FL Gov Rick Scott in firestorm for his veto of $2 million from Citrus Disease Research

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Thu Jun-16-11 09:56 PM
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FL Gov Rick Scott in firestorm for his veto of $2 million from Citrus Disease Research

The Florida citrus industry says it employs nearly 76,000 people, creating a $9 billion annual economic impact. Citrus growing covers about 875 square miles in the state.
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The deer in the headlights.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott struck a conciliatory tone June 15 at the Florida Citrus Conference after he vetoed $2 million in citrus research funds because he did not understand that the funds were paid by the growers themselves through a box tax on citrus. "This is my first budget," the new governor explained. (Photo by Chip Carter) Link

Let that sink in for a moment.

He is facing a firestorm for his veto of $2 Million from research on citrus greening, a bacterial disease that could wipe out the citrus industry in Florida. And that ain't all. He's turned the entire state's citrus industry on its head by radically changing the structure of the Florida Citrus Code and commandeering control over the Citrus Commission members and their functions.

Gov. Scott explained that he vetoed the $2 million in research funding because he did not understand that the money came from the growers themselves. �It was my first budget,� he said apologetically. �I will get up to speed on that issue. As much as I would like to say I understand the citrus community, I don�t.�

Link

Hell, it's only *agriculture*, the second largest sector of the state's economy after tourism. And our "governor" doesn't know jack $&*@ about it.

Small photo below, but take a look at the body language aimed at Mr. Scott.

Mike Sparks (left), executive vice president and chief executive officer of Lakeland-based Florida Citrus Mutual, and Vic Story Jr., president of the Story Cos., Lake Wales, Fla., talk with Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., during a June 15 luncheon at the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference. The governor recently vetoed a major citrus greening research funding bill. Link

The take-home message: Don't issue the keys to the Governor's office to a criminal, and a particularly ignorant one.

Conciliatory Florida governor meets citrus commission, apologizes for budget cuts

By Chip Carter | June 15, 2011

BONITA SPRINGS, FL -- Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who took office in January, has not made many friends in the Florida citrus industry in his short tenure, but he confronted some of those he has crossed at an invitation-only luncheon of grower-shippers June 15 at the Florida Citrus Conference at the Hyatt Coconut Point Resort, here.

Sparks were expected to fly at the luncheon after recent legislative maneuvers that had a negative impact the state�s citrus industry. On May 26, the governor vetoed a $2 million appropriation for citrus greening research that would have been paid by citrus growers themselves via a box tax collected on each carton of citrus sold. That same day, he approved a bill that restructured the makeup of the Florida Citrus Commission and Florida Department of Citrus, redrawing district lines and shrinking the number of commissioners to nine from 12. Among other items, that same bill also ends the terms of all currently serving commissioners on July 1 and allows Gov. Scott to appoint the nine who will make up the new board.

Gov. Scott faced those very people as he strode into a conference room at the Hyatt, appearing decidedly nervous as he chose to forego a lectern and stand at the front of the room to address members of the commission, Florida Citrus Mutual, and other assorted growers and industry affiliates.

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Gov. Scott was conciliatory from the start.

�I just got back from Canada, and the first thing they all say is, �We love your juice,�� he said, adding, �Your business is important to our state. We need jobs� you generate a lot of jobs.�

Mr. Sparks interjected, �76,000 jobs and $9 billion, but who�s counting?�

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How much more unfettered damage is this criminal and idiot going to commit before he is removed from office?

Governor Scott Defends Cut in Citrus Disease Research

By Kevin Bouffard
THE LEDGER
June 15, 2011 at 9:54 p.m.

BONITA SPRINGS | Gov. Rick Scott defended his actions against Florida citrus interests in a 30-minute talk with about 50 top citrus officials Wednesday.

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Scott also defended Senate Bill 2122, although he acknowledged it has flaws. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, made major changes to the Florida Citrus Code governing the Citrus Department and its governing body, the Citrus Commission.

Lakeland-based Citrus Mutual, the state's largest growers' group, led a unified industry campaign asking Scott to veto SB 2122. Opponents claimed Alexander had not shared details of the bill before introducing it in the last week of the session.

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The bill ended the terms of all 12 current commissioners, allowing Scott to name nine new commissioners. When asked what role Alexander played in the seven appointments he made Tuesday, Scott said his appointments staff gets input from many people.

"I didn't talk to him (Alexander) directly" about his appointments, he said.

Fla. gov defends veto of money for citrus research

By MITCH STACY
June 15, 2011

Growers had lobbied hard for the state money for research into citrus greening, a bacterial disease that could devastate commercial citrus growing in Florida. The veto forced the state citrus commission to shift money from its critical marketing budget and other sources to help pay for research.

Scott said he had tough decisions to make when it came to line-item vetoes in his first state budget. He acknowledged that he still didn't know a lot about the citrus industry but promised growers he would "get up to the speed" on the greening issue.

