Former Gov. Charlie Crist got a hand in fundraising at a red carpet open house reception in Orlando on Thursday night.
Crist spoke to a crowd of about 150 people at the new corporate headquarters of Synergy Settlement Services in Baldwin Park. He was introduced by Dan Gelber, former Democratic Leader in the Florida House of Representatives, who said he is supporting Crist because his core principles guide him to act in the best interest of Floridians.
The former Republican governor, now running as a Democrat, wasted no time in highlighting Gov. Rick Scott’s failed record, reminding the group of what’s at stake in the upcoming election.
“After Rick Scott rejects $2.4 billion for high-speed rail, he follows it up with an amazing act,” said Crist. “He convinces the Legislature to cut eduction by $1.3 billion… that’s kids, you don’t care about kids?” That’s what’s at stake, he added.
Crist, who praised President Barack Obama, recalled the billions of dollars Florida had received under the Recovery Act while he was the sunshine’s state Republican governor, which helped save jobs, lay the basis for future economic growth and save Floridians from a much worse fate. But he said, it was his hug of Obama in 2009 that “ended my career as a Republican and thank God.”
The former governor discussed alternative energy sources, including solar and wind energy, and reigniting the space program, all of which would open the door to the creation of jobs. He scoffed at Scott’s limited rental car program which had created 200 jobs.
“There is no comparison in this race,” he said. “I am talking about space and he is talking about rental cars. And I haven’t even gotten to ethics yet.” He reminded that Scott had pleaded the Fifth Amendment 75 times when his company was being investigated for Medicaid and Medicare fraud. His company would end up paying a record $1.7 billion in fines.
Crist urged the group to stay informed, do their part in helping him win and to not have any regrets on the morning after November 4th.
“Before anybody votes, they deserve to know the truth, he said. “I am for gay marriage and he [Rick Scott] is against it. I am for women getting equal pay and he [Rick Scott] is against it. I am for women making their own choice about their bodies and he [Rick Scott] is not. I am for raising the minimum wage and he [Rick Scott] is against it. I believe in medical marijuana and he [Rick Scott] is against it.”
Crist, who sounded confident and upbeat said, he wants the campaign to be a joyful one because, that’s important to him. And while the ‘by invitation only’ open house reception had no suggested minimum contribution to attend, he urged supporters to double whatever contribution they might make.
“We are going to win and we are going to win because of you, because you are going to go on charliecrist.com and you are going to double what you give,” he said. “All this bad stuff goes away on one day, if all of us do our part.”
