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21 Comments
Nancy Smith

Florida Needs Marco Rubio in Washington

October 28, 2016 - 6:00am
Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio

Florida would be crazy to lose Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate. I mean really crazy.  

Electing Patrick Murphy to take his place would be like trading in a Tesla Model S for a Kia Sportage. 

Why would you give up Rubio for a crossover noted for "poor ride quality and an interior that leaves something to be desired ..."?

But, forgive that outburst. What I really want to do here is tell you why I'm for Marco Rubio, rather than why I'm against his Democratic opponent.

Let's first recognize that, yes, Rubio has been guilty of poor attendance in the Senate and he has failed to show up for big meetings back home. But you can slice that data all kinds of ways.

For instance, between March 5, 2015 and March 3, 2016, Rubio missed 41 percent of his Senate votes. But the majority of the votes and for that matter meetings he skipped in Florida, came after he announced his candidacy for president and before he dropped out of the race. According to Politifact, historically, "(Rubio's) record is largely in line with other presidential candidates from the U.S. Senate."

Plus, Rubio’s absentee rate has changed dramatically since then. From April to September this year, he missed only three of 113 votes, or 2.7 percent.

Here's what you have to consider, and why Rubio, frankly, is so important for Florida: He is a giant among his peers. Plain and simple.

Rubio came into the Senate in 2011 already a force of nature. He had proven himself on the West Miami City Commission and then in the Florida House of Representatives, rising to speaker in 2006.

Marco Rubio knows Florida as well as any citizen I know.

You might not remember this, but I do: As speaker, he launched an ambitious campaign to generate ways to reform state government. He held a series of meetings around the state to hear and collect ideas from Florida residents. Pulling from these suggestions, Rubio put together "100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future." It was an incredibly ambitious program. With the help of Senate President Ken Pruitt, he presented it to the Legislature and more than half of these ideas became law. 

My point here is, Rubio knows what makes Florida tick and most of all, he's proven he gets things done. He is always willing to fight on the battlefield of ideas. He plain commands attention -- the man enters a room, you know it. 

Granted, he's ambitious. But his ambition ultimately is in Florida's best interest. It's part of the whole package, and why when he wants something in the Senate, he knows how to get it.

I'll give you the best example I know. In March, Rubio pulled off an incredible feat in a single day for Lake Okeechobee and the algae-oppressed people of the Treasure Coast and Lee County -- and for disintegrating Florida Bay.

As reported in The Miami Herald, Rubio convinced Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., powerful chairman of the Environmental and Public Works Committee, to back a suite of Everglades restoration projects expected to cost about $1.9 billion and aimed at stopping the kind of crisis that gripped South Florida over the winter when El Niño dropped record rain.

Inhofe, by the way, has consistently treated Everglades restoration as a humbug. He was the only vote against the master plan to fix the Everglades in 2000. Somehow, some way, Rubio convinced him to revisit the ailing River of Grass. Here's what happened in Inhofe's own words:

“Marco showed me this (Comprehensive Everglades Planning Process) was different. And I wouldn’t have gotten into it if Marco hadn’t talked to me. When Marco said one out of three Floridians are affected, I thought that wasn’t right.”

Inhofe supported it, CEPP funding passed in committee and from there in September, it moved on in the Senate. Nearly $2 billion for Florida. I know of no other senator in Washington who could have accomplished it. 

I like his positions on the issues, and apparently so did the six newspapers of the USA Today group. In an editorial board meeting a week ago, they jointly endorsed him for re-election giving these reasons:

-- He has proposed a gun bill that would keep anyone not only on a terrorist list, but also anyone investigated or connected to terrorist activity from buying guns. It would allow for the FBI to be notified for further investigation.

-- He wants federal funding for water projects going first to obligations in the Central Everglades Restoration Plan. He said he couldn't ask for money on top of that to buy land for storage, treatment and flow south of the lake. But he said he would pursue money to buy storage land that would "limit harmful discharges flowing from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries."

-- He wants to trim regulations brought on by big banks since the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Those regulations handcuff entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to start up a small business.

-- He will push to reinvest in the space program, once one of the most important industries in Florida.

-- He is already trying to offer parents monthly child tax credits as a way to help families cope with immediate financial needs.

-- He wants to steer the higher education model away from standard four-year liberal arts degrees, concentrating on vocational, career training and certifications.

