CHAMP: Restaurant Workers

Champ of the Week

While the jury is still out on DeSantis’ stay-at-home executive order, one thing is certain: restaurants and their employees are keeping Florida afloat.

With millions of Floridians looking for ways to get them through the new 30-day lockdown, restaurants and local eateries are coming to the rescue, using their own and other delivery services the deliver food to people who need it.

This massive surge in deliveries is the last bit of normalcy left in a time where it feels like the apocalypse is upon us.

With the deliveries come enormous discounts to help those struggling to find their next meal.

In a recent press release, Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA), applauded the efforts made by those in the hospitality industry.

Our industry is truly made up of the very best people,” said Dover. “Despite being significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurateurs across Florida are stepping up to fill critical needs for food.”

With DeSantis’s stay-at-home order currently in effect, we can expect to see an even more pronounced shift in the way Floridians get the food and groceries in the coming weeks.

With April certain to be the most challenging time, these workers deserve all the credit for providing for everyone in the state.

A million “thank you’s” to those keeping Florida fed.

 CHUMP: Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried

Pinch me if you’ve heard this one before.

In an attempt to prop up her image and increase her political stock, Fried continued to lambast DeSantis for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Florida.

On Friday, Fried issued a statement criticizing the Republican governor for “failing to lead” during the COVID-19 crisis.

“Florida needs leadership now more than ever, but Governor DeSantis is failing to lead. His safer-at-home order is filled with glaring loopholes as the details emerge. He quietly issued a second executive order that weakens stay-at-home restrictions, allowing mass gatherings on beaches and in religious institutions, creating enormous confusion for local officials, and putting Floridians and businesses further at risk after weeks of inaction.”

Florida needs leadership during #COVID19, but @GovRonDeSantis is failing to lead.

His #StayAtHome orders are filled with loopholes. He’s deflecting responsibility for his unemployment fiasco, leaving millions without help.

Governor, fix these failures.https://t.co/msp3qDa4tA

— Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) April 3, 2020

Fried’s statement is the latest in a long, ongoing diatribe that seeks to pin the entire pandemic — as well as the subsequent deaths — solely on DeSantis.

For weeks, Fried and Florida Democrats have called on DeSantis to implement a stay-at-home order for the state. DeSantis initially proceeded with precaution, refusing to issue an order that could bankrupt the economy. At the behest of the White House, however, he signed an executive order on Wednesday requiring all Floridians to “limit movement and personal interactions outside the home.”

The move shut down all non-essential services in the state until April 30 and sent a lot of small businesses in the state into a whirlwind of uncertainty.  With over 99 percent of businesses in the state comprised of small businesses, one would think that DeSantis’ order would alleviate concerns many Democrats have.

While Fried said on Wednesday that she would fight alongside DeSantis to flatten the curve, two days later, she fell back into partisan politics in an attempt to posture and place herself in the spotlight.

When I called on @GovRonDeSantis to issue a #StayAtHome order nearly two weeks ago, I said then I’d stand with him when he issued it. I do so now.

Thank you, Governor. Together, we will fight #COVID19, flatten the curve, save lives, and preserve the state we love.

— Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) April 1, 2020

Fried’s tone and fingerpointing is a problem, especially given the circumstances and emotional toll that DeSantis has to endure on a daily basis. While Democrats continue to virtue signal to show how much they care, Desantis is the one fighting in the belly of the beast — wielding a double-edged sword that has lasting consequences for public health and the state economy, depending on the direction and force with which he swings.

Shame on Fried and the rest of the peanut gallery for trying to capitalize on a worldwide pandemic.