Florida governance is in decline, not in structure but in substance. Parents see it in schools stripped of resources; drivers feel it on roads awash in road rage; neighborhoods notice it when basic services, maintenance or repairs arrive late or not at all. Collapse isn’t a distant possibility, it’s already underway. These are the warning lights.
Politicians focused on themselves exacerbate our problems. Congressional gridlock has become routine. Neither party treats governance as a duty, only as leverage. In Florida, that means air traffic controllers at Orlando International, Orlando Executive, and Sanford airports working short-staffed, with safety margins eroded. It means USDA inspectors pulled off the citrus groves, leaving produce to rot. State vs. Orange County disputes over budgets and case backlogs have become political theater instead of problem-solving. The numbers and cases are real, but the narrative is focused on blame, not solutions.
Our voting processes are under attack. Both parties claim to defend democracy, but both have fueled distrust when it suits them. Changes like SB 90, restricting drop boxes and vote-by-mail, have only deepened the sense that rules are being rewritten for partisan advantage. Orange and Seminole County election supervisors pour resources into ballot security, yet confidence is still poisoned. When voters believe the game is rigged, turnout collapses. That’s disenfranchisement by any definition.
Polarization doesn’t stay in D.C. It erupts in county school board meetings that have turned into flashpoints over curriculum and book bans, with shouting matches replacing dialogue. When leaders treat opponents as enemies, citizens follow suit. The hidden danger is the normalization of hostility on roads and in discourse. Florida’s Surgeon General has publicly questioned established prevention measures, including vaccines and fluoridation, at times urging parents to be skeptical of medical consensus. In my view, this rhetoric risks undermining trust in pediatricians, school nurses, and county health departments. In Orange County, where vaccination rates already lag, this could risk outbreaks of diseases we thought were under control. We must defend science and demand accountability at all levels. Finally, as of day 272, this year has already seen 324 mass shootings nationwide. Taking all this together, it’s truly frightening.
Florida’s economy and credibility are also on the line. Home insurance is unaffordable. Orlando’s tourism industry depends on international visitors who need to believe the U.S. is stable. Even Florida’s fight with Disney over its special district became a global story, raising doubts about whether the state is a predictable partner for business. And with one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country, Florida feels the ripple effects of national rhetoric about the military. What happened at Quantico won’t stay at Quantico, it comes to our ROTC classrooms, veteran centers, and enlistment offices.
What I call “collapse” has already begun, which means citizens must act where the parties have failed. In Florida, that means refusing to wait for Washington to fix itself. From hurricane relief to election law, from school boards to Disney, Florida is reflecting the national dysfunction. So, what now? Trust is gone. “We, the people…” remain the last barrier against the complete erosion of integrity, accountability, civility, and competence.
Protect voting. Support county election officials who still take integrity seriously. Show up, volunteer, and defend the process against those who would undermine it even though recent legislation makes that harder.
Hold leaders accountable. Demand that shutdowns and partisan theater stop. Floridians should not pay the price for dysfunction in Washington or Tallahassee.
Keep civil. Stand with teachers, school boards, and community groups who support democracy and insist that debate doesn’t have to become a shouting match.
Build trust networks. Support churches, neighborhood groups, civic clubs, and friends that can withstand disinformation and provide reliable information in crises.
The political parties have forfeited our trust. That leaves Floridians with a choice, we step up, or watch the warning lights turn into alarms. If county government, together with its citizens, can hold the line at schools, elections, and civic groups, it won’t just preserve itself. It will show the rest of the country that collapse is not destiny, but can be averted when citizens take key responsibilities into their own hands.
Robert Breaux served as mayor of Maitland from 1993 to 2000.