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Shop NowJane Castor, the mayor of Tampa, Florida, has vowed to identify and prosecute people who did not wear masks when celebrating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl victory.
‘Identifying’ Patriotic Citizens
During a press conference the day after the Super Bowl, Castor stated that police in Tampa would be using video footage from the celebration to “identify” people who violated her mask mandate.
“We had tens of thousands of people all over the city, downtown, out by the stadium and very very few incidents. So I’m proud of our community but those few bad actors will be identified and the Tampa Police Department will handle it,” Castor began, noting that the “majority of the individuals that I saw out and about enjoying the festivities associated with the Super Bowl were complying” with her outdoor mask mandate.
“There just has to be that level of personal responsibility. You can supply everyone with a mask, advise them of the science behind it and expect that they are going to abide by the mask order,” she added.
Her order, signed ahead of the Super Bowl celebration, required people to wear masks both inside and outside where social distancing was not possible. It’s unclear whether Tampa Police are able to enforce that order, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had previously signed an executive order making “it difficult for local governments to enforce mask policies because it prohibits them from fining people who don’t comply,” the Orlando Sentinel reported last week.
Castor, a Democrat, seemingly ignored the prohibition on fining people for not wearing masks in signing her executive order.
“In hopes of curbing so-called superspreader events, Castor had signed a largely voluntary executive order requiring people wear face coverings during the Super Bowl festivities, even while they’re outdoors. She pleaded with people to celebrate safely, noting the city could issue fines of up to $500,” the Sentinel wrote.
Hypocrisy At Its Finest
In yet another instance of a Democrat not following their own rules, Castor was seen in a photo not wearing a mask at a sporting event.
“Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says she will use the power of the government to hunt down anyone not wearing a mask after the Super Bowl. Also, here’s a photo of the Tampa mayor maskless at a sporting event. The hypocrisy never ends!” sports commentator Dave Hookstead wrote on Twitter.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says she will use the power of the government to hunt down anyone not wearing a mask after the Super Bowl.
Also, here’s a photo of the Tampa mayor maskless at a sporting event. The hypocrisy never ends! pic.twitter.com/sE9oNnPs3i
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) February 9, 2021
Ron DeSantis was also caught on camera not wearing a mask at the game. When asked about it, he explained that he couldn’t drink a beer with a mask on.
DeSantis is a rising star in the conservative movement, as he is one of the few governors who has refused to enact authoritarian mandates during the COVID pandemic.
Walking It Back
Castor’s office is now trying to claim that she was not speaking about maskless people when discussing the police identifying and prosecuting people.
“Tampa Police are working to identify the people who destroyed street signs and other property during Super Bowl celebrations, not people who failed to wear a mask,” the city official told Newsweek, adding that “the City of Tampa did not issue citations to individuals who failed to wear a mask.”
