbye, Tom. But I just want to tell you how much I've really enjoyed this connection, this special collaboration.

I feel democracy stays strong when we keep talking to each other. Got to have those conversations, Austin. Big thanks to you, your entire crew at LAist, and of course your listeners for allowing us to have this really important time together. So have a terrific weekend. Take care, Tom.

Next on our program here on the Florida Roundup, we'll return to the topic of insurance. That's next week. Home insurance rates have been skyrocketing. We're also going to be talking about auto insurance premiums. Are cracked windshields driving up the cost of coverage? Email us your experiences about insurance now. Radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Radio at thefloridaroundup.org.

Radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Still to come, a group of school officials in Broward County under state scrutiny. That's next. I'm Tom Hudson. This is the Florida Roundup. Thanks for being along this week. Next week on our program, we're going to return to the topic of insurance, the cost of risk. Citizens Property Insurance uses unlicensed inspectors as it's been ordering more home inspections. Some residents, like Melissa Morrow in Pinellas County, though would think they would be required by law to only hire licensed contractors or licensed inspectors. The company says while field inspectors are not licensed, all final decisions about insurability are made by licensed inspectors.

And only a small number of home inspections have received complaints of errors, according to citizens. So the cost of home insurance, it is through the roof for so many Floridians. And car insurance premiums have been rising too. So how much do you pay to cover your home and car? How does that cost of risk impact your household budget? Share your story now. Email radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Share your stories now, and we'll talk about them next week.

This week, hundreds of Broward County high school students staged a walkout at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. It happened after five staff members were removed from their positions for reportedly allowing a transgender student to play on a girls' volleyball team. Julia Cooper has more. The students poured onto Monarchs football field for a rally in

solidarity with the student athlete and removed staff. The school's principal James Cecil and four others are currently under investigation by the district. They've been reassigned to work at non-school sites. Here's school superintendent Peter Licata. It's an indication we want to make sure that we investigate this properly and appropriately. Again, we want to make sure we do this right. Nobody is guilty of anything at this point. That's what an investigation is for. Florida law states that trans student athletes are prohibited from playing on girls sports teams. Licata said in a news conference that he personally received a complaint about the volleyball player. He did not specify whether the call came from a parent or student.

Listen, our first priority are students, no matter what, it's students and making sure that they have the support. They're also protected and that we are following the laws to do that. The school's chief also says the district notified Tallahassee officials of the investigation. I'm Julia Cooper in Miami. A law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2021 prohibits trans students from playing on girls sports teams. Reporter Kate Payne with our partner station WLRN says Broward County school officials are now facing pressure from the state. A State Department of Education spokesperson says letting the trans student play on the girls team is

against state law and those responsible should face, quote, serious consequences. The Monarch High athlete and her parents had challenged the state law, but a federal judge upheld it in early November. Now statewide, teacher unions are scrambling. Teacher unions that don't collect dues from at least 60 percent of their members risk being decertified under a new state law. Daniela Pryor reports from our partner station in Orlando, WMFE. Clinton McCracken walks me through the hallways of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, where big glass display cases are full of yellowed newspaper clippings and old photos. So when COVID hit, you know, office was empty and so we had some space

here to take out some of our archives. McCracken, who's the president of Orange County CTA, says his union is lucky. People are typically very engaged and it's already collected dues from over 50% of its members. That puts the union well on its way to its needed 60% by March.

Across the state, most union dues cost about $700 a year. We provide free professional development, for example, led by expert teachers. If teachers unions don't get dues from at least 60% of their members, they risk decertification. For the first time ever, those dues cannot be automatically deducted from a person's paycheck, and each member must fill out a card expressing their consent. At the bill signing, Governor Ron DeSantis and other supporters of the law said the change had the possibility of saving teachers money. If you want to join, you can, but you write a check and you hand it over. That is going to lead to more take-home pay for teachers

because they're not going to le pay for teachers because have as many deductions i But Michelle Deibler, a f Volusia County Schools an Volusia United Educators, teachers by breaking unio Unfortunately, our numbers we will not make our 60% for our support staff.

If her union doesn't hit that 60% mark, the union would be decertified and face a recertification election in order to continue to bargain for employees. Deibler says many of her teachers have started receiving flyers from the Freedom Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank encouraging people not to pay their dues. She's worried they'll fund a competitor like they already have in Miami-Dade. Thomas Bugas, president of Seminole Education Association, says his union could be in the same boat. Historically, Seminole Education Association has hovered around 50 to 60 percent, so it's not unlikely that we will reach it.

