With two weeks to go and polls showing a tight race, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott and Democratic nominee Alex Sink attacked each other on the issues and on their records in a sometimes acrimonious TV debate Wednesday night.
The debate, like the one held on Tuesday night between the three major U.S. Senate candidates at Nova Southeastern Universitys campus in Davie, was sponsored by Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association. Antonio Mora of WFOR once again served as moderator. Kelley Dunn from WPTV, Antonio Fins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Adam Smith of the St. Petersburg Times served as a panel, asking the candidates questions.
Sink, state CFO, started the debate talking about jobs and the economy. My plan calls for reviving the economy in the short-term and it revolves around small businesses, she said, focusing on her experience in the private sector. I will be a very aggressive economic ambassador for the state.
Scott, the former health-care executive, pushed his job plan, arguing that it will lead to 700,000 new jobs by cutting taxes. Im going to cut property taxes by 19 percent, said Scott who also reminded votes about his experience in the private sector.
Sink tore into Scotts budgetary plans, saying it was unrealistic to cut $18 billion from the state budget. She also had disparaging comments about Scotts background in business, calling him a corporate raider. Scott said Sinks comment was wrong and talked about his work in the health-care industry.
The debate turned to the looming deficit facing state government in 2011. Sink said her plans to reform government and reducing Medicaid fraud would narrow the gap between revenue and expenses. Scott called for a review of expenses in every agency.
Scott attacked Sinks budgetary plans, saying they were unrealistic.
My opponent talks about how she can save $700 million, said Scott, looking to link Sink to President Barack Obama, who continues to be unpopular in the Sunshine State. Thats Obama math.
Sink called Scotts attack outlandish and accused him of throwing mud. She said, We cant trust anything you say.
Scott reminded Sink that incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, has concerns about her budget. Sink replied that she did not know what Obama math is; thought she was a 4.0 math major at Wake Forest.
After 15 minutes, the debate turned to education. Scott praised education as the gateway to the American dream and called for increased choice for parents, including charter schools, virtual schools and increased home-schooling options.
Sink stressed her opposition to SB 6, a measure passed by the Legislature earlier in 2010 that reformed teacher performance pay. I would never sign a bill like that, she said, arguing that the Republican leadership in the Legislature ignored shareholders -- namely teachers and school districts.
Asked about past mistakes including allowing felons to sell insurance in Florida, Sink said, We played by the rules and followed the law. Sink said Scotts attack on her over the decline in the state pension fund was absurd, arguing that he was trying to blame her for the recession. She then went on the attack, noting that the state of Florida sued Scott for insider trading.
Scott hammered Sink in his response, insisting she did nothing on either felons selling insurance or the pension fund. He also noted his case was dismissed. Sink pounded Scotts record at Columbia/HCA -- insisting that his companies were investigated. You have a lot of explaining to do, she told Scott.
I clearly could have done a better job in hiring internal and external auditors, conceded Scott who added that he learned from the experience.
The questioners then followed-up with Scott, asking about why he closed his deposition over matters with Solantic, a health-care company he invested in.
That case has nothing to do with my run for governor, said Scott, who added he will not release the deposition.
The debate returned to education, with Scott calling for more assessment options besides FCAT scores. Sink praised standardized testing but also called for more options to evaluate student performance.
After a quick intermission, the debate resumed with a question on immigration. Asked about bringing a measure to Florida much like the one passed by Arizona earlier in the year, Sink ripped into the federal government for failing to secure the borders and called for increased fines for businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
Were a country of legal immigration, said Scott, noting that his running mate, Rep. Jennifer Carroll of Jacksonville, came to America as a legal immigrant. Scott called for securing the borders and pushing a program that will let employers verify the status of immigrants.
After praising each others family life, the two candidates tore into each other again. Sink slammed Scott for avoiding the press and called him unprepared to be governor and questioned his record in the private sector. Scott and Sink continued to hammer each others background and Scott again looked to tie Obama to Sink and attacked her for serving in state office.
The two candidates then said they were open to testing welfare recipients for drugs. Sink said she will consider the idea but wants to see how much it would cost. Scott supported the idea as a way to protect children from parents with drug addictions.
The two candidates jabbed each other on insurance matters -- with Sink praising Citizens Property Insurance, while Scott said it is becoming too prominent. Scott slammed Sink for doing nothing while she fired back that he wants to deregulate insurance in the state.
Asked if homosexuality was immoral, Scott praised traditional marriage and added that he would support the ban on homosexuals adopting in Florida. Sink said homosexuality was not immoral and that she opposed the ban, attacking Scott for not answering the question. She added that he refused to provide answers in depositions and lawsuits.
The debate then turned to the high number of foreclosures and what the governor can do for Floridians about to lose their homes. Scott insisted that his job plans would lead to an economic and real-estate revival in the state. Sink said she worked on the issue during her tenure as CFO, especially her work with the Florida Bar Association in helping to offer free legal advice to Floridians facing losing their homes.
Asked if she backed an Internet sales tax, Sink said she stands against any tax increases, but conceded this is a disadvantage for local retailers.
Scott responded by pledging to cut taxes, including a 19 percent cut on property taxes, and hammered Sinks record on taxes. Sink accused Scott of throwing mud again and repeated, This is why we cant trust Rick Scott.
My opponent is clearly an Obama liberal, insisted Scott, saying she was going to spend more without any idea on how to raise revenue.
Sink closed the debate by focusing on her biography. We know that our state has enormous economic challenges right now, said Sink. She said she will fight for her values if elected governor. If you believe in a stronger economy and more jobs, come with me.
Scott closed the debate insisting the election was a clear choice, attacking Sink again for being an Obama liberal and a Tallahassee insider. Scott stressed his credentials in the private sector and called himself an outsider.
Im going to cut state spending and Im going to create private-sector jobs, pledged Scott.
Two polls released on Wednesday revealed what was at stake -- with both polls showing that Scott had a small lead over Sink.
Rasmussen Reports released a poll showing Scott ahead in the contest. Unlike other polls which showed a race within the margin of error, the Rasmussen poll had Scott ahead of Sink by 6 points.
The poll had Scott with 50 percent and Sink at 44; it showed Scott pulling in Republican voters despite not being endorsed by bitter primary rival Attorney General Bill McCollum.
The poll of 750 likely voters took place on Oct. 18 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.
A CNN/Time poll of 798 likely voters also had Scott ahead. The poll, which had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent, had Scott edging Sink by 3 points, with the Republican taking 49 percent and the Democrat at 46 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
