Independent gubernatorial candidate Bud Chiles met with business leaders and environmental activists in Tallahassee Friday to discuss alternative energy sources for Florida, linking them to the states downtrodden economy.
People are now figuring out that Florida is not going back to the '50s or '60s and the three-legged economy, said Chiles, referring to the states traditional economic base of home construction, tourism and agriculture. We must have jobs for the future.
Noting the states unemployment rate, which continues to remain well above the national average, Chiles said Florida will continue to face problems.
Were losing people from the middle class dramatically, said Chiles. He said this will greatly increase the expanding cost of Medicaid while shrinking the states tax base.
Chiles said the state needs to embrace alternative energies to restore Floridas battered economy, arguing that increased use of solar power, biomass and wind energy will help the construction and agricultural sectors at a time when both of those areas desperately need it -- and need to provide more jobs.
Thats the mantra, he said. Green jobs now.
Chiles has made advocating renewable and alternative energies one of the cornerstones of his underdog campaign. He renewed his call for the state to honor rebates for Floridians who install solar power in their homes, which he touched on during a campaign stop in Largo Tuesday. Chiles maintains that the state owes around 15,000 Floridians a total of $52.7 million in rebates because they installed solar power.
Focusing on how Floridians can improve their energy bill, Chiles said he had toured a 1,600-square-foot, zero-energy home in Gainesville on Wednesday, and was impressed. The numbers are really compelling, he said. That consumer is saving $120 a month.
Chiles said he was not alone in this fight. He said that environmentalists, small businesses, consumers, agriculture and the housing industry will all benefit tremendously by pushing alternative energies.
Hoping to tie these voters together in a winning electoral coalition will be a tough task for Chiles, especially without a party organization to help. The son of Lawton Chiles, who served three terms in the U.S. Senate and two terms as governor, he has polled in the teens, taking support away from likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink as well as whoever emerges in the red-hot Republican primary between health-care executive Rick Scott and Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Running as a reformer, Chiles has harsh words for the recent special session of the Legislature. Gov. Charlie Crist called for the session to forward a proposed constitutional ban on oil drilling in Florida waters, only to have the House adjourn less than an hour after convening.
I feel like the people of Florida need a strong voice, said Chiles. The people are in one place and the Legislature is in another.
Chiles said he is pleased with his standing in the polls, noting that, unlike McCollum or Scott, his campaign has not launched television advertisements yet. He added that he expects his standing in the polls to increase as his campaign becomes more visible.
While not mentioning any names, Chiles said after the meeting that his campaign has started vetting possible running mates for the lieutenant governor position but he will not make a decision until after the Aug. 24 primaries.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
