I Was Wrong About GOP Florida Governor Rick Scott
Drawnlines readers have read some harsh words about Rick Scott. During last year's primary election cycle I was - shall we say - decidedly for the other guy. When a good friend told me she was considering supporting Rick Scott, I thought she was kidding. When she said she might work for his campaign, I almost passed out in horror.
It turned out a lot of other influential Gay Republicans and even many Gay Democrats supported him as well – leaving the rest of us crying in our cocktails. For all the concerns I had about Rick Scott becoming our Party’s nominee for Governor, I held my nose and voted for him in November. Like other Republican activists, I made phone calls, waved signs and cajoled wavering friends. Quietly though, I wondered what kind of Governor he would make. On some level, I was afraid he would win. Governor Scott slowly allayed my fears that he would make a mockery of the Party.
As he delivered his first address, I found myself nodding my head and cheering – not out of obligation, but out of true agreement. “Government has no resources of its own,” he said, and “can only give to us what it has previously taken from us.” How true that is. “Taxation, regulation, and litigation,” he said, form “the axis of unemployment.” Thank God, I said to a friend, that Alex Sink — his Democratic opponent in 2010 — was not the one addressing Floridians that beautiful winter morning. We could have had an anti-business Democratic Governor had Rick Scott not taken 48 percent of the Gay vote, compared to Sink’s 47 percent share of Gay voters. And with all the Gay people who have lost their jobs and homes, or seen their incomes shrink and employment prospects diminish, a pro-business Republican Governor seemed the right leader to revitalize the Gay business community, as hard as that might be for some people to believe.
That’s the first time I thought, “Maybe we were right to take a chance on Rick Scott.”Governor Scott’s pro-growth agenda hasn’t amounted to just words. He immediately went to work , aggressively tackling reckless spending and over-regulation. He made tough choices that no other Governor would, and even took on special interests in his own Party. When the Republican budget came across his desk, he vetoed a record $615 million in pork and special interest spending.
For his tough choices, he took a severe hit in the polls, falling almost as low as Obama is today. And many Gay Floridians oppose him. But the Governor knew that doing the right thing eventually pays off. Mr. Scott has already made good on many of his campaign promises. According to Politifact Florida, he vetoed pork barrel spending, required drug screening for welfare recipients, expanded school options for parents, and aligned state employee pension contributions with other states – just to name a few major accomplishments. His laser focus on job creation and government efficiency has already begun paying off. And his leadership as never indicated any rampant homophobia as the fear-mongering Gay newspapers assured us would happen.
This year, Florida rose from sixth to third best business climate in the nation. Next year, the Governor pledges to overtake Texas for the number one position. As reduced spending has improved our balance sheet, S&P recently upgraded our debt outlook from negative to stable. This is excellent news for all Floridians. It increases the likelihood that new corporation and investors will be attracted to Florida and create jobs for the Gay unemployed.
On the issues, Floridians support Governor Scott. They like his tax cuts on property and small business. Gay businesses and Gay employers certainly need tax relief to survive. His pension and education reforms are wildly popular, as well as drug testing of welfare recipients. His tough decisions are benefiting every Floridian as they go to work at new jobs, their children attend better schools, and their government becomes more accountable.
Florida’s future is looking brighter, and so is the Governor’s approval rating. Scott is likely to get re-elected and Obama is not. As the amazing rebound unfolds, I’m relieved to admit the obvious truth. I was wrong about Rick Scott.