For a guy who has his own buttrock anthem touting his unflappable — if somewhat vague — love of “freedom,” Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis sure does seem to enjoy going out of his way to quash anyone else’s private expressions thereof. And although he’s predicated the bulk of his career in public service (if you wanna call it that) on being the sort of punitive twerp who revels in making other people’s lives miserable, the past few days in particular have been a masterclass in showcasing DeSantis’ penchant for dickishness.
On Thursday evening, DeSantis quietly vetoed a $35 million dollar funding plan that had been earmarked for a new practice facility for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball team in Pasco County, outside of Tampa. While the governor has yet to publicly address the surprise decision, he reportedly nixed the plan in response to the team’s recent statements in support of gun control measures following the mass shootings in both Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX — the hometown of Ray’s pitcher Brooks Raley. DeSantis’ spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw, has retweeted articles linking the Ray’s recent pleas for common sense gun reform with her bosses decision to withhold funds, seemingly confirming the connection.