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Scott also took on another issue that is the talk of the growers' annual meeting this week -- a bill that made major changes to the citrus code and industry-governing Florida Citrus Commission.
Growers groups had vehemently urged Scott to veto the bill, which they say was pushed through by state Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, in the last week of the legislative session without proper vetting by the industry. Alexander, however, says the industry was aware of the bill before it was passed.

Among other things, the bill includes a cap on state per-box citrus taxes, which fund the marketing activities of the Florida Department of Citrus, and increases legislative oversight of the department and its $54.7 million budget. It also reduces the number of commissioners from 12 to nine and ends their terms July 1 so Scott can appoint his own commissioners. Critics have complained that the restructuring reduces growers' representation on the board.

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Commissioner Martin McKenna, one of the commissioners reappointed by Scott, acknowledged that flap over the bill the last month "hasn't been pleasant."

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Pensions, bestiality, citrus laws all signed

BY KATIE SANDERS
May 26, 2011

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More than 100 people contacted Scott�s office and begged for a veto, saying the changes were not vetted by the industry.

Scott�s signature should delight one of their own: Republican Sen. J.D. Alexander, the powerful budget chairman and Lake Wales citrus farmer who initiated the shake-ups.

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And there is Republican state Senator J. D. Alexander, orchestrating it all.

Citrus loses two major battles

By KEVIN BOUFFARD
NYT Regional Media Group

May 27, 2011

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The veto will almost certainly ignite another pitched battle over the Florida Department of Citrus's proposed 2011-12 budget of $52.6 million. The fight will revolve around whether the department should replace the $2 million in lost funding at the expense of cash-strapped marketing programs.

The Citrus Department is a state agency that promotes Florida citrus products and is financed primarily through a tax paid by commercial growers.
Scott declined to veto Senate Bill 2122 despite a strong campaign against the legislation by almost all major citrus industry groups. Industry leaders objected that Alexander, chairman of the powerful Senate Budget Committee, had pushed through SB 2122 in the last week of the Legislature without consulting them.

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"You can't have one person behind closed doors at the eleventh hour introducing legislation like this that affects the whole industry," said Andy Taylor, an executive with Peace River Citrus Products Inc. in Vero Beach and a former Citrus Commission chairman. "It's one person trying to control the industry. Nobody in the industry is happy with it."

Dennis Broadaway, chief executive of the Haines City Citrus Growers Association, voiced another opinion: "It appears he (Alexander) has a pretty harsh personal vendetta against Ken Keck."

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The money would have gone to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc., a growers' group that oversees the research effort, including approval of scientific projects and funding.

SB 2122, pushed through by Republican Senator J. D. Alexander and signed by Rick Scott, has incensed the Florida Citrus Commission and citrus farmers because it will:

1. Cut the number of the Commission's members from 12 to 9.

2. Redraw the Commission's member districts, and cutting them from 4 districts to 3.

3. Abruptly end the terms of all 12 Commissioners, thereby allowing Rick Scott to name all members of the new 9-member Board.

4. Limit the Commission's Executive Director's term to 4 years, mandating that future appointments be confirmed by the Senate.

This bill also puts a cap on tax rates for boxes of the fruit.

Florida citrus industry responds to greening research veto

06/15/2011 3:36:08 PM
Doug Ohlemeier

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During a June 15 luncheon with growers Scott acknowledged the industry�s disease problems and said citrus remains an important part of Florida. He fielded questions about his veto.

�I do care about greening,� Scott said. �I want to make sure we aren�t spending money we don�t need to. If there are things we have to fix on that, we will.�

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Let's get real here. The only "greening" Rick Scott cares about is the color of his bank account.

Blame Game Continues Over Senator J. D. Alexander's Citrus Code Changes

By Kevin Bouffard
THE LEDGER
June 14, 2011 at 9:41 p.m.

HAINES CITY | A month after the 2011 legislative session ended, the political finger-pointing continues between state Sen. J.D. Alexander, who authored a major reform of the state Citrus Code, and top Florida citrus officials who oppose it.

Alexander, R-Lake Wales, took heavy fire from citrus officials for introducing the reform bill during the last week of the session without vetting it with citrus industry interest groups, notably Lakeland-based Florida Citrus Mutual, the state's largest growers' organization. With a professional Tallahassee lobbyist, Citrus Mutual is widely considered the industry's leading voice in state government.

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Alexander's critics have focused much of their anger over the redistricting plan, claiming it reduces growers' representation on the board.

"Vic Story and Citrus Mutual would have never agreed in private on redistricting the way it was done," Story said of the April 5 meeting with Alexander. "We didn't know what he was going to do. We had hoped through the session we would have some input."

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"Why not a committee hearing? Why not consultation?" Keck said. "What is the senator scared of?"

Scott names 7 to Florida Citrus Commission , June 15, 2011

This may be Rick Scott's "first budget", but it will be his last term occupying our Governor's office, or any other 'elected' office in Florida.