Is Governor Scott Lying to Himself...

Rick Scott believes he has the "supreme executive power" to circumvent constitutional privileges, in order to implement his agenda. Like George W. Bush and Richard Nixon, he too believes he and he alone, is the "decider." He often interprets the constitution to allow for leapfrogging civil rights and the process by which they are implemented, if need be. It's a mindset not unlike Bush redefining torture or Richard Nixon, rifling through his political opponent's election headquarters. Rick Scott has controversy coming from every direction, yet he chooses to see his adversaries as no more than citizens acting badly.

A Florida woman is suing the Governor for using his assumed power to suspend the state's rule making process. Rosalie Whiley, is blind, and she feels Governor Rick Scott overstepped his boundaries last January when he suspended the rule making process at all agencies. The Tampa Tribune reported, Whiley was perusing a change in the food stamp rules to comply with the federal law making procedures, making it easier for disabled applicants to apply. 

The Florida Education Association has filed a class action against the Governor and trustees for unconstitutionally imposing a 3 percent pay cut on teacher compensation.

The Huffington Post reported; Rick Scott is being sued by the ACLU over his order to impose mandatory drug testing for Florida state workers. For some reason, the executive branch of the government is exempt from the order, suggesting none of them are substance abusers and perhaps that they're above any such inspection. 

Another ACLU suit stems from Scott's implementation of a new election law that would discourage voters likely to support Democrats. The Governor's action puts restrictions on voter registration drives by forcing those who report a change of address to cast a provisional ballet, which can be more easily contested. The new law also reduces the number of early voting days. Both regulations are more likely to effect low income voters.

Two Florida Senators are suing Scott for canceling the Tampa to Orlando bullet train. Scott returned $2.4 billion it federal transit money that many feel cost the state tens of thousands of much-needed jobs. One Republican and one Democrat senator claimed that the project had been approved and Scott reached beyond his legal boundaries in canceling it.

The Florida Police Benevolent Association has filed suit against Governor Rick Scott and his Corrections Secretary Edwin Buss, for their attempts to privatize prisons in 18 south Florida counties. The union claims there will be massive job loss from legislation that is poorly written and unconstitutional. The Miami Herald reported the state also failed to perform a required "Business Case" study which is required for any outsourcing of more than $10 million. 

Citizens for National Security are suing Scott over a law that changed the way text books are selected. Scott was having a problem with the way religious groups were represented in school text. He maintains his measure as a budget decision. The NewYork Times reported, Lane Wright a spokesperson for Mr. Scott, played down the law suits, saying it was not exactly surprising for a new governor to be sued. 

The Orlando Sentinel reported, that the NAACP, Florida League of Women Voters, Democracia Ahora and individual voters in Monroe County filed a lawsuit against Scott and his appointed Secretary of State, Kurt Browing, in the U.S. District Court, asking the three judge panel to force Scott to uphold two amendments passed by a large majority, in a session prior to Scott's inauguration. The amendments bar state lawmakers from drawing state and congressional districts that favor political parties or incumbents. The public also voted to seek "Fair Districting"  using city, county and geographical boundaries. 

At Governor Scott's "budget signing" event in Town Square at the Villages retirement center, which the Governor announced as a private event last May, he had a Sumter County Sheriff ejecting anyone who had a sign or spoke about Scott negatively. That has been his mantra since he has taken office. Think Progress reported that at that speech, Scott said a lot of what people wanted to hear, but he didn't speak about some of the cuts he made to programs that assisted homeless veterans, meals for poor seniors, a council for deafness, a children's hospital, cancer research, whooping-cough, vaccines for poor mothers and aid for the paralyzed. 

Many thought Rick Scott was going to be the cure for Florida's woes. He wasn't, he isn't, and it gets increasingly more difficult to let the minority of those who choose to believe otherwise, continue to paralyze our state. Even if you agree with some of his programs, the Governor is not approved of by seven out of ten of the citizens of this state. He has instated programs that present physical harm and undue hardships to many of Florida's citizens, which is illegal, according to the Florida Constitution. Scott rode into Tallahassee supported by voters who showed great affinity for constitutional adherence, and I wonder how those voters feel now. In any case, allowing this bedlam to continue may cost us more than we can afford -- both fiscally and otherwise.