David Rivera’s new law: He continues to steal from taxpayers

David Rivera never ceases to amaze me. The guy is a walking campaign poster. And if getting elected makes you a good politician, then he’s a good politician. But other than the fact that his antics seem to help him at the polls, the not so gentle-man from Miami may be one of the worst lawmakers the state of Florida may have ever seen.

I say worst because Rivera will spare no tax dollar (that’s right, OUR money!) in order to propose crazy laws in the legislature that ultimately have gone nowhere, helped no one (other than David), and in the end have cost Florida taxpayers big dollars. Case in point is the failed law struck down by the courts that imposed high fees on companies booking flights to Cuba. It cost the state millions to defend itself against those being affected, and in the end, the state lost. Any legal scholar could have (and did) warn Rivera the law would go nowhere.

Rivera is the Florida legislature’s budget chief. Imagine that! It’s like having a crack addict in charge of the family budget. Think about it, Rivera in charge of our dollars at a time when the state is looking for billions to make ends meet…

This year’s Rivera antic entails prohibiting the state from distributing a “virtual stamp of approval” on goods being exported from Florida to Cuba. As described by St. Petersburg Times columnist Robert Samuels, “The ‘certificate of free sale’ is a written document that guarantees a product that claims to be manufactured in Florida really is manufactured here and isn’t a bootlegged product.”

Rivera called his law a “priority.” In response, Terence McElory, spokesman for the state’s Agriculture Department, which regulates the issuance of the certificates told Samuels, “There’s not a lot of trade going on there, as you can imagine.” Samuels’ conclusion regarding the law is right on: “While the policy impact of Rivera’s proposal is a little hazy, the politics seem clear: Rivera is seeking support for his congressional run in a district that is heavily Cuban-American.”

You’d think voters would learn that Rivera is out for himself while using our money. In other words, he’s a crook. And we’re all being duped.

Alvaro F. Fernandez