Trashing DeBlasio, Cuomo, Rick Scott Continues 'Pro-Florida' Tour in New York

Gov. Rick Scott continued his pro-Florida tour in the Northeast Tuesday and Wednesday, this time stopping in New York to boast about why Florida is the place to be.

Speaking to a crowd of Republicans at the New York Republican Party’s annual gala, Scott poked at New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo -- both Democrats -- and said misguided policies and regulations were leading New Yorkers to pack their bags and head down to the Sunshine State.
 
“A lot of things New York is doing is great for me, and for our economy,” Scott said, criticizing the heavily blue state for being out of touch with the needs of businesses.

 “Your governor is outstanding for our economy. Your mayor couldn’t be better for our economy,” he said. “Think of how many New Yorkers are coming to our state.”

Scott painted a stark contrast between DeBlasio and Cuomo’s policies, which he said were harmful to a business economy. The governor pointed to Florida’s 3 percent job growth rate and compared it to New York’s 1.7 percent.

Debt, Scott said, was also a big problem in New York, where it tops $60 billion. Florida’s state debt hovers at around $20 billion.

Scott continued to hammer away at the two politicians, lambasting them for making it difficult for businesses to succeed in the Empire State. 

“When I talk to business people, they’re tired of the taxes, they’re tired of the regulations, they’re tired of the difficulty in getting permits, they’re just tired of how difficult it is to do business here,” Scott said. “Governor Cuomo is helpful to me, and de Blasio’s helpful to me, because people are getting tired of it.”

Scott told the crowd of New Yorkers to keep heading to Florida, which has a population of around 21 million. New York trails behind with around 20 million people. 
 
In an ironic twist, Scott fundraised money for the New York Republican Party, something he has not done for the Republican Party of Florida since 2015 when Chairman Blaise Ingoglia took the reins in an election upset over Scott favorite Leslie Dougher.

The stop in New York is the second in Scott’s pro-Florida tour of the Northeast. Earlier this week, Scott spent time in Connecticut in an attempt to lure businesses to the Sunshine State. The governor said Florida’s economy, ripe with low taxes and no state income tax, make Florida the place to be for businesses wanting to make their marks. 

Gov. Cuomo and Mayor DeBlasio had not responded to requests for comment at the time of this article's release. 

Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.