Written by: Pensacola News Journal
Sept. 3, 2013
Florida Senate President Don Gaetz is serious about seeing Florida live up to its boast of being the Sunshine State.
Recently, he boldly named Barbara Petersen, president of the Florida First Amendment Foundation, to a legislative panel that will be charged with streamlining public access to state records and strengthening Florida’s Sunshine Law.
This is a serious move from a state leader who takes government openness and accountability seriously.
And it’s a message to any of our local leaders who still remain sunshine-reluctant: Get with the program.
Since taking the reins of the Senate presidency, we have been continually impressed by Gaetz as one of the smartest, most reasonable and most effective leaders in recent legislative history. Not to mention his talent as an agile rhetorician who never fails to say what he means while delivering a great —and often humorous — quote.
He has represented this region well as a pragmatic conservative deeply rooted in common sense as opposed to shallow ideology.
Within the labyrinthine bureaucracy of secrets, egos and ambitions that is the Legislature, Gaetz is widely respected and a rare beacon of straightforwardness.
For all these reasons, Gaetz is exactly the type of leader we need to move forward — be it on the state, federal or local level. He has proven himself the foil to so many petty, pointless, corrupt and ineffective leaders who wander like zombies across our political landscapes these days.
His embrace of Petersen and government openness is more than just symbolism. It’s action. And that action is proof of a deeper philosophy that openness yields more effective, more efficient and ultimately, smaller and better government. Dare we say it? This is a case of a politician talking the talk and walking the walk.
Let’s hope it leads to more of our “leaders” talking and walking like Gaetz.