Crist Gardens As Florida's Economy Burns

NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

For Immediate Release: January 14, 2009

Tallahassee, FL - The reviews of Charlie Crist's "Economic Gardening Plan" are in, it is clear that rather than taking bold action and provide real leadership to jumpstart Florida's economy, Crist simply gardens as Florida's economy burns. Unfortunately Florida is stuck with Charlie Crist's tone-deaf optimism and his out-of-touch mindset during this economic crisis.

Here is some of what is being said about the plan:

CFO Alex Sink called the plan, "This outrageous million-and-a-half to run the program. For 34 recipients? I didn't get that part. Paying someone $1.5 million to monitor a program for 35 people? That sounds like one person to me." [Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau, 1/13/09]

Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson said, "There's a lot of things in this plan that aren't clean. It smells. And it's beginning to smell louder across the state of Florida...This is the kind of stuff that you have to be very careful with. It's really not economic stimulus. This is to line the pockets of some people that have been involved. These people have gone back and forth in e-mails... This is the kind of stuff that comes back to haunt us." [Palm Beach Post, 1/14/09]

And after the Palm Beach Post reported that one of Governor Charlie Crist's donors helped craft Crist's gardening plan and that same donor qualifies to receive taxpayer's hard earned dollars from the plan, even Republican are questioning the conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety coming from Crist's office.

The Post reported:

Sen. Don Gaetz, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Economy, said Quello is "the last Floridian who could ever participate in this project" regardless of his qualifications.

"We're in a place right now in politics in this country and in this state where we can't afford to have people look at what we're doing and just instinctively grab their noses. If ever public officials have to be conscious of perception, it's now," said Gaetz, R-Niceville. Gaetz's committee is charged with examining Florida's tax structure and will question Brill about other economic incentive programs and their efficacy tomorrow, Gaetz said.

-###-