Empty Chair Charlie's Economy: Massive Job Losses and Huge Deficits

For Immediate Release: November 21, 2008

Tallahassee, FL - Once again we learn that due to the Republicans' failed economic polices and Empty Chair Charlie's absence when Florida needs leadership, our government faces billions more in budget shortfalls and the highest unemployment rate in 15 years.

"At a time when Florida is in crisis and our state needs real leadership to fix our growing problems, Charlie Crist's optimism has failed as an economic policy. With ballooning deficits, recession, and massive job losses, Empty Chair Charlie would rather smile for the cameras than roll up his sleeves and start working to get our state back on track," said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff.

Today the St. Petersburg Times reported, "The same day Ray Sansom became speaker of the Florida House, he took a second job, as a high-paid administrator for the college he steered money to last spring."

"While our part-time governor has no plan to create jobs, the new House Speaker, Ray Sansom, has a plan to create one part-time job for himself. As the Republicans looks for ways to cut spending and get Florida out of the mess that they created, maybe they should start by eliminating Speaker Sansom's new job and slashing Empty Chair Charlie's travel budget," Jotkoff added.
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