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Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Relationship Problems

Relationships are hard to sustain in life, and nowhere is that more true than in politics. All of the usual building, maintenance and occasional rebuilding happen under the glare of public scrutiny.

And there were plenty of relationships in the spotlight this week. Gov. Rick Scott spent part of the week trying to build relationships with companies in Connecticut, even as one of the state’s newspapers not so politely told him to get lost.

The chairman of the Florida Democratic Party faced some rebuilding work with African-American lawmakers who are a key constituency — something necessitated by his remark that legislators were acting “childish” at the party’s annual fundraising soiree. That news came shortly before one of the Democrats running for governor revealed that he had been forced into an unwanted relationship with the FBI.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Richard Corcoran seemed to be patching up his strained ties to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing agency. Even in public, some relationships can still blossom.

FLORIDA GOV IN A CONNECTICUT YANKEE’S COURT

Armed with a “Florida Job Growth Grant Fund” that he technically hadn’t signed into law, Scott journeyed north early this week to try to convince Connecticut businesses that they should move to the Sunshine State.

The $85 million fund, created in a special session this month, is meant to help boost economic development. It has more restrictions than the direct incentives that Scott prefers, but it’s something he could take to Connecticut.

“My pitch is you should give up, capitulate, come to Florida and make it easier on yourselves,” Scott told a group of businesspeople and Republican state legislators at a Norwalk hotel Monday morning. “If you want to live in a place that has lower taxes, less regulations, has good universities, is less expensive, where there’s a greater chance your kids and grandkids are going to get a job, you’re going to be in Florida.”

Ahead of the trip, the job-growth fund was prominently featured in separate news releases announcing Florida’s unemployment numbers and the trip to Connecticut.

To say that Scott’s sojourn into the Nutmeg State was unwelcome would be underselling things.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s office sought to dismiss Scott’s trip by pointing to the Northern state’s quality of life and educated workforce.

“The truth is, no amount of money or effort will make up for the fact that Gov. Scott is leading his state in the wrong direction,” a release from Malloy’s office said. “We are happy to host Mr. Scott to show him a better way to serve his state, but if he’s expecting anyone in Connecticut to buy what he’s selling, he’s better off saving his taxpayers the cost of the trip and staying home.”

The Hartford Courant was, if possible, even more cutting.

“Here’s some advice for Florida Gov. Rick Scott: Go back to Florida and stay there,” a Courant editorial said. The paper said Florida had other numbers that were higher than Connecticut’s: “more poverty, more violent crime and more disconnected youth.”

Well, then.

DEMS IN DISARRAY, TAKE 97

At the beginning of the week, it looked like Florida Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Bittel might be the most-endangered member of his party in the state. But a week in politics is a long time.

Bittel started the week under fire for reportedly lashing out at African-American lawmakers when they and others complained about his decision to scrap a portion of the party’s annual fundraising dinner program featuring Democratic legislators. Some of those lawmakers saw his use of the word “childish” as racially charged.

So on Monday, Bittel met with Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, and Rep. Kionne McGhee, a Miami Democrat set to take over as leader of the party’s House caucus after the 2018 elections. The two had been harshly critical of Bittel’s remarks at the Saturday evening event.

For now, at least, it looks like Bittel will ride out the storm.

“Our meeting was productive and we are moving forward together to secure victory in 2018,” he said in a statement following the Monday meeting. “Together we are focused on electing Democrats who will stand up for working families and bring change and economic progress to Florida.”

Before Bittel’s troubles get too advanced, though, another member of his party was facing problems in the form of a federal investigation into the city of Tallahassee. Andrew Gillum, the city’s mayor, took pains to point out that he was not a target of the investigation, or even specifically named in subpoenas linked to the probe, but the uproar still threatened to be a distraction to his gubernatorial campaign.

“Last week the FBI approached me about several people and businesses here in Tallahassee,” Gillum said Friday in a statement issued by his city office. “I spoke with them, and told them they could expect both the city and my personal cooperation with their investigation. They assured me I was not the focus of an investigation, and that they would be moving quickly with their work.”

That was one day after disclosures that the city had been hit with subpoenas in an investigation that seems to focus, at least in part, on The Edison, a pricey restaurant near the heart of the city’s new Cascades Park.

The subpoenas, issued to the city and its Community Redevelopment Agency, ask for records related to about two-dozen individuals and companies, most of them involved in construction or other contracting areas. The Edison is specifically listed as one of those subjects.

So far, Gillum’s two primary opponents — former Congresswoman Gwen Graham and Winter Park businessman Chris King — have held their fire. So far.

LET’S BE FRIENDS

After spending much of this spring’s regular legislative session burning just about every bridge he had outside the House of Representatives, Corcoran has made efforts during the past month to patch things up with at least some of those caught in his crosshairs.

First, he mended fences with Scott, to the point that the governor signed an education bill favored by Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, while vetoing a higher education measure pushed by Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart.

And now, Corcoran says Visit Florida is getting back on the right track.

“It’s clear that Visit Florida has heard us loud and clear and are beginning the process of cleaning up their act and ceasing the waste of taxpayer money,” Corcoran said in a statement Thursday.

The change of heart came after the tourism marketer took steps to reshape some of its sports deals.

The agency has given a 30-day cancellation notice to the team racing the “Visit Florida car.”

The $2.875 million contract — about $1 million has yet to be paid — is tied to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season that concludes in October with the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans in Braselton, Ga.

Visit Florida continues to negotiate for what could be a third year sponsoring the London-based Fulham Football Club, owned by Shahid “Shad” Khan.

“We are in negotiations to receive more deliverables at a lower cost,” Visit Florida spokesman Stephen Lawson said in an email about the talks with Fulham. “We are focused on deliverables, how those deliverables integrate into our larger marketing plan, and a strong return on investment.”

Corcoran’s feud with the agency was part of what sparked a budget showdown that led to an extension of the regular session and then a special session to boot.

Lawmakers during the regular session moved to cut Visit Florida’s budget. But the funding was bumped up to $76 million — nearly matching the money in the current year — during the special session.

The bill (HB 1A) providing the money also will require Visit Florida contracts valued at $500,000 to be posted online. Contracts over $750,000 will have to go before the Joint Legislative Budget Commission and could be voided within 14 days by the House speaker or Senate president. The plan also caps salaries and imposes travel restrictions on Visit Florida employees.

“We are confident with the new oversight provisions that require House and Senate approval and complete transparency, we will be able to protect taxpayers,” Corcoran said in the statement.

STORY OF THE WEEK: Federal subpoenas revealed the existence of an FBI investigation into redevelopment in the city of Tallahassee, shaking the gubernatorial campaign of Mayor Andrew Gillum.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “With all due respect, Mr. Scott, no thanks. Promises of a better climate and pictures of palm trees are nice, but there’s more to a state than its shrubbery.”—The Hartford Courant, blasting Gov. Rick Scott’s call for Connecticut businesses to relocate to Florida.

by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida