Welcome back, Gators.
It’s that time of year again.
You know what we mean. For the better part of a month, most of us have been lost in a retail fog, bumping into relatives we forgot we had — some we tried to forget by drinking them out of memory.
We’ve glutted ourselves on so many cookies that we can discern red sprinkles from green on taste alone.
But everyone has to wake up from those visions of sugarplums sometime.
Our reality check came yesterday.
Just as we were getting used to writing “2011” on our papers and in our checkbooks, the local news stations reminded us to stop saying “Gov. Charlie Crist.”
Oh, yeah. We tried to forget, but apparently it was time to grow up and “get to work.”
At his inauguration yesterday, Gov. Rick Scott laid out his plans for the next four years, focusing his speech on Florida’s ailing economy.
He rehashed his campaign talking points, emphasizing the importance of businesses.
He even signed an executive order creating a new Office of Fiscal Accountability.
But something didn’t sit right with us, and it wasn’t Scott’s awkward jokes about the Florida weather or the forced laughs meeting them.
Instead of electing for a subdued inaugural ceremony — and learning from the heat Floridians unleashed on Charlie Crist in 2007 about his inaugural ball — Mr. Clean’s morally flexible twin went all out.
Granted, nearly all the funding for the event came from donations, but the $3 million price tag still seems excessive.
We’re all for the new governor having a little fun. After all, an inauguration is basically the political version of a touchdown dance. But $3 million worth of fun in a few days?
Now that takes some spending skills, especially from a man who preaching the gospel of fiscal responsibility.
However, this figure is dwarfed by another — the $1.7 billion penalty his company paid for Medicare fraud. Luckily for Scott, that huge number didn’t seem to keep voters away.
Maybe the amount seemed too intangible.
He took it upon himself to clear things up during his first day on the job.
The celebration included a prayer breakfast, a luncheon, a country music concert, a parade and an inaugural ball. Maybe Scott didn’t think his party wouldn’t look extravagant to Floridians struggling to pay their mortgages or find jobs.
After all, they elected him with his track record.
For a businessman, it certainly looks like a smart move. After all, if you flaunt your wealth to your “employees,” they’ll obviously respect what you have to say about saving money.
Good job, slick Rick.
While he’s free to use his donations to fund his shindig, it leaves us with a bad taste in our mouths.
Or maybe that’s the expired eggnog. Who knows?
