Last week, many other people laughed at the fact that the Florida Department of Transportation removed the old “Welcome to Florida” (or “WTF” for short) symptoms. The DOT then installed new symptoms that read, “Welcome to the Florida Free State. “
Free: to do what, exactly? Driving fast because you’re late for work? Drive 3 miles with left turn signal on and then turn right? Take down the guy who cut you off in traffic and hold your breath waiting to see if he’s armed?
When a journalist asked Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Núñez about the signs, she gossiped about abortion; It’s not the first thing you think of when you see a road sign.
“We are providing freedom, liberty and the right to life, of course, to those babies,” he said. It is said that the freedom of selection of women is not thought of here, which leads me to ask the question: if the pro-constitutional amendment on abortion is approved this fall. Will the Florida Department of Transportation eliminate new symptoms and restore old ones?
In case you were wondering, the panels themselves were definitely not free. They charge taxpayers $60,000, according to WJXT-TV. In other words, they’re like Gov. Ron’s migrant flights “I’m talking to the RNC because, through it all, I kissed Trump’s ring Uhhhh” DeSantis. This is just another state-sponsored stunt to “own the libraries” with the bill paid through other people who weren’t even asking for short-term rentals of the libraries.
I recently heard about the Florida Department of Transportation’s political stunt that is even crazier than those silly posters.
Under the misnamed bipartisan infrastructure law that Congress passed in 2021, Florida will get $198 million over years from the national EV infrastructure formula program.
“The program is designed to expand the nation’s fast-charging network by adding more chargers within a one-mile radius of freeways, helping EV drivers travel greater distances without the ‘range anxiety’ of being stranded with a dead battery,” Tampa Bay reported. Times reported the last few months. ” The companies that get the investment get enough budget to cover about 80% of the installation costs of the chargers and have to cover the remaining 20%. “
Florida submitted a spending plan and the federal government approved it. But now Florida is one of 15 states that don’t allow any business to solicit money. Of these, Florida is the state that takes the longest.
It turns out that this heist is not a typical case of bureaucrats moving slower than a three-toed sloth on a greased pole in the pouring rain. They do it on purpose.
Instead of doling out the federal millions, the Florida DOT created a nonsense called “Roads Are Not for Politics. “Contrary to its name, the site features a long list of complaints related to the culture war, such as the “tyranny of COVID,” as well as denunciation of electric vehicles.
DOT Secretary Jared Perdue intervenes in many of the speeches and makes boastful statements such as: “Florida will continue to protect our freedoms and ensure that federal Green New Deal projects have no effect on Floridians. I think the “ha-rumph” is implicit.
I heard about this scenario last week in a post called “Inside EVs” which, unlike the Times, managed to elicit a comment from Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Williams.
“Free enterprise, not federal mandates, is the driving force when an industry sees growth,” Williams said. He doesn’t know who built the interstates, which boosted the trucking industry, or who built the local program, which encouraged other people to make instant breakfast drinks.
“Nothing prevents the personal sector from joining our country’s charging network,” he huffed. “Given that the total number of electric cars on the road represents approximately 1% of all registered cars nationwide, ‘low customer demand’ is an accurate statement. “
There’s a big challenge with that last statement: Other people in Florida love electric vehicles, and I mean A LOT. In fact, Florida now has more than 168,000 registered EVs, the second-highest number in the country. This is a jump abundante. de 58,000 in 2021.
Do you know what we don’t have here?
Enough places to plug them in.
Believe it or not, electric cars will be the wave of the future in the late 19th century. Thomas Edison, a part-time resident of Florida, thought electric cars were the most powerful generation of the time and worked to make a larger battery.
But then, in 1908, Henry Ford – Edison’s neighbor in Fort Myers – began mass production of the Model T, which sold for far less than other cars. They swept the country, wiping out demand for electric cars. Fossil fuel cars have become the kings of the road, releasing destructive emissions and boosting the polluting oil and fuel industry.
