The outsider candidate who promised to bring a fresh approach to government, Gov. Rick Scott, may have just repeated an age-old mistake that tormented many of his predecessors.
In shooting down the state’s proposed high-speed rail project this week, Scott ignited a power struggle with the Florida Legislature over his constitutional authority.
Twenty-six state senators on Thursday signed a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking him to not send Florida’s $2.4 billion in rail money to other states while they research whether the governor overstepped his legal authority. The lawmakers said they hoped to find a way to proceed with the rail project despite Scott’s opposition, possibly by using a private rail authority or cities such as Tampa and Orlando as conduits.
“We need to see if the governor can really do this by himself,” said state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, one of the 26 lawmakers who signed the letter.
Other legislators who signed on were Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner from Orlando and Senate Pro Tem Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton. The bipartisan letter was signed by 11 Democrats and 15 Republicans.
Detert said that when Scott was elected, many in the Legislature expected he would have a steep learning curve, given that he has never held elected office. But few could foresee how little he would be willing to work with the legislators at this point, she said.
In making his decision to ax funding for the high-speed rail, Scott did not forewarn some of the biggest players in the Legislature. Some learned from television reports and others from Twitter.
sunone.com It seems he ticked them off not consulting with them. Did Christie to that?
Scott is acting like a business man. Many of teh big govt people don’t understand or like that approach.