Round-up on Florida’s Newest Governor:

One Red Cent

True to his word, Gov. Rick Scott is doing the $130,000 job of governor without commanding a paycheck.

Or, at least not a big one. Scott is drawing a 1-cent salary, according to a spreadsheet of positions and pay for new hires in the governor’s administration released after a public records request.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Meale said the governor was being paid the 1-cent salary so that he actually exists within the state personnel system…

Awesome. I like it when a Governor forgoes a paycheck. It tells me they are not in it for the job, but to get things done. Like when Scott freezed 50+ rules and regulations.

Vouchers Scares Teacher… Unions

Gov. Rick Scott, the scary bald man now in charge of our state, is scaring the bejabbers out of the public-school establishment.

The vouchers-for-all proposal put out by his transition team has the state teachers unions in a panic. The Florida Education Association claims it could start an exodus of students into private schools.

The union apparently has such little confidence in its teachers that it fears families will flee in masse from them if not held captive.

Bolding mine. Read the whole thing, because the points the author raises may need debate. I don’t know if I fully agree with him, but I’m willing to look more into this issue.

Rick Scott Hires Extremist

Well, from an extremist group:

Floridians for Immigration Enforcement, also known as FLIMEN, is among the groups the Southern Poverty Law Center targeted as “nativist extremists” because of the organization’s “forceful protest at hiring sites,” said SPLC research director Heidi Beirich.

There’s a big difference between people who are against immigration policies and those who are really attacking the immigrants themselves,” Beirich said.

FLIMEN is not identified as a hate group, Beirich said, but is on a watch list with others that raise concerns.

“When you start going in the face of the immigrants themselves, you’re stepping over a line that has the potential of spilling over into violence,” she said.

FLIMEN is pushing the federal E-Verify system requiring employers to make sure that potential workers are U.S. citizens. The group also fiercely opposes day-labor centers, including the Lake Worth Resource Center, which last week was forced to move out of the city’s shuffleboard building because of budget cutbacks.

Whatever. Anthony Bonna is his name and he is not even part of the group anymore. That said, FLIMEN is not anti-immigrantion but anti-illegal immigrantion. There’s a big difference, one where liberals and MFM tries to blur.

If SPLC doesn’t like you, then you must be good in my book.

SunRail Losing Support… From Haridopolos?

Newly-inaugurated Gov. Rick Scott has not yet signaled whether or not he will get on board with a high speed rail connecting Tampa and Orlando, but the Senate president says he won’t go along for the ride.

Supporters have argued that the long-sought train would be mostly paid for with federal money. But speaking with reporters late Tuesday night during Scott’s inaugural ball, Senate President Mike Haridopolos said that even if the state only has to pay $300 million instead of the full $2.6 billion, the price tag is still too high.

“My take on high speed rail is if we’ve got to (pay) $300 million, I’m not going to go for it,” Haridopolos told the News Service of Florida. “We can’t afford $300 million. It might be 90 percent off, but it’s still $300 million we don’t have… I’m not going to borrow from the Chinese to build a railroad that a lot of people don’t want.”

I’m shocked- shocked I tell you! -that Senate President Mike “Mr I Love High Speed Rail” Haridopolos (R?) is backing off high speed rail. Maybe he’s starting to realized that people will lynch him* if they have to subsidize SunRail down the road.

But wait, IT GETS BETTER!!

A high-speed train that would link Orlando to Tampa could be plagued by costly overruns and carry far fewer passengers than anticipated**, according to a study released Thursday by an adviser to new Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

The 24-page report, written by two members of the Libertarian nonprofit think tank Reason Foundation, concluded that Florida should either cancel the $2.7 billion project or write a contract that prohibits the state from contributing any tax dollars to it.

DIE, SUNRAIL!! DIIIIIIIIIIE!!!!!!!!!!! Quick Rick Scott, now is you chance to kill SunRail while it’s still in it’s crib***!! It’s easy, just put a pillow over it’s face**** and grin while it dies slowly*****!! SunRail is not human, so it’s not really murder!!

Check out my good friend BloggyBayou’s round-up on his articles on high-speed rail. Read them all, they are better than my articles. It’s time to turn up the pressure on Rick Scott and the Florida Senate.

[Cross-Posted On Practical State.com]

* Figurally, of course.

** Bloody hell, I didn’t need a study to tell me that!

*** Before it’s built.

**** Take away state funding, you have that power!!

***** I know I will!