To quote country singer Jerry Reed: “Sir, Mr. Ford, I only wish you could see what your undeniable horseless carriage has. “
Ninety years later, electric cars are making a comeback. Toyota brought the world’s first hybrid electric vehicle, the Prius. Other brands followed. Little by little, the iron grip of gasoline-powered vehicle brands on the automotive industry has been loosening.
As the value of a gallon of gas increases, electric cars become more attractive. In 2020, Consumer Reports ranked electric cars as offering a higher cash cost than traditional cars. Reliable and fairly valuable cars are especially vital for staff in Florida, where public transportation is appalling (unless you count Disney World ferries).
The sitting president is evidently a big fan of this, as he pushed this bill in favor of electric vehicles, along with billions to convert idle car factories to make more electric vehicles.
Their political rival, the stinking Palm Beach club owner and convicted felon, hates them as much as he hates New York prosecutors. He promised to kick them all out.
“They will not sell those cars,” he said at one of his rallies. I’m sure his hostility has nothing to do with his call for oil corporation executives to donate large amounts of cash to his campaign.
He’s so opposed to electric cars that it’s like he’s the anti-Edison. He even complained about other bureaucracy in transporting electric vehicles: “They need electric military tanks. They need electric planes. What happens if the sun doesn’t shine while you’re in the air? »
Hell, if they invented the Jetsons’ flying car that folded into a briefcase, they’d probably complain about the weight of the briefcase.
All this heated political rhetoric left me a little dizzy, so I took a walk around my community to clear my head.
It is a quiet middle-class enclave. My neighbors come with artists, teachers, and officials. One of them drives a Hummer, although I also saw some electric vehicles.
I spoke to one of the electric vehicle owners. He bought the Tesla from him years ago (before we all discovered that Elon Musk is a billionaire idiot).
“I bought it because I wanted to make my component to reduce emissions, but also because I think it’s fun to drive them,” he told me. When I asked him to explain, he replied, “It’s a great success. “There are no gears, so just step on the pedal and fly. “
The only downside, he said, is “range anxiety” — the fear of running out of power when traveling to certain areas of Florida where chargers are scarce. This is a valid concern. However, the Florida DOT refuses to hand over federal money to deal with this factor: money that Florida taxpayers have paid to the IRS.
“If Florida rarely has enough money to build charging infrastructure, then DeSantis is necessarily misleading the citizens of his own state by asking them to get something in return for their taxes,” Loren McDonald, CEO of analytics firm EVAdoption, told Inside EVs. Instead, we pay for shippers in other states.
Additionally, this federal investment would have benefits for Florida’s economy.
“Federal investment creates an opportunity for Florida taxpayers, workers and drivers by advancing electric vehicle infrastructure to meet the demand for electric vehicles,” Sydney Timm of the advocacy organization Drive Electric Florida told me. “Florida earned about $200 million . . . the third-largest of any state, and the 20% cost-sharing requirement may spur more personal investment. “
However, those millions of dollars that are there are not used. There is a page on the Florida DOT website that describes the federal grant program, but it only says: “Stay tuned for updates. » At the moment there are none.
Do you know who is in favor of expanding the number of chargers to meet the growing demand for cars here?
None more so than our own pudding-loving CEO.
In 2020, DeSantis touted an $8. 6 million public investment to “provide infrastructure available for electric vehicles while protecting air quality and expanding the state’s charging stations by 50% along the busiest corridors. ” “. This money also came from the federal government, as part of a settlement with VW for violations of the Clean Air Act.
Added to this is the same politician who, in the press release featuring the anti-EV website, said: “Unlike the federal government, under my leadership, the Florida Department of Transportation is solely focused on transportation. We care for Floridians and respond to their needs.
(Anyone who suffered through the era of dead toll roads built to aid the DeSantis developer mandate knows this best. )
Inside EVs noted that the Florida DOT even put together “an EV infrastructure master plan in 2021 that required competitive expansion and a network of chargers to serve it. “
Meanwhile, the Florida DOT has touted the installation of more charging stations. An undated press release is titled “Florida Turnpike Heightens Tensions. “
“Several companies, in addition to Tesla, Florida Power
Why would the Florida DOT be so pleased with this? “Increasing the number of charging stations promotes reduced emissions and improved air quality, while providing mobility and protection for the growing number of Floridians who drive electric cars,” the statement explains.
