Governor Scott, You Forgot Your Latte

Cara Jennings was sitting in a Starbucks in Gainsville, Florida when the Governor of her state, Republican Rick Scott came in to order a coffee. Jennings became a viral hero to many over night, for her stunning rebuke to a governor who ultimately “fled without his latte,” as New York Magazine put it.

“Shame on you Rick Scott, you cut Medicaid so I couldn’t get Obamacare” Jennings said passionately. “You stripped women of access to public healthcare…you don’t know what to do when poor people like us need healthcare.”

Jennings continued her point by point rebuke of the governor’s policies, and at one point ridiculed Scott’s claim that he “got a million jobs” by asking the people in the Starbucks, who of them was happy with their employment situation. She’s a real example of the true consequences of defunding organizations like Planned Parenthood at the state level, and a refusal to actively work toward the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act so everyone can have quality healthcare, like most developed nations guarantee for their citizens.

The ultimate irony, or perhaps, the writing on the wall, is that Gov. Scott made his millions in the healthcare industry. He probably has a detailed knowledge of what actually works, and should know how to improve his state’s outrageous 17 percent uninsured rate, the third highest in the nation. 48^th out of 50 states. Only Alaska and Texas rank worse.

And then it gets even sicker.

The New York Times reported that Scott’s super PAC actually put out a campaign style ATTACK AD on the woman who confronted him! The spot calls the woman a “latte liberal” saying that “almost everybody” has a great job besides people that happen to be sitting in a Starbucks. Ask around. Does “almost everybody” anywhere have a great job? It’s just such an absurd and upsetting denial of the realities of working people.

Scott is no stranger to angry citizens. He’s endorsed Donald Trump for president, who’s supporters are angry, angry people. Ask the Donald himself. Yet when the governor is confronted with an angry constituent of his own, he “flees without his latte,” and sicks his money and his super PAC on a private citizen of Florida who dared to call out her Governor, a “public servant” for his apathy and failure to act.

Shame on you Rick Scott.

-Sean Eckhardt