I almost barfed this morning when I saw an ad on TV boasting about how Florida Gov. Rick Scott's policies have led to an economic recovery in the state.
The female narrator in the ad heralds the fact that companies in Florida are expanding and hiring. She goes on to brag about Florida's declining unemployment rate. Her claims are bolstered by fake newspaper headlines. The theme of this farcical ad: Florida is getting back to work.
This governor has done absolutely nothing to turn the economy around. On the contrary, all he's really done is added to the unemployment lines by laying off tons of state employees.
An article by Tristram Kortem published Jan. 8, 2012 on the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting's website (at http://fcir.org/...), reported that:
◦There’s no evidence Scott’s policies are responsible for any of the new jobs in Florida over the past year.
◦The jobless rate is falling because so many Floridians have stopped looking for work that they aren’t being counted anymore.
◦Steep cuts in state spending have further squeezed the poor and unemployed, and in turn, the municipalities in which they live.
◦The majority of new jobs are in the lowest-paying sectors.
◦Wages have fallen for the poorest workers.
◦Poverty has increased.
◦Florida has one of the highest populations of uninsured in the country.
In other words, things in Florida still aren't that great and Scott is taking credit for the marginal improvements he had nothing to do with, while still blaming President Obama for the problems that still exist. But that's what slimeball politicians like him do.
But there's silver lining: If Florida's economy is improving and I believe it is (at least a little bit), lots of voters are going to give President Obama and the Democrats the credit...which they deserve a whole lot more than Rick Scott.