BY LANCE LACHEEN — Florida’s Governor Rick Scott (R) meets annually with Florida’s 28-member black caucus. But this year, the black caucus cancelled its meeting with the Governor. Governor Scott received the hand delivered letter canceling his annual meeting on Wednesday, January 15th, 2014. The black caucus’ reason for refusing to meet with the Governor, according to the Tampa Bay Times, was stated in the letter by Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee as follows:
“We believe you can and should do more … (to) reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of Florida.”
The letter went on to cite the caucus’ disappointment with many of Scott’s decisions while in office. For example, Scott has vetoed important items in this year’s budget including money to fund a Holocaust education center in Broward County. Additionally, Williams’ letter called for more diversity in Scott’s administration.
In previous years, meetings between Governor Scott and the black caucus have not proven to be fruitful. Governor Scott has been criticized for not taking action to rectify the issues brought to him by minority groups.
Governor Scott has responded to these allegations with stories from his past. Governor Scott claims to understand the issues on the forefront of Florida minorities and at risk communities because he grew up in public housing. But, does this mean Governor Scott has made an attempt to better the lives of Florida minority groups, or those in at-risk communities similar to the community where he came from?
Among other efforts, Floridians want to see Governor Scott make an effort to expand the affordable health care act, and diversify his administration, restoring civil rights for ex-felons. Governor Scott has also been accused of blocking apparent non-citizens from voting accessibility. There have been reports of Governor Scott purging eligible voters from the polls; voters that he knows would not vote in his favor. According to Politifact, Governor Scott cut a tremendous amount of education funding in his first (1.3 billion dollars in K-12 funding) and second year (300 million of higher education funding) in office. However, Governor Scott’s website refutes many of the facts found on Politifact’s website.
With an upcoming election in November 2014, Governor Scott is focusing on improving Florida’s economy to win votes. However, he may have to address many of the concerns of the black caucus, minority groups, and at-risk communities. Currently, many polls show Charlie Crist (D) ahead of Scott for the next election.
