For governor, The Miami Herald recommends Alex Sink

[n2doc]

Voters who believe elections should be decided on merit have a clear choice in the race for governor. Democrat Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, stands head and shoulders above Republican Rick Scott in terms of experience, familiarity with issues, and responsiveness to the public.

Mr. Scott, 57, has spent a record $60 million of his own money to promote his candidacy, but the more voters know about him, the more questions there are. He calls himself an outsider whose business savvy will bring efficiency to state government, but it would be a disaster for Florida if he ran the state like he ran Columbia/HCA.

The hospital chain wound up paying $1.7 billion in a massive Medicare fraud scheme that occurred when he was chief executive. He was never charged with wrongdoing, but he walked away with a golden parachute reportedly worth $310 million.

Too bad. Florida could use a more rigorous approach to governing, with fewer insider deals and boondoggles like the $47 million "Taj Mahal’’ building for the First District Court of Appeal. Mr. Scott’s record inspires little confidence, and he fails to mention that most of the problems he points to have arisen under his own party’s watch in Tallahassee.

Ms. Sink, 62, also has an extensive business background, thankfully free of scandal. She served as chief executive of NationsBank Florida, now Bank of America, where she worked for 26 years. She has a plan to nurture small business, foster a tax and regulatory climate that encourages private-sector growth and reward job creators with tax breaks.


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/24/1887395/for-governor-the-miami-herald.html

[n2doc]

1. kick n/t

[meowomon]

2. K&R