Guest AuthorOver the years, I’ve observed that Floridians want their politicians to be driven by Florida values. This election season, voters must be wondering: how has Gov. Rick Scott lived up to key Sunshine State commitments?
- Rewarding hard work: Floridians don’t want handouts they believe in working for a living. That’s why they believe in a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.
Scott has dodged questions on the minimum wage and has even said that the push for a raise in the minimum wage makes him “cringe.” He sees no problem in the fact that Florida’s $7.93 minimum wage has eroded, adjusted for inflation, by $3 over the past decades.
- The inviolable vote: Floridians defend democracy’s inviolable institution: the vote.
Scott has pursued a purge of voter rolls and early voting restrictions. It took a federal court and a revolt from county elections supervisors to put a stop to his attempts to disenfranchise Florida voters.
- Practicality: Floridians want politicians to have the same practical problem-solving spirit that they and their neighbors exhibit in daily life.
Scott turned down $2.4 billion in federal money for highspeed rail funds that could have created hundreds of Florida jobs. It was nothing more than ideological theater. As the Transportation Secretary said at the time, “I really believe there is only one person in Florida who didn’t want highspeed rail because we heard from thousands of other people who were so disappointed.”
- Education: Floridians value education.
Scott’s budget leaves public schools with $356 less per student, adjusted for inflation, than the previous governor’s final budget. Even though his administration has aggressively scrutinized public school teachers, he has failed to hold private charter schools profiteers accountable.
- Being forthright: Floridians don’t like politicians talking behind their back saying one thing to them in public and another in closed rooms full of fat cats.
Scott attended a secret, invitationonly meeting in Colorado hosted by the billionaire Koch Brothers in 2011, but made sure Floridians did not know about it by keeping it off of his schedule. When asked, his spokesman said she could not “speculate as to what he had done,” but Scott later had to admit that he was in attendance.
- Community health: Florida cities have a strong history of local health and wellness initiatives.
Scott signed a bill in 2013 banning Florida cities from taking initiative on ensuring paid sick leave, which endangered community health. Of course, the bill pleased Walt Disney World and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
- Stewardship: Floridians are proud to steward some of our nation’s most beautiful natural wonders, from the Everglades to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Scott has, in the words of the Tampa Bay Times, “bulldozed a record of environmental protection that his Republican and Democratic predecessors spent decades building.” He’s rolled back water protections, killing a statewide septic tank inspection program and ending a springs restoration initiative launched by former Gov. Jeb Bush. He’s cut spending in land conservation by 83 percent and gutted enforcement by filling environmental protection boards with people from industry. Here’s one illustrative example: when a Department of Environmental Protection expert denied a permit that she thought violated state law, she was suspended and investigated by Scott’s administration.
- Love thy neighbor: Floridians understand that their neighbors can come on hard times and believe that those struggling to make ends meet deserve our respect.
Scott has relentlessly pushed to subject those seeking temporary public assistance to humiliating urine drug tests. He even spent $400,000 defending the program in court, which the ACLU has called a “costly and embarrassing boondoggle for Floridians.” It took a U.S. district judge to stop Scott’s program, declaring it unconstitutional. However, Scott has filed an appeal in the hopes of spending more taxpayer dollars to argue for his right to humiliate impoverished Floridians in need of assistance.
- Fair markets: Floridians want their markets to be fair. They do not want policies that benefit corporations but harm average citizens.
Scott has pledged $266 million in corporate tax breaks in return for 45,258 new jobs, but over 96 percent of the alleged jobs have yet to materialize, as reported by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times after investigating hundreds of Scott’s “jobcreation” deals. Take Colt’s Manufacturing Company for example: Scott spent $250,000 renovating their Kissimmee warehouse, but the building remains empty. Or Redpine Healthcare Technologies: they got $400,000 from Scott and a congratulatory note, but the jobs never arrived.
As Floridians head to the polls Tuesday, I hope they keep these facts in mind about how Scott has opposed these Florida values.
Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate and author of “Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State.” Column courtesy of Context Florida.
