Governor Rick Scott and Half the Truth

Governor Rick Scott of Florida released this statement via email earlier today.

 

Breaking News From Governor

Good Morning from Orlando!

It’s official - Florida’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.7 percent in October to 6.4 percent in November.

We haven’t experienced an unemployment rate this low in over five years (July 2008).

At 6.4 percent, we’re well below America’s 7 percent unemployment rate, and we added 6,000 new private sector jobs.

We’ve cut taxes, made government more effective and provided for a brighter future for Florida families. The result: an opportunity economy that created more than 446,000 private sector jobs since December 2010.

To learn more about Florida's incredible turnaround story, click HERE.

Today’s news is great, but we’re not finished. We’re proposing to cut your automobile taxes and fees by $401 million in our next budget. In 2009 those fees were raised, and we’re going to undo that 54 percent increase.

As we continue into the holiday season, Ann and I wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous 2014.

Rick Scott

Governor

 

While this is a great piece of campaign material it of course has its half-truths and full lies. Lets take a look.

1.       Florida’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.7 percent in October to 6.4 percent in November.

Historically employments rates rise beginning in the end of the month of October and will continue until the beginning of January. This sleight of hand trickery is used in almost every political advertisement in an effort to catch reactions on the state of the economy. This is what I would label as the half- truth. It was not the actions of Rick Scott or his administration that led to this rise in employment, but merely out of necessity of the private sector business owners in response to increased shopping during the holiday months. In these months (Oct-Jan) the semblance of an economic recovery or increase will always attract politicians willing to take that easy half-truth and label it their own handiwork

2.       At 6.4 percent, we’re well below America’s 7 percent unemployment rate, and we added 6,000 new private sector jobs.

This statement has multiple falsities in it. Number one is the assumption, though generally wrong, that the national unemployment numbers are at a much lower rate than what they are in fact. The Federal Government uses a few different ways to fudge these numbers, such as not taking into account people who had completely exhausted all unemployment benefits and have decided not to look for work. This miscalculation can lead to an annual increase of 2% on average. Another way to hide the unemployed is to give them a new status, the new term for 2013? Disabled.  The rate of increase of person applying for disability insurance in the State of Florida has risen somewhat proportionately to the decline in unemployed persons receiving benefits.  

The second folly of this statement is the private sector job creation claim. First and foremost, Government does not in any way, shape, or form, have the ability to create a private sector job. ALL jobs created by any government fall under GOVERNMENT JOBS. This CANNOT be stressed enough.  Government is the antithesis to a free market and its increasing regulation a hindrance on business. The numbers put forth in this letter are also in error; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://bls.gov/eag/eag.fl.htm) the State of Florida gained 9,395 private sector jobs in November of 2013 which is where Governor Scott’s office would have gotten their numbers. This is a lie on their part, but why? Why would they purposely alter the numbers to show less private sector job growth? One has to look at the other sectors to find this out. In November of 2013 the State of Florida’s Government grew by 1,070 employees, this 1 to 9 rate is about equal to the 5 previous months average increase of newly hired government workers. While Government increases so does the tax required to keep it running.

 

3.       We’re proposing to cut your automobile taxes and fees by $401 million in our next budget.

The truth about this one is that while Rick Scott may be taking the glory for this one it was not his idea at all. In 2013 two bills were presented in the Florida House and Senate

HB 61 - Motor Vehicle License Taxes

Sponsored by: Hill (CO-SPONSORS) Eagle; Hood; Santiago; Stewart

Filed Sept 18th

 

SB 156 - Motor Vehicle License Taxes

Sponsored by: Negron (CO-SPONSORS) Benacquisto; Clemens; Evers; Brandes; Hukill

Filed: Sept 12th

 

Both of these bills were for lowering the auto registration fee and this bill was talked about LAST session by BOTH Negron and Hill. So how convenient coming up on an election year that Rick Scott can now wave this as his idea and watch the GOP panties drop….. Oh but I forgot to mention this is all after the fee was raised under the GOP congress in 2009.

 

Not as truthful or transparent as anyone would like their politicians to be, Rick Scott has led his campaigns and administrations on half-truths and lies. In 2014 there are multiple reasons to make Rick Scott a one term Governor.