The St. Petersburg Times gave its support to Democrat Alex Sink running to become Florida’s next governor, saying that Sink “offers a blend of business experience from her long career as a banking executive and familiarity with government as the state’s chief financial officer.”
Acknowledging that there is voter frustration on account of the economic collapse and there might be a temptation to try something new, the Times said that Sink’s opponent, Republican Rick Scott, was “untested, unprepared and unfit to be governor.”
In their endorsement, the Times noted that Sink has proven herself as a solid fiscal conservative on the state Cabinet, pushed to reduce the state’s financial exposure after a hurricane and had challenged the State Board of Administration to improve its accountability in investing the state pension fund and other government money.
The Times said that Scott lacked Sink’s familiarity with Florida and its challenges, noting that he had moved to Naples merely seven year ago and has never held public office.
“He spent $50 million in family money to hire a political team, flood the airwaves with television ads and buy victory in the Republican primary”, The Times stated. “He refuses to be candid about his business record, avoids lengthy media interviews and declines to discuss his policy positions with newspaper editorial boards, including this one.”
Scott has said repeatedly that he would bring a bottom-line business culture to government fostered as CEO at Columbia/HCA, but as The Times pointed out, government is not a profit-at-all-cost operation.
“It has responsibilities to educate children, protect citizens and provide a safety net — however frayed — for Floridians”, The Times stated. “And whatever success Scott had in cutting costs and generating profits came at an unacceptable price: Columbia/HCA paid a record $1.7 billion in criminal and civil fines for Medicare fraud.”
The Times concluded:
“Imagine a Florida with Scott as governor and this Republican-led Legislature, whose most extreme impulses would go unchecked. There would be no one to rein in the legislative leaders who have sought to open state waters to oil drilling, increase abortion restrictions, abolish teacher tenure with no input from teachers, gut growth management and create slush funds for themselves.”
“Fortunately, voters have an excellent choice in Sink. She possesses the varied experience, sound judgment and strong values to lead this state at a particularly important time. For governor of Florida, the Times recommends Alex Sink.”
