Rubio defends his amendment's attempt to restrict flights to Cuba from other FL cities except Miami

[seafan]

Steering the "goodies" to his cronies didn't stop when Marco Rubio rode the tea party train to the U. S. Senate. Especially when the goodies benefit himself as well.


"Absurd!" or "Outrageous!", Rubio cries, when people notice.



Rubio: I’m not protecting Miami flights to Cuba

By STEVE HUETTEL
October 27, 2011

.....

But during a visit (to the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce) Thursday, the Miami Republican (Marco Rubio) bristled at a reporter’s suggestion that he tried to block flights from Tampa to protect Miami travel businesses.

“The idea that I’m a friend of the fly-to-Cuba-from-Miami crowd is absurd,’’ he said at a press conference. “No one would criticize someone going to Cuba to see their dying mother. What we’re opposed to is expansion of these new flights from Miami or anywhere else. They add more money to the regime.’’

In February, Rubio proposed an amendment to a Federal Aviation Authority funding bill that would have prohibited any additional flights between the United States and countries, such as Cuba, designated as “state sponsors of terrorism’’ by the State Department.

At the time, charter flights to Cuba were restricted to three gateway cities: Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

Chamber CEO Robert Rohrlach fired off a letter to Rubio, saying that Rubio’s position benefitted his hometown of Miami at the expense of Tampa Bay and four other Florida metro areas that were seeking non-stop flights to the island nation.
“I sincerely hope that you will withdraw (the amendment) in order to more accurately reflect the resolve of the entire state as opposed to the interests of a few.’’

......

Rubio's proposed amendment failed in the Senate earlier this year.


And since then, the cities of Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Key West have received federal approval for flights to Cuba.





With Mr. Rubio, it has always been about serving the interests of a few. Leading his list is himself.



Just a couple of examples of this:


As Florida House Speaker, Marco Rubio exempted Miami's Dosal Tobacco Company from tobacco settlement tax (significant campaign donor)

April 21, 2010

During the two years that Marco Rubio was Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, a tobacco company that was a significant donor to Rubio was uniquely spared from legislation that would have required it to abide by the state's settlement with tobacco companies.

The Dosal Tobacco Company is a powerful player in the Miami Cuban-American community. A relatively small company before the major tobacco settlement, it was exempted from the tobacco settlement that would have required it to pay the same tax as its competitors. That advantage has helped it grow to the point where it is now the third-largest seller in the Florida market. The state of Mississippi, where Dosal is also sold, requires it to pay the same tax as the other companies. But not Florida.

"If Dosal can afford to pay their fair share for the health costs of tobacco users in Mississippi, why shouldn't they pay in Florida?" said former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth in an April 6 letter to Senate President Jeff Atwater urging an up-or-down vote on proposed Florida legislation to impose a fee on non-settling manufacturers. Dosal didn't return a call requesting comment.

Forget a vote. While Rubio was House Speaker, the bill didn't even get introduced.

.....

Another example:


Senate run puts Rubio's ties to FIU under fiscal scrutiny

St. Petersburg Times
December 13, 2009

MIAMI — Florida International University leaders were eager for one of their hometown legislators to become speaker of the House, and Marco Rubio delivered.
"We had a great year," FIU's lobbyist said of millions in new funding in 2007, crediting Rubio and the Miami-Dade delegation.

The following year, as term limits forced Rubio to exit the Legislature and contemplate his next political move, FIU offered him a $69,000, part-time job that was never publicly advertised.

Critics questioned Rubio's soft landing as FIU trustees grappled with a $32 million budget shortfall that led to tuition hikes and the loss of 23 degree programs and 200 jobs.

Then came uncomfortable comparisons to another Republican House speaker — Ray Sansom — who steered $35 million to a Panhandle college and then took a job there.

.....

Ray Sansom, indeed, holds the keys unlocking Marco Rubio's shrouded secrets from his days as Speaker of the House.





People don't like being lied to and stepped on by those lusting for ever higher reaches of power.


Mr. Rubio has not yet learned that lesson.

[Lebam in LA]

1. The slime on this guy

goes all the way to the bone marrow doesn't it!!

[glowing]

2. One can see why he was groomed by Jeb Bush. Evil to the core.

[sixmile]

3. Rubio, like his parents is an elitist opportunist phony

We need politicians who will put America first, second and third.