DeSantis Makes Disease Great Again Florida’s leaders call it “freedom,” but ending vaccine mandates means parents may save a buck on taxes only to pay the ultimate price: burying children from preventable diseases. MeidasTouch Network and Michael Cohen Sep 5 Guest article by Michael Cohen. Read more from him by following him on Substack here. Just when you think Florida can’t sink lower, Ron DeSantis and his surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, hand you a shovel and say, watch this. Weeks into the new school year, Ladapo announced Florida is working to eliminate every single vaccine mandate for kids. His reasoning? Mandates “drip with disdain and slavery.” Slavery. For making sure kids don’t end up in an iron lung. This is where we’re at. Every other state in the union requires certain vaccines for kids to attend school. Polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B—you know, the very diseases we fought like hell to wipe out. But Florida wants to be first to toss that playbook in the trash. If you’re keeping score, that means Florida will be the first state in modern history to invite polio and measles back into the classroom like they’re guest speakers at career day. Doctors, teachers, pediatric associations—they’re all sounding the alarm. Dr. Rana Alissa from the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics spelled it out: classrooms are petri dishes. Kids sneeze, cough, drool, swap snacks, and lick God-knows-what off desks. When vaccines go away, outbreaks come rushing in. Richard Carpiano, a public health professor, put it even plainer: “This is completely public health in reverse… This is really madness.” Madness is the polite term. I call it reckless endangerment, wrapped in the cheap packaging of “freedom.” Here’s the irony. For months, people in New York, Jersey, even California were looking at Florida as an escape hatch. High taxes, cold winters, crime—people were eyeing Miami condos and Boca mansions, telling themselves they could live like kings while saving a bundle. And many thought maybe, just maybe, with someone like Mamdani in NYC’s political future, Florida would be a great choice to relocate to and raise the family. But then comes DeSantis, flanked by his anti-science mascot, HHS Secretary RFK Jr., effectively saying: Welcome to Florida, where you can pay no income tax and maybe pick up measles while you’re at it. Suddenly that “quality of life” calculus starts looking like a bad bet. We’ve already seen warning signs. Miami-Dade’s immunization rates have been sliding—down nearly 3% in kindergarten coverage since 2019. Broward dropped by 10%. In 2024, a single Broward elementary school saw a measles outbreak that infected seven kids. Seven may not sound like much, but in public health, that’s a fire alarm. And this year alone, there have been 1,431 measles cases nationwide, six in Florida. Once these numbers start climbing, they don’t politely stop at county lines. So imagine you move your family to Florida for the sunshine and tax breaks. Your kid goes to school with classmates whose parents “chose” to skip vaccines. Next thing you know, your child has measles. You’re in the ER. You’re out of work. Your dream move just turned into a nightmare, all because the state wanted to cosplay freedom at the expense of science. It’s not just about kids getting sick. As Dr. Alissa pointed out, when children miss school, caregivers miss work. The economy takes a hit. Outbreaks cost money—massive amounts—when hospitals, schools, and communities scramble to contain them. You’d think a party obsessed with “fiscal responsibility” would at least care about that. But no, ideology trumps economics, just as it trumps medicine. Of course, there are parents cheering this on. BuzzFeed found one Miami mother crowing about how she “regrets” vaccinating her child, convinced that autism or illness was caused by a shot. This is the pseudoscience RFK Jr. has spent years mainstreaming—peddling myths that vaccines are more dangerous than the diseases they prevent. The tragic part? People are buying it, and their kids are paying the price. A very heavy price. Meanwhile, parents like Maria Sanchez, a respiratory therapist with a first grader in Miami Beach, are asking the obvious question: How can such a seismic change be decided without public input? Why aren’t the people whose kids will be directly affected even part of the conversation? The answer’s simple: because this isn’t about kids. It’s about politics. The teachers’ union nailed it in their statement: school vaccination requirements are “proven, science-based protections” that safeguard kids and keep classrooms functioning. Without them, we’re back in the days when a single outbreak could shut down entire communities. And while DeSantis and Ladapo can fiddle around the edges without legislation, removing the mandates entirely would require a vote. God help us if Florida’s legislature decides to go along. So, here’s the bottom line: people don’t move to Florida dreaming of polio. They don’t buy a second home in Miami hoping their kid will bring home measles like it’s a Disney souvenir. But thanks to this administration, that’s the new reality. Save on taxes, roll the dice on your child’s life. That’s the Florida package deal. You’d think RFK Jr. would know better, given the Kennedy legacy of public service. But no; he’s chosen to squander his family name stoking paranoia, handing DeSantis cover for policies that endanger children. Together, they’re dragging Florida—and anyone foolish enough to relocate there—into a public health crisis that makes zero sense in 2025. So if you’re considering packing up and moving south to “live free” in the Sunshine State, you better ask yourself a brutal question: How much is your kid’s life worth? Because you might be saving on taxes, but you’re gambling with everything else. