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Politics

Governor Blasts Conservatives

March 1, 2010 - 6:00pm


Gov. Charlie Crist presented a State-of-the-State address on Tuesday that did more than underscore the need to balance the state budget in these rocky financial times.

With most of the luminaries in his own party present, the governor seized the opportunity to thumb his nose at conservative critics and attempted to regain ground as he fights for his political life in a close U.S. Senate primary race against upstart Marco Rubio, the former speaker of the Florida House.

Crists U.S. Senate campaign was center stage during the address.

He used the occasion of his report on the state to steadfastly defend accepting federal stimulus dollars, receiving loud applause from Democrats.

Regarded as the overwhelming favorite when he entered the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate back in May 2009, Crist now finds himself trailing Rubio in the polls.

Angered by Crists support of the Obama administrations stimulus package and other issues, conservatives have flocked to Rubio and Crist has had difficulties as he tries to regain their support.

While reviewing Floridas economic, education and public safety challenges, in his fourth and final State of the State, Crist took aim at his conservative critics, labeling them extremists and portraying himself as a centrist problem solver.

Extreme views rarely solve problems and frequently create them, Crist said.

[For more images of opening day of the 2010 session click here]

The governor made no attempt to reach out to conservatives in the address and even welcomed their continued criticism.

We must accept that being in the arena means enduring the hecklers in the cheap seats where conviction abounds, but wisdom is not required and nothing is either risked or gained, Crist said.

Crist defended his decision to support the Obama administrations stimulus package and directly confronted his conservative critics.

The stimulus package was enacted last year in hope of jump-starting a national economy that was in the dire depths of recession, he said.

Cristnoted, A few governors may have rather loudly condemned the stimulus money, but that did not stop them from quietly accepting.

So given our budget shortfalls and given that Floridians were paying for part of the stimulus package, doesnt it make sense to spend our energies maximizing the benefit of that package? Crist asked. Isnt that more helpful to Floridians than engaging in hollow ideological posturing that achieves nothing?

Crist received more applause from the Democrats in the joint session than his fellow Republicans when he read those lines.

Having just signed the measure into law minutes before the address, Crist thanked the Legislature for taking swift action to help our economy by delaying the unemployment compensation tax hike. The Legislatures quick passage of that legislation, Crist said, sent a resounding message to the people and business of Florida: Job retention and creation is our number one goal.

Crist also called for the Legislature to support his controversial Seminole gaming compact.

This compact, said Crist, potentially raises billions of dollars for the practical purpose of educating Floridas children. The people of Florida very much need the money that this compact can provide for critically important services.

This measure pits Crist against House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala. Earlier in the day, in his opening remarks to the House, Cretul took aim at Crists proposed budget for relying on unsecured funds from a possible agreement with the Seminole Indians on casino gambling.

We will balance our budget with the dollars we have, not ones that may possibly arrive at some point in the future. Cretul later added, But we wont base our budget on a wing and a prayer, he said.

Crist also praised the Legislature for the construction of a 21st century rail system in Florida.

This remarkable achievement," he said, "will potentially create thousands of high-paying jobs and keep Florida competitive on the world stage.

Crist also defended his administrations environmental policies and called for $50 million for restoring the Everglades and another $50 million for the Florida Forever program.

Crist called for the Legislature in the current session to create tax relief for families and businesses totaling at least $100 million. He urged lawmakers to pass a 10-day holiday on the state sales tax sometime before the new school year.

We must also build the next generation of Floridas economy, Crist said. He called for $125 million to target innovation companies and the jobs they bring. He wants another $10 million in the budget to go to solar energy rebates.

Crist briely mentioned NASAs budget cuts, noting the end of the space shuttle program would mean the loss of 7,000 jobs in Florida. Crist thanked Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, and Sen. Thad Altman, R-Viera, for introducing the Space Transition and Revitalization Act, which marshals resources needed to create jobs for the displaced workers.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Democrat who could face either Crist or Rubio in the general election, responded to the address by saying, We are hurting today because of bankrupt policies of the past that put special interests first and our communities last. That's been the status quo in Florida for over a decade.

CFO Alex Sink, the likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said, Three years into the worst recession in the history of our state, the people of Florida are frustrated and anxious to get this economy turned around. The answers to our economic challenges will come from Florida's small business owners and entrepreneurs, working with a governor who knows what it takes to create jobs and prosperity in the real world."

Democratic members of the Legislature praised Crist for acknowledging the value in accepting federal stimulus money.

Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, called it the most rewarding moment of the night. More satisfying than the acknowledgement, however, was the reaction of the crowd.

This is the first time that Ive ever seen a Republican governor acknowledge what the Democrats have done, and they gave him a standing ovation, he said.

Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, said Mondays speech was the best State of the State speech Crist has ever given. He said Crists acknowledgement that Florida was right to accept federal stimulus money was key.

He owned up to the issue in a very mature way, he said.

Key Republican lawmakers were less enthusiastic.

Republican Party of Florida Chairman John Thrasher, a state senator of St. Augustine, said he understood Crists stance on the stimulus money. His own opinion that stimulus money should not be accepted had not changed. The stimulus used taxpayer money and did not do enough for them, he said.

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said Crists statement about accepting federal funds may be popular, but he still felt the stimulus was a wrong-headed approach to government.

Crist's loss of ground to Rubio, his stance on stimulus money and his attacks on conservatives have lead recently to speculation he might be preparing to leave the Republican Party and run for the Senate as an Independent. When asked Tuesday night, following his speech, if he has had discussions with advisors on becoming an Independent, he said "not true."

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