It's just a matter of getting the word out of how to do percent. So it's not unlikely that we will reach it. It's just a matter of getting the word out of how to do it. They've moved to an electronic system for collecting dues. And he questions why the new law doesn't apply to unions representing first responders. There is nothing against the police unions or the fire or any of the first responders. But teachers also play an important role in the community. And it's the teachers that are the front line to what's going to happen in the future of this community. Florida Education Association President Andrew Spahr says without teachers unions there to protect them, more teachers will leave the profession, and there's already a nationwide and statewide teacher shortage. If you're not treated as a professional, you ain't staying, and that's what we're seeing, and that's what we're fighting against.

treated as a professional, you ain't staying. And that's what we're seeing and that's what we're fighting against. By last count, the FEA estimates the state started the school year with a shortage of 7,000 teachers. The Florida Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment for this story. In Orlando, I'm Danielle Pryor. And I'm Tom Hudson. You're listening to the Florida Roundup from your Florida Public Radio station. Florida teachers are leaving the state, and in some cases, the profession. They blame unrealistic workloads, restrictive laws, and stagnant pay. Nancy Guan from our partner station WUSF introduces us to one Tampa Bay teacher who is looking to leave. Philip Belcastro's path to teaching was not a straight line. I've worked in warehousing and delivery in New York City. I've worked in kitchens. I've worked retail. Then he joined AmeriCorps for

a summer as a teacher's aide and felt that this was different from all those other gigs. This is the job I should be doing. I've had a million jobs. This is what I was put here to do. So Belcastro earned his teaching certificate while teaching English at St. Petersburg High School. It became his home. His 2008 Honda is decked out in bumper stickers of the school's Green Devil mascot and the teachers union. All the beaded bracelets he's wearing are made by his students. This is my entire life in a 10 by 10 storage unit. A rent increase this summer pushed Valcastro out of his St. Pete apartment. Average rents in the area have risen to more than half of his monthly pay. So he packed up his things, put them in storage,

and moved in with his girlfriend in Tampa, who's also a teacher. But they're not planning to stay for long. I did have to get rid of a lot of things because I'm anticipating, I hope sooner than later, moving out of Florida. They're looking at positions in Oregon or Philadelphia. They can't afford to live in the Tampa area on their salaries anymore. And in the three years he's been teaching, state laws have cracked down on everything from discussions on race, what pronouns he can call his students, and the power of teachers' unions. Violating some of

these laws mean you could lose your teaching certificate. Florida ranks nearly last in the nation for average teacher pay, and that's often the bottom line. But that doesn't mean Belcastro wants to leave his students. Among all the furniture, kitchen supplies, and clothes in his storage unit are bits and pieces of his classroom. Books that once lined the shelves now sit packed in boxes. A law passed this year mandates that teachers register their classroom libraries with the district. But rather than risk the extra scrutiny from the state and parents, Belcastro, like some,

cleared his shelves. His collection held more than 200 books. Now in their place is a thick packet of the Bills' language. I made these at the end of last school year. Belcastro pulls out some picture frames from behind a stack of boxes. There's a couple in here. They're collages of letters, drawings,

and flowers from students. I made these shadow boxes of all like memories from like teaching. This is a student's final project that they wrote about growing up trans in Florida, especially with all the stuff going on. Vilcastro says these mementos remind him of why he continues being a teacher. You know, why do I do any of this? Why do I put up with any of this? I always really liked this particular note. You somehow made English class feel like a comedy show, yet also a nice chat with a friend, all just by being yourself. If all I ever did was make every day for a class feel like a comedy show, I think I've done my job. As he's leaving the storage unit,

Belcastro says he misses St. Pete and living in the community he teaches in. It makes him sad and angry, he says. But it's time to leave for good. I'm Nancy Guan in Tampa. Finally in the Roundup this week. For a band soaked in stories of excess, the Rolling Stones waited more than a half century to put its name on a rum.

This month, when the Stones released their first studio album in years, it also introduced its own signature rum with the name borrowed from this tune. I was born in a crossfire hurricane. Crossfire Hurricane Rum will come from Florida, from Newport Ritchie. Spencer Wolfe is the CEO at the Point Distillery. The gratifying thing for us and part of the excitement is this isn't dealing with gray suits. Mick and Keith are totally, totally into every detail of the presentation of this. Yes, Spencer is an Englishman, just like Mick and Keith from The Stones. And Spencer thinks that may have helped give him an edge.

I remember my father, because I was just a boy, saying, you can watch the Beatles because they wear suits. The rest of them are all degenerates. You can watch the Beatles because they wear suits. The rest of them are all degenerates. What would your dad think now that you're doing business with those other degenerates, as he called them? I think he'd be as surprised as I was. So an iconic rock and roll band will be bottling its rum right here in the Sunshine State.

And Floridians know their rum, right? So how is it? He says just consider the rum's tagline from the Stones. Take your tongue for a ride. So it makes me think, does Florida have an official hurricane party beverage yet? That's our program for today. It's produced by WLRN Public Media in Miami and WUSF Public Media in Tampa. Bridget O'Brien produced the program.

WLRN's Vice President of Radio and the Technical Director is Peter Mayers. Engineering help from Doug Peterson and Charles Michaels. Richard Ives answers the phones. Theme music is from Miami jazz guitarist Aaron Libos at AaronLibos.com. And special thanks this week to our colleagues at LAist Radio in Southern California. I'm Tom Hudson. Thanks for calling, emailing, listening, and supporting Public Radio. Have a terrific weekend.