Gov. DeSantis declares "Freedom Summer" [Now Freedom Summer 2!] by banning most of the rainbow for bridge lighting displays

[Hans Blaster]

The Signs of Freedom Summer​

SOUND OFF: New slogans on welcome signs at Florida border​

Signs will now read “Free State of Florida”​

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Sounds like the official name used by Puerto Rico: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico (Free Associated State of Puerto Rico)

 

[durangodawood]

The Signs of Freedom Summer​

SOUND OFF: New slogans on welcome signs at Florida border​

Signs will now read “Free State of Florida”​

View attachment 351382

I think they should change to name of the state to something in English, the language of our first inhabitants.

 

[Pommer]

I think they should change to name of the state to something in English, the language of our first inhabitants.

I’m pretty sure that the very first European language spake in Florida wasn’t English.

 

[durangodawood]

I’m pretty sure that the very first European language spake in Florida wasn’t English.

Those were undocumented immigrants.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Fecal Summer continues in Florida

Gov DeSantis vetoes bill that requires DOH to issue health warnings at local beaches​

“Unfortunately, there are any number of beaches around the state of Florida that on any given day have high rates of pollution and pollution that could make people sick. Often what happens is, there’s fecal contamination,” UCF Political Science Professor Aubrey Jewett said.

Fort Myers News-Press explains Enterococcus spp. for Floridians

DOH: Poop water is polluting Lovers Key, Bonita Beach and Hickory Island​

The Florida Department of Health's Clean Beaches Program website shows that Lovers Key State Park, Hickory Island and Bonita Beach are all polluted with enterococcus bacteria, or poop water.

"That's about double the level they're supposed be at," Douglass said of recent samples. "I think it's just a wet season thing, but it's a sign that if it's that high in the ocean, it's got to be really high in the lakes and canals that are bleeding into the ocean. So, we've got to look upstream and see where that stuff is coming from and fix it."

No public advisory was issued by DOH in Lee County

 

[Always in His Presence]

“As Floridians prepare for Freedom Summer, Florida’s bridges will follow suit, illuminating in red, white, and blue from Memorial Day through Labor Day!” Florida Transportation Secretary James Perdue wrote on X.

“Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida continues to be the freest state in the nation,” he added.

Mr DeSantis’ display will wipe out several scheduled lightings [of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which is outfitted with 1,800 LED lights], including for Mental Health Awareness (28-31 May); Juneteenth (19 June); and Ovarian Cancer Awareness (1-7 September).

[And Pride Month of course.]

The more you post, the more I realize why his state is attracting so many from blue states.

 

[iluvatar5150]

The more you post, the more I realize why his state is attracting so many from blue states.

why's that?

 

[Hans Blaster]

why's that?

Some people enjoy living in an open sewer.

 

[The Barbarian]

Mine was Ike.

I remember when "under God" was inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

[The Barbarian]

Some people enjoy living in an open sewer.

It's not just Governor Ron who's full of it, these days. Florida groundwater is joining him.

It is a scenario that plays out at least three times a year at Matthew Lawrence’s Central Broward County home: torrential rains saturate the drain field in his backyard, causing his septic system to operate inefficiently.

“It’s never gotten to the point where sewage comes to the surface, and that’s owing to the fact that I maintain my system well and take proper precautions,” said Lawrence, a commercial and residential developer. “But what’s going to happen when storms get worse and the rains heavier?”

For many residents in coastal areas impacted by climate change, that question already has been answered. As prolonged rains and rising seas continue to raise water-table levels, their septic systems are failing, causing wastewater to back up into their homes and creating risks to clean water, ecosystems, and public health.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Visit Florida CEO addresses removal of LGBTQ pages on tourism website​

Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said the organization is tax-payer funded and must "align with the state."

“Visit Florida is a taxpayer-funded organization,” Young said to the Visit Florida Board of Directors. “And as such, Visit Florida, our marketing strategy and our materials, our content must align with the state. Florida has always been and will continue to be a very, very welcoming state."