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. ARE YOU WITH ME? IF YES, THEN PLEASE, SUBSCRIBE. SHARE. RESTACK. Michael Cohen Principal of Crisis-X #1 and #8 NYT Bestseller Author Host of The Mea Culpa Podcast Co-Host of The Political Beatdown Former Personal Attorney To President Donald J. Trump Discharged Felon I know—you’re drained. Burned out. Numb from the chaos. Same here. But for nearly a decade I’ve been swinging in the dark, carving out space for truth to breathe. Now I’m asking you to swing with me. Because if you’ve made it this far, you already know: This isn’t a newsletter. It’s a battle cry. A siren. A line drawn deep in the dirt. We are not bystanders watching the wreckage pile up. We are the pushback. We drag the rot into daylight. We speak the unspeakable and refuse to blink. But here’s the catch—I can’t carry this fight alone. The storm isn’t coming—it’s here. Wrapped in red, white, and blue. Preaching “liberty” while peddling authoritarianism like it’s a discount sale. So I’ll ask you straight: Are. You. With. Me? This isn’t the kind of post you skim and forget. This is movement. Messy, loud, relentless movement—and it only exists if you fuel it. We need to shout past spin, punch holes through propaganda, and be immune to gaslighting. That takes more than clicks. More than hollow likes. It takes skin in the game. So if you believe truth matters—if you’re sick of the circus, if you want to stop screaming into the void and start striking back—this is your moment. Here’s how you throw down: Become a paid subscriber. Fund the kind of journalism that doesn’t flinch. Share this with the loudest voices you know—the ones who never bite their tongue. Build the community. Amplify the message. Be the megaphone. And yeah—Founding Members: the first 240 will get a signed, numbered, limited-edition Substack version of Revenge. Not just a collector’s item. It’s proof. Evidence that you stood up instead of sitting out. But don’t get it twisted: This isn’t about a book. It’s about guts. It’s about spine. It’s about locking arms and saying, “Not. On. Our. Watch.” You want to make a dent? Then make it—now. Because if we don’t fight for truth, no one will. But if we fight together? They. Can’t. Silence. Us. Let’s be so loud they’ll pray we were only angry tweets. Let’s be immovable. Unshakable. Unignorable. Un-fucking-breakable. Game on. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. A guest post by Michael Cohen Principal of Crisis-X #1 and #8 NYT Bestseller Author Host of The Mea Culpa Podcast Co-Host of The Political Beatdown Former Personal Attorney To President Donald J. Trump and Discharged Felon COMMENTS:  As a physician, there couldn’t be a worse choice for this position anywhere. He is the infection, the invasive disease. 🦠 It’s all about eugenics, the superior race, survival of the fittest, the Aryan race, etc., we know how this ends. He is so dangerous and must be removed now. I think Trump's grandkids go to school in Florida. Hope's and prayers. What dumb asses they all are I think Trump's grandkids go to school in Florida. Hope's and prayers. What dumb asses they all are And his family WILL get vaccinated. Yes, they do. Check out the stats how low our educational system is. But mind you, Trump’s grandkids go to private school. NOT public school. Let that sink in. Don’t blame me. I live in Pennsylvania. It’s DeSantis and Trump who have turned much of the state into their own, personal penal colony and swamp. I live in Massachusetts and our governor is making sure that every person who wants it, will have access to Covid vaccines, flu vaccines or any other vaccine they need. Blue state. I would never live in a red state. My fiance is moving here from Texas and I told him that things are much different here than in any red state. Why these people keep getting voted in to office, I can't figure out. This country is the worst I have seen it in my 65 years. My parents didn't live to see whats happening and I thank God for that. It would have broken their hearts. My dad fought bravely for this country in World War II and Trump was to chickenshit to do his duty to his country. Mr. bone spurs. Have surgery, coward. I did and I am doing just fine. Stay safe and healthy. Why would anyone visit Florida? Why would any pregnant woman visit Florida? Why would anyone, domestic or foreign visit Disney World? These idiots do not have any critical thinking skills.. and it shows "We Americans have no commission from God to police the world" (1888) President Benjamin Harrison * * * * * On Sunday [31 Aug 2025] the Washington Post published a leaked prospectus for the plan, which would involve the forced displacement of Gaza’s entire population of 2 million people and put the territory into a US trusteeship for at least a decade. A plan circulating in the White House to develop the “Gaza Riviera” as a string of high-tech megacities has been dismissed as an “insane” attempt to provide cover for the large-scale ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian territory’s population. ... Most controversially, the 38-page plan suggests what it calls “temporary relocation of all of Gaza’s more than 2 million population” – a proposal that would amount to ethnic cleansing, potentially a genocidal act. ... “The US has made clear since February [when details of plans for a Trump Riviera in Gaza first emerged] that