As the debate wore on, the two did talk about deep differences in their policy positions. On Cuba, for example, Crist said he would support lifting the embargo because "it hasn't worked" in ending the rule of the Castro brothers. Scott called the Castros "terrorists" and said he wouldn't travel to Cuba.
It took less than 40 minutes before the Crist campaign fired off a fundraising email saying Scott embarrassed the state: "If you're as amazed as I am by what you just saw, chip in a few bucks right now to make sure this guy doesn't get to stay our governor."
The debate host sternly asked Crist why he insisted on bringing a fan on stage when he knew it would be a contentious issue. "Why not?" Crist responded. "Is there anything wrong with being comfortable?"
Scott's campaign on didn't directly answer questions about whether the governor believes climate change exists and whether humans are causing or contributing to it. "Charlie Crist may have perfected the art of publicity stunts, but his record on the environment is one of empty promises," the Scott campaign communication director said. "While Rick Scott has kept his commitments to restoring the Everglades, safeguarding our springs and protecting the Florida Keys, Charlie Crist was more committed to advancing his own political career."
Either way, the Tampa event provided Scott with a backdrop of uniformed law officers him as local TV news crews filmed him talking about reductions in crime during his administration. The Florida Police Chiefs Association endorsed Scott on Monday.
The event was the kickoff of Scott's "Let's Keep Florida Safe" tour, the latest in a series of statewide tours Scott is holding on key issues. It was held at a store on Adamo Drive that sells law enforcement uniforms and other equipment.
Scott got his numbers right but missed the mark for implying the state's recession was the result of poor handling by Crist. Experts told us Florida's economy tanked largely as a result of the housing market crisis, which included a tornado of issues over which Crist had little to no control. We rated his claim Half True.
During his first campaign, Scott stated that the "stimulus has not created one private sector job." But we found thousands of Floridians employed because of stimulus-funded programs--not to mention jobs for a company in which Scott owns stock. We rate Scott's statement "Pants on Fire!"
Scott's decision to back the legislation is a sharp turn from 2010, when as a candidate for governor he promised to pass tougher immigration laws. He made comments blaming immigrants for costing the state "countless billions" and taking jobs from U.S. residents. Just last year Scott vetoed a bill would have allowed some young immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally to apply for a temporary driver's license.
Scott for the last two years has opposed tuition hikes, saying they were putting the price of college out of reach for students.
A federal district judge ruled that Scott's law was unconstitutional: Blanket drug testing without probable cause amounts to illegal search and seizure. In this ruling, no shades of gray distinguish between rich and poor.
The State of Florida actually lost money on this misbegotten scheme.
Scott says he will appeal the decision. Is he so thick-headed that he doesn't understand he's on the wrong side of the law and good financial sense, or is he proceeding in order to continue ingratiating himself with the "right" voters?
That's understandable as far as it goes, but an unsavory--and, as it turns out, inaccurate--corollary to this notion is that those in need must possess an inherent moral deficiency, otherwise they wouldn't be poor.
The Legislature passed the law in 2011 and Scott signed it, his stated reasoning being that he was protecting taxpayer funds--and the children of welfare recipients--from abuse. It contained a particularly cruel twist--applicants needed to pay the $25-to-$45 testing fee up front, to be refunded by the state if they tested negative. For someone counting every dime, this amounted to a staggering hardship.
Ultimately, only about 2% of welfare recipients tested positive for drugs (possibly because they couldn't afford them). This compares to roughly 8% in the general population.
The boy was abducted after being dropped off by a school bus near his home in south Miami-Dade County. Chavez took him back to his trailer, where he raped him. He held Jimmy captive for three hours before he shot the boy as he tried to escape.
The case horrified the state and led to the passage of the Jimmy Ryce Act. It allows authorities to commit dangerous sexual predators to mental institutions once they have completed their prison terms.
The 2009 fee hike raised automobile registration fees from approximately $46 to $71, forcing Florida taxpayers to pay an additional $25 on average. Scott recognizes that taking money out of the pockets of Florida's families is the wrong approach to expanding Florida's economy.
Crist says he's glad that Governor Scott got on around to rolling back the fees, and that they were never meant to be permanent.
Governor Scott has been busy cleaning up the mess that Crist left behind. In the three years he's been Florida's chief executive, Scott has cut taxes over twenty times.
"Charlie Crist stands with Obama," the female narrator says in one of the ads, titled "Charlie Crist Supports ObamaCare."
The Republican Party of Florida and Scott's committee plan a combined six-figure digital buy.
Earlier, Scott's committee had a broadcast and cable buy for "He's an Opportunist," launched the day Crist--a former Republican and former independent--announced.
The Public Employees For Environmental Responsibility (PEER) issued a statement that the DEP collected 70% less in fines from violators in 2012, and the agency opened half as many environmental investigations as it did the year before.
PEER says Scott advised DEP staff to restrain from pursuing enforcement and laid off staff responsible for enforcing the state's environmental standards. PEER also released an internal DEP memo in which the deputy secretary advises directors to focus on compliance without enforcement. Meanwhile, the DEP says the lower enforcement numbers are merely a consequence of more Florida industries operating within safe environmental standards.
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The above quotations are from 2014 Florida Gubernatorial debates and race coverage.
Click here for other excerpts from 2014 Florida Gubernatorial debates and race coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Rick Scott. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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