RPOF does a bang-up job detailing why Alex Sink isn't fit to represent Florida in Congress. But, for my money, the video released Wednesday from Lenny Curry & Co. omits one of the most prominent reasons to deny Sink public office again -- on any level.
Her culpability in the $50 million Tallahassee Taj Mahal mess.
During the nearly four years the opulent 1st District Court of Appeal -- nicknamed "the Taj" --was under construction in the state capital's Southwood subdivision, Sink was Florida's chief financial officer.
Week after week, it was Sink who signed the construction-related checks -- checks for soundproofing judges' individual bathrooms, for bulletproof windows, for a glass dome over the lobby, "scads of exotic woods, luxury appointments, and fancy judicial suites."
All Sink. With a compliant gang of legislators and Gov. Charlie Crist, of course.
Four years went by, folks -- her whole CFO administration -- during which Sink was signing checks for this apparently "disgracefully excessive" project. Yet she didn't know it was excessive -- did she know about it at all? -- until Lucy Morgan of the St. Petersburg Times told her in August 2010.
And while it's true, the CFO had no part in deciding whether the building should or shouldn't be built, she certainly had a responsibility to throw a flag from the sidelines -- blow a whistle-- file a complaint with the citizens of Florida, for Lord's sake.She had a responsibility to put two and two together and say, "Wait a doggone minute, I'm not going to sign one more check until somebody looks at how much money this building is costing the taxpayers of Florida."
(By the way, after the Times went to Sink with the story, she took credit for summoning an audit -- "breaking this thing wide open," I think is how she described it.)
Last time I heard her talk on this subject, she blamed the Republican leadership -- some by name, but mostly Republicans in general.
In truth, there's plenty of blame for the Taj to go around.
A Sunshine State News reporter tried for weeks before the 2010 gubernatorial election, in which Sink ran unsuccessfully, to ask her about her own very major responsibility in the Taj debacle. She dodged him a number of times, once even literally -- by rushing behind a curtain.
Finally he caught up with her in Lake Worth and got the interview on video. You might want to have a look. On that occasion she actually blamed people in her own department.
I said this when she was running for governor, I'll say it again now that she's running for Congess: If Sink is elected, every time something unpopular happens in Washington or any time she missteps, it will be the fault of somebody Republican. Or an aide who needs dismissing. Or auditors somewhere down the hall. Or somebody in office before she came along.
Sink may be the excusiest candidate you're ever likely to see.
The bottom line is this: AlexSink either isn't the brightest bulb in the lamp, or she fell asleep at the switch, or she's too timid to speak up in the face of controversy.
Whichever it is, Florida needs something better in Washington.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423.
