Next Tuesday, Florida voters will go to the polls and decide whether to re-elect Republican Gov. Rick Scott or replace him with Democratic challenger and former Gov. Charlie Crist.
During his re-election campaign, Scott has tried to position himself as a savvy business expert capable of bringing new jobs by the thousands to the Sunshine State.
It’s true that Florida’s economy has improved significantly during Scott’s time in office. The unemployment rate is down to 6.3 percent, a sharp decline from the rate of 10.9 percent in January 2011 when Scott took office.
However, many of the jobs created in Florida in the ensuing years have been low-wage positions in the service and tourism industries. Scott has failed to make the critical investments that would strengthen Florida’s economy and create sustainable, high-paying jobs. Even with the job growth, Florida’s unemployment numbers still lag behind the national rate of 6.1 percent.
Gov. Scott’s failures have been far more numerous than his successes. He has made devastating cuts to a number of critical government agencies, including the Department of Children and Families and Department of Environmental Protection.
Scott’s administration has also been possibly the least transparent in Florida history. The governor’s attempts to circumvent public records laws by using private email accounts are deeply disturbing. Under Scott, Florida’s government has been rife with corruption, culminating in the resignation of Scott’s former chief-of-staff, Adam McNamara, after he repeatedly ensured the awarding of no-bid contracts to his friends and allies.
The biggest concern about Charlie Crist is that he is a political chameleon, changing his views and policy positions to suit the given electoral climate. Now, Crist espouses popular and well-reasoned positions on the most important issues facing Florida.
Crist supports public funding for high-speed rail projects, Medicaid expansion, the legalization of medical marijuana and significant increases in spending on environmental protection and education. Crist has also expressed progressive views on social issues like abortion and gay marriage.
However, in many cases, Crist held precisely opposite views during his first stint as Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011, when he placed an R next to his name.
It is impossible to know whether Crist will follow through on his policies. The likely election of a Republican supermajority will make it more difficult for Crist to keep his promises.
Endorsing Crist for governor is, in some ways, selecting the lesser of two evils. However, the differences between these two candidates are significant and critical. Florida voters can be confident that Crist will serve the people of Florida more faithfully and effectively than Scott has, if only because the incumbent governor has set such a low bar.
It’s time for a change in Tallahassee, even if that means electing a familiar face. In the race for Florida governor, the Alligator endorses Democrat Charlie Crist.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 10/29/2014]
