the GOV

Rick Scott is the new governor of Florida. He is in the mold of Governors Mark Sanford, Chris Christie, and Scott Walker, the embattled governor of Wisconsin who is on TV every night. Almost half of the state did not vote for him. It may be the half that pays no taxes and wants the government to do everything for them, I don't know, but I suspect that it is. He is a "kick-ass-take-names" type of guy who has strong opinions and brings a business background to the job. Sure, there are opportunities to criticize his past and his choices, but that is the essence of politics, the winner, like President Obama for example, gets to set the agenda. "Get over it" you liberals who wouldn't have voted for him in a million years.

Many of my friends are police officers and fireman who feel unduly put-upon by the governor's attempts to balance the budget by attacking their pensions. Everyone has their favorites and so do I. In my world, there are certain people who deserve special consideration... these include military warriors, police officers, and firemen and women. I would not touch anything that they have been promised. I would make some different rules going forward for the new hires but I would still place these jobs in a special category I like to call "These guys are willing to die so you can be safe." This is unlike other "professions that are currently rioting in Wisconsin over "the children" that is to say the teacher's union. If doctors got the results that teachers do, i.e. half their clients don't graduate, the malpractice law firm of Dewey Cheatem and Howe. would be even richer than they are. So as for teachers' salaries, pensions, and medical benefits, I will not care if their salaries and pensions are cut to the bone until the union gets out of the way. Rather than protectionism, allow the awful teachers to get replaced. Get rid of the ridiculous tenure system (who else has tenure?) and replace the worst "educators" with teachers that care and have better teaching skills no matter that they are recent hires and not seniority union sacred cows.

Until that time, I am cautiously optimistic that Governor Scott will take a meat cleaver to the budget even if this means that dead wood has to go. If the only way we can increase employment in this country is to hire more government workers, then it is time to fold our tents and sneak off into the night. I think there is another way and I am willing to give the governor a chance. The people KNEW what his intentions were when they elected him. If you don't like it, wait as I have to for the next election and throw the bums out. We may just have different opinions as to who these bums exactly are. One man's bum may be another man's hero.