Category: Florida

For eminently understandable reasons, the names of Rick Scott and Benjamin Disraeli–a pathologically disingenuous governor and a revered former British prime minister, respectively–never, heretofore, show up in the same sentence. But now I am reminded of Gov. (“7-7-7”) Scott’s self-congratulation on Florida’s underperforming jobs front and his (TV spot-reinforced) bragging point of having personally pushed to add an extra billion dollars for public education. And, consequently, I am reminded of Disraeli’s famously relevant quote: “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.”

Recall that Gov. Rick Scott ran more against President Obama than Alex Sink two years ago. Scott channeled the Tea Party when it came to the high-profile refusal of federal dollars, most notably high-speed rail and Medicaid. He personalized “Obamacare” and routinely uses it as a political cudgel. He has teed off the White House with his blatant, voter-suppression antics.

He wants government out of our lives except when he doesn’t. Case in point: He appealed FEMA’s decision to reject Florida’s request for some $30 million in disaster relief for 10 Tropical Storm Isaac-impacted counties. Scott’s appeal was also rejected. Something about Florida not quite meeting the relief criteria and having the resources to pay for damages on its own. Another interpretation: “What goes around, comes around.”

Scott deserves such a response, but Florida doesn’t.

So Gov. Rick Scott is finishing up his education “listening tour.” It has all the credibility of his “working days” gimmick. As if FCAT flaws and their counterproductive ramifications weren’t more than manifest before he became governor.

The time for a meaningful “listening tour”–ranging from education, Medicaid and drug-testing to high-speed rail and privatized prisons–was before image spin was necessary. Too bad Scott only listened to the Koch Brothers, the Cato Institute and the Tea Party.

There are numerous facets to the gun debate. They’ve been enumerated and underscored countless times, especially here in our increasingly dystopian, Gunshine State. The NRA’s lobbying efforts, as we well know, exert inordinate leverage. They’ve intimidated politicians of both parties on a range of Second Amendment-shrouded, gun-rights issues–from assault weapons to stand your ground. And Tallahassee is targeted again for open carry next session.

What remains unconscionably disturbing and disillusioning, however, is the realization of who’s on the other side. It’s not just Quakers, PETA members and folks like me who haven’t handled a weapon since ROTC. The biggest, most important opposition group: the police.

Gary Johnson is about as under-the-radar as a presidential candidate can get. But the Libertarian Party candidate could still have something to say about who gets elected–or re-elected–in November. That’s because third party candidates can be spoilers. Think Ralph Nader and Ross Perot. Al Gore and George H.W. Bush occasionally do.

A Gallup poll had Johnson, 59, the former two-term governor of New Mexico, with 3 percent nationally last month. And he could add to that in the wake of the GOP Convention, the one that Ron Paul has been denied the opportunity to speak at. The Paul followers, non-Romney zealots, could take some serious umbrage over a perceived snub (by Republican state delegations).

In a mega swing state such as Florida, which could stay too close to call right up to the election, Johnson could benefit from frustrated and disaffected Paul supporters with nowhere else to go. Obviously, the biggest beneficiary would be Barack Obama.

This much we know: Gov. Rick Scott’s poll numbers remain awful. But we also know this: a surprising number of voters agree with him on some of his highest-profile stands, such as his non-citizen voter purge. What’s the punditocracy to think?

Probably this: At the superficial, conceptual level, Scott can be on the right side of some controversial issues. Think Gov. Jeb Bush and educational accountability. Was anyone not for it? Of course not. But was that a sufficient rationale to carry the FCAT day?  Of course not.

As for Scott, he knows that his bumper-sticker, Tea Party reasoning in the context of an increasingly under-informed, over-hectored electorate can resonate. Anyone really in favor of illegals voting? Of taxpayers left on the hook? Of welfare druggies being unaccountable? Of business-strangling regulation running amok? Just don’t ask your clarifying, follow-up questions.

But is that a way to make an honest case that is in the best interest of Florida and Floridians? Of course not.

As we know, Florida A&M University has been going through the crisis from hell: Institutionalized hazing, which led to the death of a marching band member, that will continue to play out legally. It also has prompted a no-confidence vote in the beleaguered FAMU president, James Ammons.

New higher-education data, however, has diverted attention recently. Alas, the diversion is otherwise unwelcome.

We now know that FAMU’s four-year graduation rate is 12 percent. No, that’s not a typo. Cite any factors you want–including a high percentage of students qualifying for federal Pell grants–none are mitigating enough. Even those who graduate statistically come up short when it comes to passing professional examinations–such as the bar exam for law students. And this from an institution that had initially requested a 15 percent tuition hike.

