With Port of Miami Director Bill Johnson at his side, Florida Gov. Rick Scott addressed the Tallahassee press Monday, dismissing President Obama's visit as "late to the party" on coming up with Florida port investments.
Obama appeared in Miami late last week to build support for his plan to secure more infrastructure funding.
Were certainly glad President Obama visited the Port of Miami ... but he was late ..." Scott told reporters Monday. "We know 550,000 jobs in Florida are tied directly to our ports."
The governor has said that Florida's $425 million investment in ports during his tenure was an example of states needing to act because the federal government was slow in distributing pledged funding. Florida fronted $75 million in federal guarantees for the Port of Miami and $36 million for the Port of Jacksonville.
"We could not wait for the federal government to come to the table with their share of the project, Scott said.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told the South Florida press last Thursday, "The Port of Miami is a major center of commerce and an example of the critical infrastructure improvements that are being undertaken to remain competitive in the global marketplace using the types of combined investment from the federal government, state government and local government, and private investors that the president has called for."
The state kicked in $77 million two years ago to fund the ports $180 million deep dredge project, which will allow Miami to accommodate Panama-Canal-expanded cargo ships and create more than 30,000 new jobs. The governor has been emphatic that Florida wants its money back.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