they are OK with the idea of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The Guardian, 1 Sep 2025 https://tinyurl.com/mwewnwsx * * * * * From the Washington Post: The GREAT Trust https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/f86dd56a-de7f-4943-af4a-84819111b727.pdf ✓ The Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation (GREAT) Trust will fundamentally transform Gaza (spatial design, economy, governance) and integrate it into the Abrahamic fabric and the broader IMEC initiative. ✓ A US-led multi-lateral Custodianship leading to a reformed Palestinian self governance. It can start as a US-Israel bilateral agreement taking control from Israel to the US (once Hamas is disarmed) and evolve to a formal multilateral trusteeship. ✓ US Strategic Benefits: Massive $ gains, accelerate IMEC, solidify the Abrahamic regional architecture, strengthen hold in the east Mediterranean, and secure US-industry access to $1.3T of rare-earth minerals from the Gulf. The Gaza-Arish-Sderot Special Economic Zone will ... spearhead 10 ambitious mega-projects (PPPs) [including] The Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone: Industrial zones along the Gaza-Israel boarder feeding from and to the Abrahamic Gateway through the Gaza Ring [and the] Gaza Trump Riviera & Islands: World-class resorts along the coastline and on small artificial islands (similar to the Palm Islands in Dubai) In Massachusetts, 3 MASS GOP endorse DESANTIS that defines how BRAIN DEAD & UNINFORMED the MASS GOP is & why there are so few REPUBLICANS in the legislature.  DeSantis failed to regulate the environment, killing MANATEES and destroyed the EVERGLADES with agricultural runoff from SUGAR! Ron DeSantis' New Surgeon General Appeared in 'Demon Sperm' Doctor's COVID Conspiracy Video excerpt:  One of the video's main speakers, Dr. Stella Immanuel, is a physician who operates a medical clinic in a Texas strip mall next to her church, Firepower Ministries. In the video, she called hydroxychloroquine a "cure" and said, "You don't need a mask" to prevent the virus' spread. Immanuel has claimed that ovarian cysts and endometriosis are caused by "demonic seed." Demons insert sperm into sleeping individuals when they have sex in their dreams, Immanuel claimed in articles on her church's website. One of the video's main speakers, Dr. Stella Immanuel, is a physician who operates a medical clinic in a Texas strip mall next to her church, Firepower Ministries. In the video, she called hydroxychloroquine a "cure" and said, "You don't need a mask" to prevent the virus' spread. Ladapo has also promoted the anti-parasite medication ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised against using ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. In October 2020, Ladapo signed the Great Barrington Declaration, a statement that called for developing societal herd immunity to COVID-19 through natural infection. NOTE: GREAT BARRINGTON DECLARATION is a DIRTY ENERGY KOCH funded think tank - it's a SCAM!  Ladapo has also promoted the anti-parasite medication ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised against using ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. The QUACK CURES were tested in HOSPITALS in EUROPE - controlled settings where they could address any complications. Found to be ineffective! COVID DEATH RATES WERE HIGHER IN REPUBLICAN VOTING AREAS.  ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE YOUR LIFE FOR SCIENTIFIC IGNORANCE? FLORIDA IS EXPERIENCING A MEASLES EPIDEMIC THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT  CONSEQUENCES TO SOME .... IGNORED & DISMISSED BY LADAPO.  FLORIDA IS EXPERIENCING LEPROSY THAT IS BEING IGNORED. THIS IS PUBLIC HEALTH!  DESANTIS APPOINTED THIS FRAUD (LADAPO) IN CHARGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH? DEMON SPERM DOCTOR?  It is known that ARMADILLOS transmit LEPROSY....except people who have never been exposed to ARMADILLOS are contracting LEPROSY  (called HANSEN'S DISEASE) When you have a CLOWN in charge of PUBLIC HEALTH, how do you know the source?  Has it jumped SPECIES? NO ONE IS ASKING.  FLORIDA IS FLOODING BECAUSE DESANTIS CUT FUNDING....  THIS IS WHAT MASSACHUSETTS DIM WITS ENDORSED?   Joseph Ladapo Florida Surgeon General, researcher Joseph Abiodun Ladapo is the surgeon general of Florida. He has attracted attention for spreading misinformation on COVID-19 and promoting vaccine hesitancy. After immigrating to the United States from Nigeria, Ladapo earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Health Policy from Harvard University. He served as a professor of medicine at New York University before being tenured at the University of California, Los Angeles. Wikipedia Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapo investigated for allegedly falsifying Covid report The Florida Department of Health’s inspector general closed the probe after the complainant wouldn’t provide further information. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/22/florida-joe-ladapo-investigated-covid-report-00084075 ‘Scientific nonsense’: experts dismiss Florida official’s Covid vaccine remarks State’s politically appointed surgeon general claims vaccines can contaminate human DNA but experts say comment has no merit https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/04/florida-surgeon-general-covid-vaccine-misinformation-joseph-ladapo There's a great deal of additional information available regarding LADAPO for those inclined to INFORM themselves. "R" voters are consistently uninformed and fail to do their research before supporting an "R" candidate. PROVE ME WRONG!