During the height of the pandemic, Ron DeSantis gambled and won. Facing what looked like a substantial revenue shortfall, he continued to spend as if nothing had happened in the hope that the federal government would bail him out. It did. The pandemic relief bill, and the recovery that followed it, left Florida awash in cash. DeSantis was consequently in a position to cut taxes, give state employees a raise, and complain about Biden’s inflation at the same time.
Today, the only hope for the survival of the Florida Freedom Project is an absolutely massive infusion of federal aid; otherwise, DeSantis and the Republicans in the Florida Legislature will have to raise taxes, add an assessment to state hurricane insurance policies, and impose lots of new building regulations to address the impacts of Ian. Will the federal government come to the rescue again? Yes, but probably not to the extent that DeSantis would wish.
Of course, that will mean that he can take the cash with one hand and lob grenades of ingratitude back at Washington with the other, which would suit him and the base just fine.