Nancy Argenziano
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
“I ate two slices of bad pizza, went to bed and grew a conscience!”
– Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire.
Jerry Maguire is a movie about a sports agent who, late one night in a sudden moment of lucidity, drafts a manifesto about how things should be in the sports agent business: fewer clients, better service, more integrity.
It’s brilliant stuff. So Jerry makes copies and sends it out to his boss and all the other agents at the firm. And promptly gets fired.
Former Republican lawmaker Nancy Argenziano, who represented Citrus Country in the state House and Senate, must have had “two slices of bad pieces, went to bed and grew a conscience.” Because, in print Sunday, she had her Jerry Maguire moment.
In an incisive, honest piece in her hometown Citrus County Chronicle, Argenziano — as strong and iconic a Republican legislator as I’ve ever met in Tallahassee — laid bare the shenannigans of the past several sessions in what can only be described as a plea to her party to reconsider how it’s doing business.
It’s a remarkable document that I’ll simply let speak for itself. But here’s a taste.
I believe that the millions of dollars from the mega corporations that the Republican Party hijackers get in their sweet-sounding slush funds, like the “Committee to Create a Beautiful World” are given with the purpose of pushing the corporate hegemony, which is advancing rapidly throughout the country. While I am not anti-corporation, I certainly do not want my country run by the mega corporations. I see the same legislation in many states. My son and many of your sons and daughters are not serving this country in our military to hand our democracy over to mega corporations. Veterans should be outraged.
It is nothing less than a declaration of political independence. Be sure to check it out.
I read the letter…fantastic. We have been getting sold out for years. I work for the state as a police officer, and I can attest to the sad state of affairs we are in.
Pensions are not the enemy. Public employee salaries and benefits are not the enemy. The stupid, useless, wasteful spending is the enemy. The pocket-lining backroom deals are the enemy. The self-serving politicians, the ones who have violated their oath and spit on the citizens…THEY are the enemy. We are dealing with a government full of unethical, biased, power hungry thieves who have fleeced the people.
Now we have an ego maniacal governor in power. The saddest part about all of this is requires one to look at his campaign. We all know about his medicare scam connection, the one he plead the 5th a sum total of 75 times. But his very campaign was a two-sided admission of his intent to destroy this state, and all the while help himself. Create jobs, and lay off thousands of state workers. Improve the economy, but take money from us. Provide public safety, but cut funding. Help the poor/homeless/sick people, but DESTROY their benefits…
The above examples are not Republican values. These aren’t even American values; they are selfish values sponsored by corporations building greater wealth on the backs of you and I. Like Rep. Argenziano said, this is not exclusive to the “R” party, and is also very prominent in the “D” party.
I am a FORMER “R”. I got a bit too sick and tired of the political abuse of power that has sucked us dry. I have sought my new home after careful, deep consideration. There are third parties out there, and they have much to offer in the way of true ideals. I hope more of the public does the same.