On January 4th, 2011, the new governor-elect Rick Scott, a Republican was sworn into office. The Republicans in Florida have not lost the governorship since 1994, and Governor Rick Scott has promised to streamline government, and make the state more attractive to businesses. Many of the political experts are puzzled and perplexed on how he will bring his pledges to fruition.
Governor Rick Scott will begin his tenure as Florida’s 45th governor with a state budget shortfall of $3.5 billion, and the budget shortfall is growing. During his campaign speeches, the governor promised to cut property and corporate taxes and eventually eliminate corporate taxes. In his 15-minute acceptance speech Scott said, “The people of Florida elected me to get the state back to work, and I believe in this mission.” Job creation is his top political goal.
Governor Scott spent $73 million of his own money to win the election, and he was unknown to many Floridians’ until he decided to run for office in April 2010. He launched a 28-week, 63-million dollar TV advertising campaign and received major support from the Florida Tea Party. After wining the nomination for governor, he continued to spend money and the last week before the election, he visited 50 cities, and won the election.
Even though Governor Scott won the election, there were many questions concerning his past. He built the nation’s largest hospital empire, but was forced out by the federal government for an investigation of Medicare fraud. His company was fined $1.7 billion, and later he invoked the Fifth Amendment 75 times, in a sworn deposition stemming from a business-related lawsuit.
As Governor Scott puts his transitional team together, he has assembled an 86-member team, and hired a New York based search firm Gerson Group to help find agency heads and directors with private-sector experience. He has packed his budget transition team with a conservative economist, and recruited loyalists from his former hospital chain to help streamline the state’s spending.
In an interview after his swearing in, Scott says it’s simple. “I’m not going to surprise anybody. I told people what I was going to do, that what I’m going to do.” Now let’s get to work.
Governor Scott during his campaign promised that he will create 700,000 new jobs in 7 years, and many are starting to wonder if he can deliver what he has promised. Scott is planning to keep the Office of Open Government, which Crist established as his first official act. Scott says, “I told people I believe in transparency, I’m going to be transparent.”
Governor Scott received $2.3 million from businesses, friends, and organizations to help finance the different inaugural events. Scott ran for office as an outsider but as the governor he received the maximum $25,000 contribution from the big interest groups and power players. Does this now make Governor Scott an insider and is he now working with the special interests?
Welcome Governor Scott and my new column, “The Scott Report” will analyze on a weekly basis how our governor is doing, what new programs our governor is creating, who he is working with, and what old programs he is cutting. He will make some mistakes, and he will have some home runs. The truth will set us free and make Florida a great state to live, work, and play.
