Florida Voters: Mark Calendars: November 4, 2014

Several years ago, I penned an article explaining who so many harmful and incompetent leaders are elected and why this happens year after year. I suggested that we all voted, but too many of us gave a "proxy" to the radical and fringe elements of the voting population. In recent years, and especially in 2010, that meant the Tea Party activists, some of whom were and are sincere folks who have thought out their beliefs, but too many of whom are fodder to be manipulated by political operatives and delight in a lack of knowledge of basic economics and history.


Governor Scott is the object of "buyer remorse" but it shouldn't have come as a total surprise. He was elected after being CEO of a company ordered to pay the largest penalty ever assessed for Medicare fraud, a total of 14 felonies and a fine of $1.7 Billion. He resigned and, as he proudly noted, was not personally indicted.


Since his election, he has rejected $2.4 Billion from the Federal government for a high speed rail project, a project approved by the voters that would provide jobs and would have cost state taxpayers nothing, being largely funded by private interests. The project had business and bi-partisan support; it was rejected because the right fringe would rather hurt the state than allow Barack Obama to get any credit. (Former Governor Charlie Crist, thought to be a shoe-in for the next GOP Senator was doomed by accepting Federal stimulus money and hugging the President.)


The Governor then has cut education spending for already strapped school districts, laying off teachers and creating even more overcrowded classrooms; he has changed the pension ground rules for state government employees (who had received no raises in 4 years) by requiring pension contributions, resulting in a pay cut of 3%. By Executive Order, all state employees are to be randomly drug tested, a move already declared unconstitutional by a Federal court in Florida; the Governor's spokesman said that neither he nor the Governor were aware of the decision! The Governor and the GOP Legislature also pushed for a law that would require all recipients of public assistance to be drug tested, a measure also of doubtful constitutionality.


The philosophy is clear. On the one hand, unemployment compensation benefits, already among the lowest in the country, are reduced in order to fund $12.5 Billion deductions in business and corporate taxes. The Governor professes to be encouraging businesses to come to Florida because of an atmosphere of friendliness to business, few taxes, regulation or limits to growth. In reality, major corporations are also interested in the quality of life for employees. What they find are crumbling infrastructure and roads, underfunded schools, elimination in environmental protection and a lessening of the quality of life.


In the past legislative session, a Democrat Representative, Rick Kriseman, introduced a Bill that would allow Recall of officials. It was bottled up in Committee by the GOP state legislature and it is doubtful that that body will ever allow it to become law. Thus the only possible relief will occur at the next election on November 4, 2014, when we choose another Governor and state Senators and in 2012 when we elect members of the state House of Representatives.


When next Election Day comes, be educated and motivated and vote. Rick Scott defeated Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate, by 66,550 votes out of a total of 5,432,950, less than 1½ percent. Moreover, only 48% of registered voters bothered to vote.


Overall, the public gets that which it deserves. I despair if we deserve Rick Scott '" but we're stuck.