[But one welcome mat has been rolled up and tossed out.]

 

[Nithavela]

It is cool that a bridge has 1,800 LED lights on it. Perfect for a dance party, preferably to some 1980s pop such as Dancing in the Dark, or some more modern 2010s electronica. But yeah, it is sad why DeSantis is not even allowing the Floridians to light the bridge up for Juneteenth. Also, wouldn't it be awesome if people could vote for a color for each pier section on the bridge? For myself, a vote to have the pier in the middle to be colored teal or something would be nice.

It looks good in yellow/orange.

View attachment 348374

And for architecture nerds, here are the project details (names have been omitted), whew $15.6M for lights man? Thought it would be under $500K. Link: 432270-1-52-01 I-275 (Sunshine Skyway Bridge) Lighting
View attachment 348375

I would suggest not to let people vote on that, or you get the color coded equivalent of "bridgy mcbridgeface".

 

[AlexB23]

I would suggest not to let people vote on that, or you get the color coded equivalent of "bridgy mcbridgeface".

Haha, I do agree with you on that. Someone would probably vote for some ugly colors such as hot pink or lime green, and the whole scheme would look disorderly. But hey, I have ADHD, and folks like that can be somewhat messy.

One of my smart lights is color changing, so sometimes, I set it to a different color, such as green for Christmas eve, and if I need to grab water in the middle of the night from the fridge, I set it to the redder hues, cos white would keep me awake.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Freedom Summer back for a second year!​

Pride lights no longer allowed on Florida bridges, and most other colors too​

There was a storm of protest last year when the state overruled local efforts to decorate bridges with rainbow lights in June for Pride month or in red for sickle cell awareness or orange for gun safety. Instead, the Florida Department of Transportation, which manages state bridges, ruled it “freedom summer” and called for only red, white and blue lights from Memorial Day to July 4, wiping out plans for other commemorations.

Expect more of the same this year.

FDOT quietly passed a rule that declared “lighting colors and sequences shall be a default scheme of red, white, and blue,” as of Feb. 1.

 

[RileyG]

Freedom Summer back for a second year!​

Pride lights no longer allowed on Florida bridges, and most other colors too​

There was a storm of protest last year when the state overruled local efforts to decorate bridges with rainbow lights in June for Pride month or in red for sickle cell awareness or orange for gun safety. Instead, the Florida Department of Transportation, which manages state bridges, ruled it “freedom summer” and called for only red, white and blue lights from Memorial Day to July 4, wiping out plans for other commemorations.

Expect more of the same this year.

FDOT quietly passed a rule that declared “lighting colors and sequences shall be a default scheme of red, white, and blue,” as of Feb. 1.

Oh well. There are bigger fish to fry.

 

[DaisyDay]

Freedom Summer back for a second year!​

Pride lights no longer allowed on Florida bridges, and most other colors too​

There was a storm of protest last year when the state overruled local efforts to decorate bridges with rainbow lights in June for Pride month or in red for sickle cell awareness or orange for gun safety. Instead, the Florida Department of Transportation, which manages state bridges, ruled it “freedom summer” and called for only red, white and blue lights from Memorial Day to July 4, wiping out plans for other commemorations.

Expect more of the same this year.

FDOT quietly passed a rule that declared “lighting colors and sequences shall be a default scheme of red, white, and blue,” as of Feb. 1.

What, no green on St. Patrick's Day?

 

[RileyG]

What, no green on St. Patrick's Day?

Pretty, but at least he is being fair? I dunno.

 

[probinson]

There was a storm of protest last year...

But was there really?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Pretty, but at least he is being fair? I dunno.

Petty is what he’s being.

 

[RileyG]

Petty is what he’s being.

Eh? He has his own agenda to spread. Maybe he's down to earth, traditional, macho man? Who knows?