Moreover, the average amount of student debt at FAMU is the highest in the state university system–with nearly 84 percent of students having debt of almost $30,000. Nothing like hitting the career-ground stumbling without even a degree to show for the burden of debt.

This is not the Jim Crow South where standards for historically black institutions were necessarily customized and compromised to allow for extenuating circumstances borne of racism. This is not an era where opportunity is otherwise unavailable. This is not “post-racial” America, to be sure, but to countenance this sort of higher-education parody is to practice an ironic form of racism. The racism of insultingly low-to-negligible expectations.

Any changes shy of a house-cleaning would only perpetuate the FAMU problems that are disgracefully–and obviously–endemic.

This much we can all agree on: Someone will win the Republican senatorial primary Aug. 14. And that person will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in November.

This much we should all agree on: Connie Mack IV should pay dearly for his arrogant opt-out of the only primary debate–scheduled for July 26.

Mack’s strategy has been obvious all along.

First, hope enough uninformed voters confuse him with his father–or even great grandfather–and then pander to the usual primary suspects with a track record of grandstanding moves such as signing the Taxpayers Protection Pledge. He can’t run effectively on his unimpressive public-service record.

Second, because of name recognition and a relatively lackluster field, he has a lead in the polls. It’s a political rule of thumb that the poll leader has more to lose in a debate. Of course that’s the rule. A poor performance is a challenger’s best hope. Why chance it?

But a debate is also a discerning voter’s gauge. What makes sense in the political abstract as a self-serving strategy is not to be confused with doing the right electoral thing. A debate, especially when it’s the one and only, can be a legitimate forum for comparing and contrasting candidates. It can be a mettle-detector. Political ads and stump speeches tell you more about fund-raising and staffing than how a candidate handles himself. Ask Rick Perry.

Yes, Republican primary voters won’t get to see the latest McGillicuddy incarnation debating his GOPster competition. But if the no-show strategy works, they surely will get to see Nelson ads noting who was too arrogant and too entitled to even debate his opponents.

Normally this wouldn’t be an issue. The governor of Florida, provided he gets the go-ahead from the state’s Commission on Ethics, would like to do a recorded shuttle greeting to incoming and outgoing TIA passengers. It would be a way of underscoring our hospitality and reminding travelers that their visitation is valued. Good PR. Folksy and friendly. The Sunshine State’s CEO cares about them and about the airport Tampa is so proud of.

Thanks, Charlie; thanks, Jeb; thanks, Bob; thanks, Reubin. We would get it. But Rick Scott? No thanks, even if he promised not to use his deposition voice.

How hypocritically presumptuous, self-serving and, frankly, insulting. This governor is no friend of Tampa Bay. He derailed the high-speed connection between Orlando and Tampa, helped undermine USF with budget cuts and Poly politics, wouldn’t aid Tampa in keeping its GOP Convention “event zone” gun-free, made it more challenging for this region to court international business and has become a synonym for voter suppression. And this arrogant weasel wants to be an official greeter to our area–as he preps for the GOPster convention influx and his own re-election?

We get it that TIA has used a variety of voices, including celebrities, in its shuttle messages. Nice touch. But Tampa’s arch antagonist?

Was Deb Lafave not interested?

The Brown family road show pulled into Tampa’s Sickles High last week. At the behest of the Sickles PTSA, Father Johnny Mac, mother Jeanne and teen daughter Katrina were in town from Texas to address an assembly and drive home a point: It is downright dangerous to text while driving. Their daughter, 17-year-old Alex, lost control of her vehicle after sending a text message three years ago–and died at the scene. She was on her way to school.

Now the Brown family has dedicated itself to warning high school students across the country of the inherent risk in texting while driving. A life was tragically–and needlessly–lost, but they want to leverage that tragedy into a life-saving caution to other teens. By all accounts, their message was moving.

Unfortunately, this was just one Hillsborough County school and one hushed crowd of 10th- and 11th-graders.

Too bad Tallahassee hasn’t been on the Browns’ itinerary.  Recall that for the last two years a bill to ban texting while driving couldn’t get out of a House subcommittee. Florida, which is driven to prioritize voter suppression, mandatory drug testing, higher-ed budget cuts and an FCAT sham, can’t find legislative support for a life-saving measure. This GOP-dominated state remains one of 12 that hasn’t banned texting while driving.