Do you find that when it comes to electric vehicles, DeSantis and his way other people talk with both sides of their mouths?Perhaps, as Billy Martin said in the beer commercial, they feel strongly in BOTH ways.
Or perhaps what they are most concerned about is where the money comes from, but who spends it.
What clarified things for me was a verbal exchange with Ryan McKinnon of Charge Ahead Partnership.
The association remains low-key, but you’ve probably heard of some of its members: Wawa, Buc-ee’s and Busy Bee. Their coalition, he said, “is made up of gas stations, convenience retailers and business owners who need to get into electric vehicle charging. “
They are the ones who would benefit from Florida’s distribution of federal money for electric vehicle chargers. His main issue, he told me, is “opposing app ownership of electric vehicle charging stations. “
The problem, he said, is that “they can’t compete when utility rates are regulated for all of their consumers to fund utility-owned or branded charging stations. “
He called it “a Florida primary” because of the strength of the utilities. In fact, the largest utility-owned electric vehicle charging network in the country belongs to Florida Power & Light.
“The FDOT website makes it clear that Florida values the flexible market,” he told me. “Unfortunately, while there are benefits to the [federal] budget that would help small businesses charge electric vehicles, the state also has strict and legal electric services like Florida Power
In other words, it’s not like the Florida state government is fighting Biden’s evil green agenda. DeSantis’ leadership is genuflecting to Juno Beach, home of the omnipotent FPL. If they distribute those millions from the federal government, Wawa may only be a utility competitor.
Hmmm, maybe the Florida Department of Transportation will remove those new signs. After all, we don’t seem to be so “free. “
by Craig Pittman, Florida Phoenix July 18, 2024
Last week, many other people scoffed at the fact that the Florida Department of Transportation had gotten rid of the old “Welcome to Florida” (or “WTF” for short) symptoms. The DOT then installed new symptoms that read, “Welcome to Florida. “Florida Free State. “
Free: to do what, exactly? Do you drive fast because you are late at work? Go 3 miles with your left turn signal on and then turn right? Run over the guy who cut you off in traffic and hold your breath waiting to see if he’s armed?
When a reporter asked Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez about the signs, she gossiped about abortion; It’s not the first thing you think of when you see a road sign.
“We’re providing freedom, liberty and the right to life, of course, to those babies,” he said. It is said that there is no thought here about women’s freedom of choice, which leads me to ask the question: whether the pro- The constitutional amendment on abortion is approved this fall. Will the Florida Department of Transportation eliminate new symptoms and restore old ones?
In case you were wondering, the panels themselves were definitely not free. They charge taxpayers $60,000, according to WJXT-TV. In other words, they’re like Gov. Ron’s migrant flights: “I’m talking to the RNC because, through it all, I kissed Trump’s ring, Uhhhh” DeSantis. This is just another state-sponsored trick to “own the libraries,” with the bill being paid through other people who didn’t even ask for short-term rentals of the libraries.
I recently heard about the Florida Department of Transportation’s political stunt that is even crazier than those silly posters.
Under the misnamed bipartisan infrastructure bill that Congress passed in 2021, Florida will get $198 million over years from the national electric vehicle infrastructure formula program.
“The program is designed to expand the nation’s fast-charging network by adding more chargers within a one-mile radius of freeways, helping EV drivers travel greater distances without the ‘range anxiety’ of being stranded with a dead battery,” Tampa Bay reported. Times reported the last few months. ” The companies that get the investment get enough budget to cover about 80% of the installation costs of the chargers and have to cover the remaining 20%. “
Florida submitted a spending plan and the federal government approved it. But now Florida is one of 15 states that don’t allow any business to solicit money. Of these, Florida is the state that takes the longest.
It turns out that this heist is not a typical case of bureaucrats moving slower than a three-toed sloth on a greased pole in the pouring rain. They do it on purpose.