Marco Rubio is a solid conservative. He is not a liberal. He is not a RINO. Yes, he screwed up with the Gang of 8, but no politician is perfect. I'm telling you, what he is right now is exactly what Florida needs in Washington.

Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith

Comments

Florida does not need a senator that votes against preserving Biscayne National Park. Florida does not need a senator that doesn't care about water quality and accepts money from agricultural interests. Florida does not need Marco Rubio.

AGREED Nancy !

Millie the peg pig can recognize a suck up when she sees it.

The pet pig says no to Rubio

As long as Rubio does the right thing for the Everglades than I agree!!! The disaster is originating in the backyards, golf courses, and septic tanks of the coastal region. Compounding the overbuilding is the high temperatures we experienced a couple of months ago. Let's not forget about the untreated sewage releases. Just like the ones in Brevard County.

The only need for Rubio to remain headquartered in Washington, is so that all of the world of comedy would have continuing material for their acts! GO TRUMP!!

Rumor has it that Rubio is positioning himself to run for Governor of Florida two years from now. If true, we would have another empty chair representing Florida in the US Senate while he is out campaigning to be Governor of Florida. I don't think the residents of Florida deserve an absentee Senator who's motivation is higher political ambitions. He already has bit us once, shame on us if we allow a repeat.

"Opie" Putnam for Governor!!! GO "OPIE"!!!

Right. As if he'd even show up.

No we don't need Rubio in Washington. He didn't show most of the time anyway. In fact, we really don't need most of Washington at all!

https://www.termlimits.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Florida-Primary.pdf -- Rubio Believes in term limits Because he is collecting government welfare as a senator. -- Have you noticed we have not had senator or congressional primary debates in 2016. Write in Candidate for U.S. Senate Florida 2016 Www.writeinTolbert.com http://www.cfabamerica.com/the-reason-for-filing-this-grievance-concerning-marco-rubio-being-a-non-national-citizen Under the Constitution a resident cannot be an illegal immigrant In order to be an immigrant and be legal, you must register with the state and be a resident under the naturalization act of 1805. If an individual broke into your house and stole from you that does not make them a resident of your house, it makes them an illegal entrant and they have committed a crime. Therefore it does not take a change of the constitution but it takes enforcement by the executive branch. Congress must declare illegal immigrants invaders according to the constitution. Dr. Charles Frederick Tolbert write in candidate for United States Senate Florida 2016

Don't vote for Rubio. If you do we will never make the English language our official language!

Rubio should refund his salary for the months of refusing to appear to do the people's business. He could have cared less about being a senator and now we are supposed to think he will change? Give me a break. The best predictor of future conduct is past conduct. I'd take his job. You can pay me half of his salary, and I'll sit on my ass and get just as much done for less.

ROTFLMAO, ! ! Rubio is a giant among his peers! ......... Either Nancy is on drugs or his peers are only republicans who like he did to Rubio, a con man like Trump schooled were so weak...... And to prove how weak, Hillary is schooling the conman bully Rubio lost big time too......? Fact is republicans are a bunch of scumbags left after running decent people from the party ..... bBack to Rubio who rather see a woman die than abort in xase of rspe or health of the mother........ what kind of svumbag believes that? Rubio....Next he has stopped governing helping the Senate pass almost nothing and letting the economy wither by not doing smart government, blocking most everything. .... Is that really what we want? Or get back to the booming Clinton economy of 92-2000?

Rubio puts party before all else. I can't accept someone who votes party line against common sense.

What Floridians really need to do is get rid of knee jerk reactions based on party labels... The GOP has failed this country in it's function as a national party.

Marco Rubio spent so little time in Washington doing the people's business one wonders why we need him at all.

Florida does not need a Senator who doesn't respect a woman's right to a legal and safe abortion. Florida does not need a senator who supports defunding of reproductive healthcare for Florida citizens. Florida does not need Marco Rubio.

Carlos Baruff would have been much better.. many thought so.. but the fix was in for Marco.. Bruce Nathan? I'll check him out..

Marco's the best but, it's a party battle for seats that will get Murphy votes.

Rubio really needs that U.S. Senators paycheck is what this has come down to. Well after Rubio basically flipped us off, Bruce Nathan looks to be a better choice.

Comments are now closed.

nancy smith
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