Reactions came in across the state on Tuesday after Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., took the oath of office for his second term and his inaugural address in which he pledged to continue fighting for job growth and lower taxes.
The two leaders of the Florida Legislature -- Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island -- weighed in on Tuesday, offering their takes on Scotts inaugural and looked ahead to the legislative tasks to come.
My Senate colleagues and I congratulate Gov. Scott, Lt. Gov. Lopez-Cantera, General Bondi, CFO Atwater and Commissioner Putnam and look forward to a continued partnership as we work to keep Florida on the path to long-term economic recovery, Gardiner said. Over the last four years, our state has made tremendous progress. Weve passed a balanced budget every year. Weve reduced the tax burden on families and businesses. Weve invested in education, economic development and transportation infrastructure. Weve responsibly saved for the future, and weve worked to maintain a business climate that gives private-sector job creators the confidence to locate and expand their businesses here in Florida.
As the Senate begins its committee work this week, we applaud our friends in the executive branch and look forward to the work that lies ahead, Gardiner added.
Crisafulli also praised Scott and said the House would work with the governor in his call to reduce taxes.
On behalf of the Florida House, I would like to congratulate Gov. Scott, Lt. Gov. Lopez-Cantera, Commissioner Putnam, General Bondi and CFO Atwater on their inauguration today," Crisafulli said. The House looks forward to working together to continue making Florida the best state in the nation.
Under Gov. Scotts leadership, our state has seen jobs grow and unemployment shrink by creating an environment where businesses can thrive, Crisafulli added. For the past four years, Floridians have seen a reduction in their tax burden and we look forward to working with the governor and the Cabinet to continue that trend.
In the meantime, across the aisle, Florida Democrats continued to fire away at Scott.
"As Rick Scott starts his second term, Floridians are wondering if this governor will do right by them -- or if he will continue to side with big business and the wealthiest special interests, said Allison Tant, the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party. Over half of Floridians did not vote for Rick Scott, and Florida Democrats hope Scott governs on behalf of all Floridians, because the people need this governor to put them first.
Tant insisted Scott claimed in 2010 that he said he would create 1.7 million new jobs while Scott and his team have pushed back that the governor said he would create 700,000 new jobs. On behalf of former Gov. Charlie Crists unsuccessful efforts to topple Scott in last years election, Tant made that case during the campaign and it bore little fruit. Regardless, Tant returned to that theme on Tuesday.
"Sadly, today Rick Scott again misled the public by claiming to have met his promise to create new jobs -- while hundreds of thousands of middle-class Floridians are still looking for work, Tant said. Floridians are going to be disappointed with four more years of this governor, and will have to suffer through more of the same an administration with contempt for public education and no plan to help to create well-paying jobs or grow the middle class."
Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which backed Scott over Crist, praised Scotts economic record on Tuesday.
Productivity, stability and a focus on growing private-sector jobs is a recipe for success, Wilson noted on Tuesday. Thanks to the commitment of Gov. Scott, members of the Florida Cabinet and many in the Florida Legislature, Florida has become a model for economic growth and entrepreneurship. In fact, since December 2010, Florida has been moving in the right direction again. Thousands of regulations have been eliminated or improved, and taxes have been cut, more than 715,000 private-sector jobs have been created and Florida is now the third most populous state in the nation.
Making Florida more competitive is a priority the Florida Chamber shares with our states elected leaders, Wilson added. Over the next four years, the Florida Chamber looks forward to creating an even stronger business-friendly environment to help ensure that Florida families can succeed and prosper. The Florida Chamber is focused on making Florida more competitive and we are blessed that Gov. Scott and the Florida Cabinet are closely aligned with our vision of securing Floridas future.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
