If there is one local state elected we need to replace this coming November, please let it be State Rep. Jose Oliva, the Miami Lakes Republican who sponsored the odious school “safety bill” (pffft) that doesn’t ban assault rifles but arms teachers in schools, instead.
This is the man who will direct the House
agenda next year as Speaker. We can’t let that happen.
Oliva is the man who would put guns in the hands of the teachers who guide our children every day. He had already raised eyebrows with his speaker nomination, since he’s done so very little to deserve it, mostly sponsoring laws that benefit his cigar business and the industry and toeing the party line. This is the first major thing he does. This.
Related: Lawmakers vote to leave assault rifles on the street and arm teachers instead
Democcrats are actively looking for someone to run against Oliva, who should be beatable on this issue. Just let me write the robocalls.
“Our number one priority this year is to send a message to the Florida House that we will defeat your incoming speaker on this issue,” said Juan Cuba, chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.
He 
said the party has opened a political action committee called Defeat the NRA and will be using it to push alternatives to the gun-loving incumbents — starting with Oliva.
“We can’t let these politicians who get an A from the NRA run unopposed,” Cuba told Ladra late Tuesday after the House bill that would arm teachers but not ban assault weapons was passed. “We have to force them to explain to voters why protecting semi automatic rifles is more important than protecting our kids and loved ones.”
Ladra hopes that Cuba and the Democratic Party doesn’t pluck some Venezuelan woman who lives in Broward and was a Republican ten minutes ago to run against him. Or a lobbyist that will be easily attacked. And let’s pray they don’t just prop someone up and then abandon the campaign, like they did with the full House challenge “Fat Chance” candidates that they put up against Republican incumbents in 2014. They all lost.
Related: ‘Fat Chance’ Dems in full House challenge doing next to nada
Because this seat is definitely flippable. Last year, Carlos Puentes, Sr., a military veteran who loaned himself $2,400 for filing expenses, got 45% of the vote without a single advertisement and practically no campaign, against Oliva’s $314,320. Imgaine what a well-funded, credible and viable candidate, who can get her or his message out, can do.
Or let’s not just imagine it. Let’s make it happen. This would send a message that us voters are more important than the NRA.
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Lets not let a good tragedy go to waste.Right Mr. Cuba?
The NRA did not shoot anyone
The NRA did not sell Cruz the rifle
The NRA did not sit outside while getting paid, armed until the shooting was over
The NRA did not go to Cruz’s house dozens of times because he was acting violently
The NRA did not get great tips on Mr. Cruz’s violent intentions
The NRA did NOT vote on any gun legislation
The NRA does publicly advocate for private gun ownership (1st Amendment)
The NRA does lobby for “pro-gun” ownership by law abiding citizens (1st Amendment)
The NRA does contribute to political campaigns (1st Amendment)
Did it ever occur to Mr. Cuba (What year did he win the title? Looks like he’s got to get back in the gym) that some people do believe in the right of sane and law abiding citizens to own guns (and yes rifles) especially in light of the failures of law enforcement (they are human) to keep the kids at MSD safe.
Disclaimer I’m not an NRA member nor am I a Republican or Democrat
If a teacher with a gun means the difference of life and death for children attending school, WHY NOT! No one is forcing teachers to carry guns, they are being given the option to do so. at the end of the day, teachers are just as much targets as the children are, they are both easy targets, so WHY NOT have the ability to protect themselves and the children. Stop being so close minded. This bill could save lives, or you just prefer to rant and rave and leave guns in the hands of maniacs while these teachers and children are completely helpless. Our military men and women serve our great Country on a voluntary basis, teachers that want to carry would also be doing so on a voluntary basis. Obviously there would be extensive vetting, and training before any person is able to be armed with a weapon in school, why don’t you talk about that. Why don’t you think about the potential of the lives that could be saved. The officer that was there at the school, who was armed and was supposed to PROTECT those children failed to do so. Interesting how this article attacks the teacher carry, but does not praise anything else being done by the swift legislation being passed to help protect children and teachers from this atrocity happening again.
Its dangerous because teachers aren’t trained officers and you have no idea how someone will react in an active shooter situation, INCLUDING TRAINED OFFICERS. On top of everything, you will have teachers with weapons who could snap at any moment. This is beyond bad policy: it is putting students’ LIVES in serious risk.
More armed people WILL HARM MORE LIVES THAN IT SAVES. You would send your children into a room with an armed person who you have never met nor know in any way beyond being assigned to their classroom? That is absurd! This is an absurd policy and distracts from the true problem in Florida and America: too many guns and too few barriers for the worst in our society to get them. The Florida Legislature can barely fund public schools and now they want to give underpaid, overworked, stressed out employees firearms. Absolute lunacy.
Protecting children would be more funding for schools security, making it more difficult for people to buy long arms and high capacity magazines, and NOT ARMING TEACHERS.
So you’re ok with the armed police being in the school How about cops cross trained to teach? Make you feel better? It’s totally semantics.. Police training isn’t rocket science, actually the teacher requirements are much harder.
Nobody is suggesting 5’2″ 99 pound Ms Tiny Kindergarten teacher be trained to protect the school.
In fact it doesn’t even need to be classroom teachers. There are a lot of support staff in a school. For example we have thousands of assistant school football coaches hire as coaches but doubling as classroom teachers in the off season (to hide classroom budget money spent on athletics) . How far a mental leap is it to think of cross trained willing and able school staff doubling as undercover school marshalls?
That’s a great idea let’s make it a single issue anti NRA. campaign.
And since sheriff Scott Israel will no longer be in law-enforcement by then he can become the political spokesman. Come to think of it, the Coward of Broward Peterson is also retired, he can help too.
The slogan could be along the lines of – time and well armed police have rendered the second amendment moot.”
Vote this creep out or put his office on a rotating basis in different schools where he alone is sitting with a gun to protect our children. Do not expect teachers to become warriors. They have enough responsibility with very little resources. What an ass.