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Florida scientist was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data, she said

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Rogue Valley

Rogue Valley

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Florida scientist was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data, she said

e9d0bf83-e6c9-4a85-9fd0-c775168ef33f-Jones_dashboard-768x432.jpg

Rebekah Jones holds a MS degree in Geography and Mass Communication from LSU and
a PhD in Geography from Florida State University.

5/19/20
The scientist who created Florida's COVID-19 data portal wasn't just removed from her position on May 5, she was fired on Monday by the Department of Health, she said, for refusing to manipulate data. Rebekah Jones said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY that she single-handedly created two applications in two languages, four dashboards, six unique maps with layers of data functionality for 32 variables covering a half a million lines of data. Her objective was to create a way for Floridians and researchers to see what the COVID-19 situation was in real time. Then, she was dismissed. "I worked on it alone, sixteen hours a day for two months, most of which I was never paid for, and now that this has happened I'll probably never get paid for," she wrote in an email, confirming that she had not just been reassigned on May 5, but fired from her job as Geographic Information Systems manager for the Florida Department of Health. In an email last Friday to researchers and other data users, Jones warned that with her removal changes were likely coming to the accessibility and transparency of the dashboard data. "They are making a lot of changes. I would advise being diligent in your respective uses of this data," she wrote.

YIQJLY4XVJE7VAGO7HAY7FFZKM.png

Florida's COVID-19 online Dashboard created by Rebekah Jones.

Researchers who saw the email reacted with shock and dismay, suggesting it could be evidence that the Gov. Ron De Santis' government was censoring information to support the case for re-opening Florida. "We have been directed to start tracking data related to reopening, and it is consuming a lot of staff hours on very short notice." Days later she would be removed from the position entirely and her data users sounded the alarm that government might be censoring science. She holds a masters of science degree in geography and mass communication from Louisiana State University and a bachelors in Journalism and Geography from Syracuse University. Terrie Rizzo, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, released a statement on Tuesday calling for an investigation. “Allegations that Florida’s government may have tried to manipulate or alter data to make reopening appear safer is outrageous. These kinds of actions are dangerous and, frankly, should be criminal," she wrote. The Department of Health has so far not replied to request for comment.
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Seems like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) wants his COVID data manipulated to act a cheerleader for his re-opening plans. The most important task is to make Trump happy.

Another Republican charlatan :shrug:

Vote for your Democrat candidate for US Senate on November 3[sup]rd[/sup]​
 
Rogue Valley said:
"...she said, for refusing to manipulate data."
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LOL. I'm sure. And her employer can't speak freely about the real reason she was terminated because lawsuits.

I'll bet money that her dismissal involves her misuse of data outside of and/or beyond her agencies approval.

"Her objective was to create a way for Floridians and researchers to see what the COVID-19 situation was in real time. "
Click to expand...

Was that task assigned to her, or is this something she did on her own? Did she exceed her authority?
 
I looked at the site, and I think she single-highhandedly did a beautiful job (for free, to boot). Each state should purchase her work and use the dashboard.

She did mention that she was apprehensive about suppression of accessibility and transparency of data. Considering most PHDs are pretty objective about truth and transparency, I could understand that.
And also considering the State's leaders have a history of trying to suppress truth regarding Covid-19 data, also might shed some light....

"During the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis has praised his administration’s data transparency. But the state has consistently resisted revealing important data points and public records to the news media and taxpayers, relenting only in the face of lawsuits. Information that was initially withheld includes the number of deaths and infections at nursing homes, medical examiner accounts of COVID-19 fatalities, the extent of Florida’s testing backlog, infections and deaths at state prisons and precisely how early cases began appearing in the state."

Read more here: Access Denied

*Don't know why the link shows access denied, but the source is
Miami Herald, "Florida’s COVID-19 website guru blasts bosses, hints at data suppression"
 
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Schism said:
LOL. I'm sure. And her employer can't speak freely about the real reason she was terminated because lawsuits.

I'll bet money that her dismissal involves her misuse of data outside of and/or beyond her agencies approval.

Was that task assigned to her, or is this something she did on her own? Did she exceed her authority?
Click to expand...

Do you have any factual basis for any of that?


Because all I see is a knee-jerk reaction that I'd expect from only the most hyperpartisan of conservatives, not an independent. And you say you are independent. So surely there is a factual basis for you to accuse her of those three things.
 
Schism said:
I'll bet money that her dismissal involves her misuse of data outside of and/or beyond her agencies approval.
Click to expand...

Of course you have credible citations for your CT right?
 
If she has some emails or some documentation I see a rather punitive wrongful termination lawsuit.
 
Rogue Valley said:
Florida scientist was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data, she said

e9d0bf83-e6c9-4a85-9fd0-c775168ef33f-Jones_dashboard-768x432.jpg

Rebekah Jones holds a MS degree in Geography and Mass Communication from LSU and
a PhD in Geography from Florida State University.



Seems like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) wants his COVID data manipulated to act a cheerleader for his re-opening plans. The most important task is to make Trump happy.

Another Republican charlatan :shrug:

Vote for your Democrat candidate for US Senate on November 3[sup]rd[/sup]​
Click to expand...

So now we're in the suppression of facts stage of this crisis. Isn't this exactly what the pro-coronavirus crowd has been whining about with China? :doh
 
Phys251 said:
So now we're in the suppression of facts stage of this crisis. Isn't this exactly what the pro-coronavirus crowd has been whining about with China? :doh
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A fully transparent data analysis doesn't seem to be the goal here.

If you decide what your conclusion before you start and then slant the data to support it you simply aren't a scientist in any way.
 
Variant said:
A fully transparent data analysis doesn't seem to be the goal here.

