Florida slashed local health departments’ staffing from 12,422 in 2010 to 9,125 in 2019, our analysis of state data showed #UnderfundedUnderThreat.
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The state cut spending even as its population grew, causing per person health department spending to drop by 41%, falling faster and further than the rest of the nation.
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Health experts blame the Florida funding cuts on the Great Recession and choices by a series of governors who wanted to move publicly funded state services to for-profit companies.
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Even before the pandemic hit, that meant fewer disease investigators and public health nurses. When COVID-19 came, the state was caught flat-footed when it mattered most.
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Meanwhile, Floridians got mixed messages about masks from political leaders. Voices within health departments were muzzled. Confirmed cases soared past half a million, deaths to more than 10,000.
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“The reality, unfortunately, is people are going to die because of the irresponsibility of the decisions being made by the people crafting the budgets,” said Ron Bialek of
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foh
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The legacy of Rick Scott.
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The entire American health care system is a cruel joke. But we have the most expensive military industrial complex. We win!
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What is the death rate per million residents of Florida vs, oh let’s say New York?
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True but we got it 1st and we are 1000 times more condensed; it isn't comparable. In the meantime, my family in florida are prisoners
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