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C&L wrote many posts about Rick Scott's checkered past when he was running for governor. Do you remember the above video? Here's an article that called him out about his memory lapses: Under oath, Rick Scott displays poor memory, penchant for parsing words
Under oath, Scott displays a poor memory and a penchant for parsing words. He answers a lawyer's questions with questions. Smirking or shrugging his shoulders, his darting eyes survey the room in a video deposition in an antitrust case brought by Orlando Regional Healthcare System against Scott's former company Columbia/HCA. In that 1995 lawsuit, Scott couldn't remember if a company news release quoted him correctly. In another case, filed by a Nevada company, Scott confirmed only his name before invoking 75 times his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Florida voted in a man whose company was charged with massive Medicare fraud and took the fifth amendment 75 times. Now he has angered his republican base and many Floridians by rejecting billions of federal money that was slated to go to the new high-speed rail system that was to be built in Florida.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Wednesday that he’s rejecting $2.4 billion in federal funding for high-speed rail.
"I’m not comfortable this is a project we should be doing," Scott said at a hastily called news conference in Tallahassee after a phone conversation with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood criticized Scott over his decision.
Said LaHood: "We are extremely disappointed by Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to walk away from the job-creating and economic-development benefits of high speed rail in Florida. We worked with the governor to make sure we eliminated all financial risk for the state, instead requiring private businesses competing for the project to assume cost overruns and operating expenses. It is projects like these that will help America out-build our global competitors and lay the foundation needed to win the future."--
U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is as far right as a Tea Party politician can be, said this about Scott's decision:
"I am deeply disappointed," said U.S. Rep. John Mica, a Republican whose district reaches from Orlando to the Atlantic Coast, where the rail service could have been expanded. "This is a huge setback for the state of Florida, our transportation, economic development, and important tourism industry."
In one fell swoop, Scott has helped reelect Democratic Senator Bill Nelson and restricted Florida's competitive balance as a state.
Here's more of Scott's checkered history:
Florida's New Wingnut Governor Invites The Foxes Into The Henhouse
Gov. Rick Scott Believes In Income Redistribution, Too
Rick Scott's Columbia/HCA FraudRick Scott's Fraud Problems Should Disqualify Him for Governor
Why is Rick Scott running for Governor in Florida? ADHD Nation, Take 1
