This past week I attended the Central Florida Urban League’s jobs forum where the group announced a new Center for Innovation with the goal of spurring job growth in Central Florida.
The unemployment rate in Central Florida is still above 11% and the CFUL is at least attempting to add jobs to this area, so bravo to them and their efforts to create jobs.
I can’t really say the same for Senator Gary Siplin.
A couple of months ago I posted a story about Gary Siplin and his yeah vote for the $69.8 billion dollar budget put forth by the Republican controlled Florida Legislature which will cut jobs instead of creating them.
I was less than nice to Siplin in the article because, at the time the budget called for a $1 billion cut in education and Siplin is supposed to be a champion for education.
Needless to say Siplin didn’t enjoy my critique of him.
As the CFUL event came to a close and I noticed that Senator Siplin was preparing to leave the room, I introduced myself and asked him for a little time to talk. Siplin immediately shut me down. He told me that he didn’t like the way my article was presented and for me to move along and have a good day.
At least he said God bless.
Siplin has a history of running from reporters. Back in 2006, Siplin was confronted by reporters to address charges that he misused taxpayer money, but instead of answering questions from the media he decided to slip out of a backdoor and scale a fence to escape.
The Senator has improved with the press but he still can’t take criticism.
Maybe the Senator’s mouth should actually write checks that his votes can cash.
-JH
