All Bad Choices
But one choice may be less bad than the others.
We're careening rapidly toward a decision in November, dear readers. Who shall lead our state into the next four years?
Let's look at the choices, starting with my own party, the Republicans. We have Bill McCollum, who was a U.S. Representative for the past twenty years, and our state's Attorney General for four. He's for cutting taxes, gutting social services spending and generally carrying on with the economic policies that have plowed Florida straight into the toilet. We've all seen how the property tax cut benefited us - my property taxes didn't go down a bit, and the revenue shortfall has to be made up elsewhere. But let's face it - who needs libraries anyway?
Then we have Rick Scott, who's trying to essentially buy his way into the Governor's Mansion. He's suing to deprive McCollum of matching funds, which is great tactics because McCollum can't compete against him otherwise. Scott has about the same stance on taxes and spending as McCollum's, which is a bit of a shame (but not surprising, considering my Party's stampede to Crazyville). Scott made his fortune from the health-care industry, and while he was never actually charged with a crime, his money has a skunk-like stink to it.
Now, for the Democratic candidate, Alex Sink. She won't raise taxes, which is good, but won't commit to cutting spending either, instead opting for finding "efficiencies" and trimming things back that way. If she gets elected, I say good luck. With solid GOP majorities in Tallahassee, a Democratic Governor is looking at a huge handicap.
That same series of handicaps faces the Independent candidate, Bud Chiles. The son of "Walkin' Lawton" may be in the race for high moral reasons, but we need to see how well Jesse Ventura fared up in Minnesota to see just how Sisyphean a task Chiles would face if he won.
I've been thoroughly disenchanted with my Party since 1999, so my vote will not be going to either of the two Republican candidates, despite the number of fliers and TV ads they bombard me with.
We're careening rapidly toward a decision in November, dear readers. Who shall lead our state into the next four years?
Let's look at the choices, starting with my own party, the Republicans. We have Bill McCollum, who was a U.S. Representative for the past twenty years, and our state's Attorney General for four. He's for cutting taxes, gutting social services spending and generally carrying on with the economic policies that have plowed Florida straight into the toilet. We've all seen how the property tax cut benefited us - my property taxes didn't go down a bit, and the revenue shortfall has to be made up elsewhere. But let's face it - who needs libraries anyway?
Then we have Rick Scott, who's trying to essentially buy his way into the Governor's Mansion. He's suing to deprive McCollum of matching funds, which is great tactics because McCollum can't compete against him otherwise. Scott has about the same stance on taxes and spending as McCollum's, which is a bit of a shame (but not surprising, considering my Party's stampede to Crazyville). Scott made his fortune from the health-care industry, and while he was never actually charged with a crime, his money has a skunk-like stink to it.
Now, for the Democratic candidate, Alex Sink. She won't raise taxes, which is good, but won't commit to cutting spending either, instead opting for finding "efficiencies" and trimming things back that way. If she gets elected, I say good luck. With solid GOP majorities in Tallahassee, a Democratic Governor is looking at a huge handicap.
That same series of handicaps faces the Independent candidate, Bud Chiles. The son of "Walkin' Lawton" may be in the race for high moral reasons, but we need to see how well Jesse Ventura fared up in Minnesota to see just how Sisyphean a task Chiles would face if he won.
I've been thoroughly disenchanted with my Party since 1999, so my vote will not be going to either of the two Republican candidates, despite the number of fliers and TV ads they bombard me with.
posted by Walt at 5:35 PM
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