Instead of doling out those federal millions, the Florida Department of Transportation created a nonsense called “Roads Are Not for Politics. “Contrary to its name, the site features a long list of complaints about the culture war, such as the “tyranny of COVID,” as well as complaints about electric vehicles.
DOT Secretary Jared Perdue weighs in on many of the speeches, making boastful statements like: “Florida will continue to protect our freedoms and ensure that federal Green New Deal projects have no effect on Floridians. I think the” ha-rumph” is implied.
I learned about this scenario last week in a post called “Inside EVs” which, unlike the Times, managed to extract a comment from Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Williams.
“Free enterprise, not federal mandates, is the driving force when an industry registers growth,” Williams said. He doesn’t know who built the interstates, which boosted the trucking industry, or who built the local program, which spurred others to make instant drinks for breakfast.
“Nothing prevents the personal sector from joining our country’s cargo network,” he huffed. “Given that the total number of electric cars on the road represents approximately 1% of all registered cars nationwide, ‘low customer demand’ is an accurate statement. “
There’s a big challenge with that last statement: people in Florida love electric vehicles, and I mean A LOT. In fact, Florida now has more than 168,000 registered electric vehicles, the second most in the country. This is a big jump from 58,000 in 2021.
You know what we don’t have here?
Enough places to plug them in.
Believe it or not, electric cars were the wave of the future in the late 19th century. Ferdinand Porsche built one in 1898. Thomas Edison, a part-time resident of Florida, believed that electric cars were the great generation of the time. and worked to make a bigger battery.
But then, in 1908, Henry Ford – Edison’s neighbor in Fort Myers – began mass production of the Model T, which sold for much less than other automobiles. They devastated the country, destroying demand for electric cars. Fossil fuel cars have become kings of the road, releasing destructive emissions and fueling the polluting oil and fuel industry.
To quote country singer Jerry Reed: “Sir, Mr. Ford, I only wish you could see what your undeniable horseless carriage has. “
Ninety years later, electric cars are making a comeback. Toyota brought the world’s first hybrid electric vehicle, the Prius. Other brands followed. Little by little, the tight grip of gasoline-powered vehicle brands on the auto industry has been loosening.
As the value of a gallon of gas increases, electric cars become more attractive. In 2020, Consumer Reports ranked electric cars as offering a higher cash cost than traditional cars. Reliable and fairly valuable cars are especially vital for staff in Florida, where public transportation is appalling (unless you count Disney World ferries).
The incumbent president is evidently a big fan of her, as he pushed this bill in favor of electric vehicles, as well as another billion to convert disused car factories to make more electric vehicles.
Their political rival, the stinking Palm Beach club owner and convicted felon, hates them as much as he hates New York prosecutors. He promised to kick them all out.
“They may not be able to sell those cars,” he said at one of his rallies. I’m sure his hostility has nothing to do with his call for oil corporation bosses to give his campaign lots of cash.
He is so opposed to electric cars that he is as if he were the anti-Edison. He even complained about another bureaucracy in the transport of electric vehicles: “They need electric military tanks. They need electric planes. What if the sun doesn’t shine while you’re in the air? »
Hell, if they invented the Jetsons’ flying car that folded into a briefcase, they’d probably complain about the weight of the briefcase.
All this heated political rhetoric left me a little dizzy, so I took a walk around my community to clear my head.
It is a quiet middle class enclave. My neighbors come with artists, teachers and civil servants. One of them drives a Hummer, but I also saw some electric vehicles.
I spoke with one of the EV owners. He bought his Tesla five years ago (before we all found out that Elon Musk is a foolish billionaire).
“I bought it because I wanted to do my part to reduce emissions, but also because I think they’re fun to drive,” he told me. When I asked him to explain, he replied, “It’s a big hit. ” There are no gears, so he just steps on the pedal and flies.
The only downside, he said, is “range anxiety” — the fear of running out of power when traveling to certain areas of Florida where chargers are scarce. This is a valid concern. However, the Florida DOT refuses to hand over federal money to deal with this factor: money that Florida taxpayers have paid to the IRS.
