Opinion

More complex than Scott thinks

TBO.com
Published: January 14, 2012

Gov. Rick Scott is no inspirational speaker, and his State of the State address Tuesday was hardly inspiring. But we give the governor credit for consistency and sincerity.

Scott can be proud of his efforts to streamline government, eliminate red tape and promote economic development.

Yet Scott, who was elected governor after living in Florida only seven years, still expresses a limited view of a state whose overwhelming growth created costly problems and ultimately led to a devastating economic collapse.

The governor should be proud that Florida operates on about half the budget of tax-happy New York. But it's also worth mentioning that Florida's unemployment rate is 10 percent while New York's is 8. Florida's appeal — and its economy — should be based more on good jobs than on cheap costs and sunny skies.

To attract high-quality jobs, Florida needs to offer good schools, safe neighborhoods, efficient transportation and a clean environment. Doing all that can involve more than having government "get out of the way."

Scott does seem to be learning from his travels around the state, and he pledged to spend another $1 billion on education. With the state facing a $2 billion shortfall, Scott's commitment to schools is a far cry from a year ago, when he cut education by $1.3 billion.

Surprisingly, he didn't even mention the insidious proposal to greatly expand casino gambling in the state. That proposal appears to be another attempt to sell the state on the cheap, rather than build a strong economic foundation. Scott needs to stand tall on this threat.

We agree that Scott's less-government strategy will create jobs, but we wish he would consider state history before trying to erase so much of what Florida leaders agreed to do before he took office.