Has Governor Scott created 290,000 jobs in two years?
By Roger Caldwell
The Republican mantra is that government does not create jobs. But Governor Scott has officially started his campaign, and he is bragging to everyone that he has created 290,000 jobs. According to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 250,000 jobs have been created since he took office.
This does not mean in the African American community that things are getting better, and there are more jobs. In the African American community, there was a depression, and the jobs were taken by poor Hispanics, and many of the small Black businesses went under. In the Florida Legislature there are more Black lawmakers, and our communities are expecting more jobs and more resources.
Florida is one of states that the economic forecasters predicted that a million jobs would be added to the economy in eight years, no matter who became governor. Governor Scott’s timing was perfect, because he can take responsibility for creating almost 300,000 jobs in two years.
As times and conditions get harder, our governor keeps telling us that things are getting better. He is telling the citizens that his initiatives are working, but it appears that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The unemployment numbers keep getting lower in the state, but people are working two jobs for less money, when they were working one.
Governor Scott is struggling with low approval ratings, and according to Quinnipiac University’s recent poll number released March 20, 2013, his numbers were 36 percent. Our governor would like the state’s residents, community leaders, and political leaders to believe that everything is wonderful in his administration, and everyone should be a Republican.
But three weeks ago his Lieutenant Governor was forced to resign, and the previous Republican Chairmen was sentenced and given prison time for corruption. In two years our governor has lost 15 department heads in his administration, and he has spent millions of state taxpayers’ money in the state and federal court to push his agenda through the legislature and judicial system. Our governor has embarrassed the state with his election debacle, and he has refused millions of dollars from the federal government, and he refused $1.3 billion for high speed rail.
Governor Scott keeps telling Florida residents that one of his top priorities is to bring more jobs and more companies to the state, but he keeps refusing money from the federal government, hurting job creation. The Democrats and the Independents have not forgotten the cuts to the schools and universities and his total disregard for Blacks and other minority communities.
As our Governor begins to spend $100 million of his own money for his campaign re-election, the question must be raised, “Does he Care about Floridians?” The governor can tell us that he is working to help Florida families, but his polls tell us something different. Our governor can tell Floridians that things are getting better and the economy is improving, but the polls tell us something different.
The polls tell us that our governor is concerned with his personal agenda, and anyone who gets in the way will be eliminated. Our governor is making a $100 million investment in the state of Florida, and he expects a return on his investment.
