Gov. Voldemort to sell off Florida's two planes, lay off 10 workers

[Hugabear]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-scott-plane-sale-20110107,0,3101002.story

<snip>
One of Gov. Rick Scott's first acts this week was to make good on his campaign promise to effectively ground the state air fleet used to fly politicians around Florida.

"On the campaign, I said I was going to sell the state plane. It's a campaign promise I made, and I'm going to live up to it," Scott said.

Scott's office says the state could save $2.4 million in annual budgeted operating costs by shutting down Florida's two-plane fleet and laying off the 10 pilots, mechanics and other staff that keep it. But the task may be a bit trickier than it sounded on the stump.
<snip>


So Lizard Boy, who ran on a platform of bringing jobs to Florida, one of his very first actions is to do something that will cause at least 10 people to lose their jobs.

Another item in his cross-hairs is the high-speed train, which he's repeatedly said that he opposes. So he'll wind up axing that project, thus eliminating even more jobs that Floridians could have had.

And Voldemort's reign is just beginning...

[gateley]

1. "Gov. Voldemort"

:spray:

[Hugabear]

3. It's like they were separated at birth

[walldude]

7. Man, start smashing the Horcruxes

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

That's his permanent tag. Fucking awesome!

[gateley]

9. It is toooooo eerie! If I didn't know who was "under" Potter's Voldemort, I'd seriously wonder... n

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. EXPECTO PATRONUM!

Did that work?

[gateley]

18. I'm afraid to look. nt

[neverforget]

8. I knew he reminded me of somebody

:rofl:

[NV Whino]

2. Maybe he could sell them in eBay

:rofl:

[nmbluesky]

4. voldermort? good one..

well.. he is a most corrupt in Fla history.. isn't he?

[jmowreader]

19. Voldemort 'most corrupt in Fla history'--come on!

Yes, I know about the Columbia/HCA fraud, but think: he's only been in there a week and a Bush has slept in the FLA Governor's bed. Give it time.

[LuvNewcastle]

5. Maybe they can sell them to Haley Barbour.

He's wearing out Mississippi's plane, flying all over the world. And he'll be flying even more when the election season starts.

[midnight armadillo]

6. Oh this is rich

Moreover, a new code of ethics for his office Scott signed this week bars employees of his office, including agency heads, from traveling in private aircraft without prior approval from Scott or his chief of staff. That was apparently a rule designed to keep industries trying to influence government from flying state officials around.

"They can drive or fly," Scott said.

The new governor won't have to worry about those logistical problems. The millionaire former health-care executive owns his own Raytheon Beechjet 400 jet and plans to use it to travel.

Scott said Friday he would pay all its costs himself for the full four years of his term. But unlike the public planes, whose trips are public record, Scott said he wouldn't release detailed flight itineraries so the media or public can find out where he's been.

"I've never done it. I don't believe in it," he said.

Which means that Scott will personally fly around with industry bigwigs and doesn't want lower level government employees intruding on his selloff of Florida.

[Dappleganger]

10. I don't know where I read it today, but somewhere it was reported that Scott

has decided that he doesn't need to give an account of where he flies to (when and where) as he will be using his private plane.

It seems to me that he wants this job on HIS terms, more like a CEO position than that of a public servant to taxpayers.

[Hugabear]

11. It's in the article I linked to in my OP

Towards the bottom of the article.

[Dappleganger]

14. Ok, but I read it elsewhere--it's all over FL news.

The argument is that a governor should be held accountable to the people for his time spent as governor, and just because he has a fancy-ass jet doesn't give him the right to hide away in the shadows--which is precisely why I don't like this man, he is highly secretive and refuses to fully answer questions if at all. He wouldn't even give a fucking interview during the primaries.

[Hugabear]

16. Oh, you can be sure that he's going to completely ignore the Sunshine Law

Wonder if that could be used to get him out of office...

[greytdemocrat]

24. He said he was

going to get rid of our state's jets and that's fine with me.

As to his flying, if it's his jet on his dime, he gets to make the rules.
It the Florida taxpayers ever have to pay, that's different and I'd expect
him to report use.

Cut and dry issues although the Harry Potter pics are great!

[Hugabear]

25. "He gets to make the rules"

So you don't have a problem with him being very secretive about where he flies, or who flies with him? After all, I'm sure that he would never flaunt the Sunshine Law and use his private jet to fly around with corporate bigwigs and other politicians.

[Dappleganger]

26. No, HE doesn't get to make the fucking rules

when he is the governor of a state that is paying goddamn salary. Scott does not have a history of playing by the rules which are given him, either. WE pay his salary (I'm a Floridian).

[outerSanctum]

13. Sounds like saving 2.4 M is a pretty good start to me! n/t

[Mojorabbit]

15. Of all the things I hate about this guy

this is not one. I have no problem with state officials flying coach with the great unwashed if they need to make an appearance somewhere.

[Hugabear]

17. Your reply, and #13 right above you, are exactly the response he's looking for

It's pure window dressing, nothing more. How much gas and time will be wasted with government officials driving all over the state? This is a pretty huge state, almost a thousand miles from Pensacola to Key West, and Tallahassee isn't near any of the major metro areas. Especially with gas prices on the rise, state officials are still going to be forking over a bunch of money, and I'm sure that they'll get reimbursed for it.

I'm sure that this move will save some money, but compared to the rest of the budget, it's chump change.

[SoCalDem]

21. They will be chartering planes

There will not be many traveling coach.. They will rent or hire drivers to ferry them around to prestigious events..

Or they will sell the planes only to LEASE them back..

[WinkyDink]

23. It's not to save money; it's to privatize and THEN spend.

[Dappleganger]

27. BINGO!

Not only that, this is all smoke and mirrors. We don't need to cut spending in this state, we have enough austerity as it is. We need to expand our tax base and strengthen small businesses (and I mean SMALL business, not fucking Solantic).

[remember2000forever]

28. National Airlines, Years Ago.....

Flew from Tallahassee to Miami every afternoon. Only First Class was full, but that's when the Airlines were federally regulated. Wonder what Ole Bud Maytag, the owner, got for this perk.

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. Sounds to me like he's already 50 jobs in the hole.

[WinkyDink]

22. Translation: Give myself a job, and my cronies.

[Shagbark Hickory]

29. But technically, he didn't say he wouldn't go out and buy a new plane(s), did he?

What??? It's not like he's going to travel around the state in a red pickup truck.

[Shagbark Hickory]

30. But technically, he didn't say he wouldn't go out and buy a new plane, did he?

What??? It's not like he's going to travel around the state in a red pickup truck.

[Dappleganger]

31. He couldn't find his way around this state if he did--

he's a carpet-bagger (a very new one at that).