If you decide what your conclusion before you start and then slant the data to support it you simply aren't a scientist in any way.
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Prove that that is what happened and that it justifies her termination. :)
 
Phys251 said:
So now we're in the suppression of facts stage of this crisis. Isn't this exactly what the pro-coronavirus crowd has been whining about with China? :doh
Click to expand...

When Trump sent out his "LIBERATE!" tweets, the GOP Governors had their marching orders.

Reminds me of Trump telling us no US soldiers were injured in the Iran rocket attack on the US base in Iraq.

Turns out 110 U.S. military personnel were injured (traumatic brain injury).

Trump doesn't care about deaths or casualties. All he cares about is his reelection campaign.
 
Variant said:
I didn't mean to imply that it was. I think if they asked her to slant her data to their preferred conclusions then THEY aren't really scientists and they should leave the cold sober look at the data to the professionals.
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Who is "they"? Seems that this scientist was just doing her job and got censored by state officials. Do you deny this?
 
She's cute. So in Trump/Fox world that means we believe her, right?
 
Phys251 said:
Who is "they"? Seems that this scientist was just doing her job and got censored by state officials. Do you deny this?
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They would be the state officials who fired and replaced her.
 
Mr Person said:
Do you have any factual basis for any of that?


Because all I see is a knee-jerk reaction that I'd expect from only the most hyperpartisan of conservatives, not an independent. And you say you are independent. So surely there is a factual basis for you to accuse her of those three things.
Click to expand...

I'm simply predicting what will come of this story, like so many others the left has rallied around for 3 1/2 years. Anything to smear the Orange Man.

Stormy! Avanatti! Mueller! David Hogg for President! LOL. So many earth shattering headlines that liberals won't even look at anymore.

So much hope pinned on your rescue by Hillary, then Comey, Obama, Brennan, Clapper, Wolf Blitzer, Madcow, Joe Biden. hahaha. All zip. nada. zero. Like this story.
 
Schism said:
I'm simply predicting what will come of this story, like so many others the left has rallied around for 3 1/2 years. Anything to smear the Orange Man.

Stormy! Avanatti! Mueller! David Hogg for President! LOL. So many earth shattering headlines that liberals won't even look at anymore.

So much hope pinned on your rescue by Hillary, then Comey, Obama, Brennan, Clapper, Wolf Blitzer, Madcow, Joe Biden. hahaha. All zip. nada. zero. Like this story.
Click to expand...
:lamo
 
Mr Person said:
Do you have any factual basis for any of that?


Because all I see is a knee-jerk reaction that I'd expect from only the most hyperpartisan of conservatives, not an independent. And you say you are independent. So surely there is a factual basis for you to accuse her of those three things.
Click to expand...

And you claim to be 'slightly liberal' lol. Just one more thing you cant be honest about I guess.
 
She can come stay with me during her unemployment for free.
Heck, I may even pay her a little for services rendered.

She is hot!
 
from

Yahoo, Questions arise on coronavirus data used to back reopenings

"Last week the state of Georgia fixed a graph showing COVID-19 cases after intense online mockery and criticism. The original graph was not arranged chronologically along the X axis, but instead to order the data in a way that made it look like it was declining."

What the heck??? Now that's blatant and biased dishonesty worth firing the entire staff, all the way up to upper management, over.
 
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Schism said:
I'm simply predicting what will come of this story, like so many others the left has rallied around for 3 1/2 years. Anything to smear the Orange Man.

Stormy! Avanatti! Mueller! David Hogg for President! LOL. So many earth shattering headlines that liberals won't even look at anymore.

So much hope pinned on your rescue by Hillary, then Comey, Obama, Brennan, Clapper, Wolf Blitzer, Madcow, Joe Biden. hahaha. All zip. nada. zero. Like this story.
Click to expand...

By chance are you a Birther?
 
Rogue Valley said:
Florida scientist was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data, she said

e9d0bf83-e6c9-4a85-9fd0-c775168ef33f-Jones_dashboard-768x432.jpg

Rebekah Jones holds a MS degree in Geography and Mass Communication from LSU and
a PhD in Geography from Florida State University.



Seems like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) wants his COVID data manipulated to act a cheerleader for his re-opening plans. The most important task is to make Trump happy.

Another Republican charlatan :shrug:

Vote for your Democrat candidate for US Senate on November 3[sup]rd[/sup]​
Click to expand...

Florida had 1200 new infections on Saturday and the Gov. says we can fully reopen. It is ridiculous. We are soon going to rival NY.

Experience
 
My goodness! you people jump on these Smollett/Covington like stories and then end up looking stupid over and over again.

When will you learn your lesson?
 
Florida scientist said she was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data

Florida scientist said she was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data

The scientist who created Florida's COVID-19 data portal wasn't just removed from her position on May 5, she was fired on Monday by the Department of Health, she said, for refusing to manipulate data.

Rebekah Jones said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY that she single-handedly created two applications in two languages, four dashboards, six unique maps with layers of data functionality for 32 variables covering a half a million lines of data. Her objective was to create a way for Floridians and researchers to see what the COVID-19 situation was in real time.

Then, she was dismissed.

After FLORIDA TODAY first reported Jones' removal from her position in charge of the Florida COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard she created, she confirmed, as reported by CBS-12 in West Palm Beach that she was fired because she was ordered to censor some data, but refused to "manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen."

Florida scientist said she was fired for 'refusing to manipulate' COVID-19 data
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I have suspected all along that Ron Desantis, Governor of Florida and possibly Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia have been 'modifying' the numbers of deaths and infections from Covid-19 under Trump's orders. Ron Desantis would do his best to sprout wings and quack like a duck if Trump told him to. But fooling the public is hurting the public. People in Florida will have a false sense of security if they believe the greatest danger is over. They'll go out in public without masks and forget all about social distancing.
 
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