“If Florida rarely has enough money to build charging infrastructure, then DeSantis is necessarily misleading the citizens of his own state by asking them to get something in return for their taxes,” Loren McDonald, CEO of the charging company, told Inside EVs. EVAdoption analysis. Instead, we pay for shippers in other states.
In addition, this federal investment would gain advantages for Florida’s economy.
“Federal investment creates an opportunity for Florida taxpayers, workers and drivers by advancing electric vehicle infrastructure to meet demand for electric vehicles,” Sydney Timm of the advocacy organization Drive Electric Florida told me. “Florida earned about $200 million. . . , the third largest of any state, and the 20% cost-sharing requirement may spur greater personal investment. “
However, those millions of dollars that are there are not used. There is a page on the Florida DOT website that describes the federal grant program, but it simply says: “Please watch for updates. At the moment, there are none.
Do you know who is in favor of expanding the number of chargers to meet the growing demand for cars here?
None more so than our own pudding-loving CEO.
In 2020, DeSantis touted an $8. 6 million public investment to “provide available infrastructure for electric vehicles while protecting air quality and expanding the state’s charging stations by 50% along the busiest corridors. That money also came from the federal government, as part of a settlement with VW for violations of the Clean Air Act.
Added to this is the same politician who, in the press release featuring the anti-EV website, said: “Unlike the federal government, under my leadership, the Florida Department of Transportation is solely focused on transportation. We care for Floridians and respond to their needs.
(Anyone who has suffered through the era of dead-toll roads built to aid the DeSantis developers’ mandate knows better. )
Inside EVs noted that the Florida DOT even put together “an infrastructure master plan for electric vehicles in 2021 that expected competitive expansion and a network of chargers to serve it. “
Meanwhile, the Florida DOT has touted the installation of more charging stations. An undated news release is titled “Florida Turnpike Raises Tensions. “
“Several companies, Tesla, Florida Power
Why would the Florida DOT be so pleased with this?”Increasing the number of charging stations promotes reduced emissions and higher air quality, while also providing mobility and protection for the growing number of Floridians who drive electric cars,” the statement explains.
Do you find that when it comes to electric vehicles, DeSantis and his way other people talk with both sides of their mouths?Perhaps, as Billy Martin said in the beer commercial, they feel strongly in BOTH ways.
Or perhaps what worries them most is not where the money comes from, but who spends it.
What clarified things for me was a verbal exchange with Ryan McKinnon of the Charge Ahead Partnership.
The association remains low-key, but you’ve probably heard of some of its members: Wawa, Buc-ee’s and Busy Bee. His coalition, he said, “is made up of fuel stations, retail stores and business owners who need to get started with electric vehicle charging. ”
They are the ones who would take advantage of federal cash distribution in Florida for EV chargers. His main problem, he told me, is “opposing ownership of EV charging station applications. “
The problem, he said, is that “they can’t compete when regulating utility rates for all of their consumers to fund branded or utility-owned charging stations. “
He called it “important in Florida” because of the strength of the utilities. In fact, the largest utility-owned EV charging network in the country is owned by Florida Power.
“The FDOT website obviously states that Florida values the flexible market,” he told me. “Unfortunately, while there are benefits to the [federal] budget that would help small businesses charge electric vehicles, the state also allowed electric utilities like Florida Power
In other words, it’s not like Florida’s state government is fighting Biden’s evil green agenda. DeSantis’ management is genuflecting before Juno Beach, home of the omnipotent FPL. If they distribute those millions from the federal government, Wawa may just be a utility competitor.
Hmmm, maybe the Florida Department of Transportation will remove those new signs. After all, we don’t seem to be so “free. “
Florida Phoenix is owned by States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network funded by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains its editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact Editor-in-Chief Michael Moline: info@floridaphoenix. com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and X.
Craig Pittman is a Florida native. In 30 years at the Tampa Bay Times, he has won national and national awards for his environmental reporting. He is the author of six books. In 2020, the Florida Heritage Book Festival named him a Florida Literary Legend. Craig is the co-host of the “Welcome to Florida” podcast. He lives in St. Petersburg with his spouse and children.
Florida Phoenix belongs to States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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