Former DeSantis campaign staffer criticizes Florida unemployment system

After being among 38 people, approximately 1/3 of the entire staff, fired from Florida Governor and 2024 Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis’s campaign staff, Tampa’s Bruce Bluth finds himself unemployed and at the mercy of the state’s heavily criticized Reemployment Assistance system.

“This is ridiculous,” said Bluth, attempting to log in for the 14th time in one day to apply for benefits.

Chronic issues with the system’s assistance portal, known as Reconnect, began during the first term of former governor Rick Scott’s administration when the state spent $77 million overhauling the system only to have applicants locked out or waiting a month for assistance.

“What are people, like me, who need help supposed to do?” lamented Bluth. “I don’t mean the poors, I mean good, qualified, capable, worthwhile people. Like me.”

“Shouldn’t there be a separate, better, functional system for people like me?”

“I don’t even know why I lost my job”, he continued. “I thought that Florida was ‘Open for Business’ and the saying was, ‘Go Woke, Go Broke’.”

“It’s almost as if Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott are both full of shit.”