McBride-Rossin Ticket Bad for Florida’s Families

Bush/Brogan Campaign ^ | 18 Sep 2002 | Jeb Bush Campaign

[PhiKapMom]

McBride-Rossin Ticket Bad for Florida’s Families

Date: September 18, 2002

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Quotes from around the state on Rossin:

"It's going to be very difficult for me to run around with two elderly white male lawyers and go into my churches and inspire them."
-- Rep. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale (St. Petersburg Times)

"What's his name again?"
-- Chuck Floyd, Democratic chairman in Alachua County (St. Petersburg Times)

''I'm incensed. I don't know who he is. I have to deliver votes in North Dade. People trust my judgment. I know nothing about him. Why is he choosing a lieutenant governor that old?''
-- Ginger Grossman, a Reno supporter who heads the William Lehman Northeast Dade Involved Democrats club (St. Petersburg Times)

''He's sort of white toast with mayonnaise.''
-- An un-named fellow Democrat senator (Miami Herald)

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McBride-Rossin Ticket Bad for Florida’s Families

TALLAHASSEE – Given McBride’s claims that he stands with working people his choice of Senator Tom Rossin as a running mate comes as a disappointment to the millions of Floridians who have benefited from Governor Bush’s record of lower taxes, increased flexibility for local school districts and reducing frivolous law suits which lead to higher consumer cost.

As a member of the Florida Senate, Tom Rossin has voted to increase taxes on seniors and Florida savers, voted against giving school districts greater freedom to make decisions, and has stood with the trial lawyers and against consumers in allowing frivolous lawsuits to continue unchecked. In 1994, he was quoted as saying, “strengthening local control over public schools in the form of more powerful school advisory councils is ‘absolutely the correct way to go’.”
(Palm Beach Post, November 11, 1994).

In addition, Rossin’s record as a corporate boss is not unlike that of McBride’s: great for wealthy management, tough on working people. According to the March 4, 1993 Miami Review, as president of Flagler Bank, Rossin oversaw the merger of Flagler and Atlanta-based SunTrust. The merger resulted in over 150 working people being fired, while Rossin and other senior management took home big bonuses. Rossin himself received $338,000 from the bank’s deferred compensation plan, and a bonus of $137,000.

Banking analyst Paul Bauer told the Review that the merger plan “‘sounds like a big cut,’ in which the proportion of employee cuts exceeds that of branch closings. If 90 staffers remain, there will be fewer employees per million dollars of assets than SunTrust has at several of its other Florida banking groups, said Bauer, president of the Bauer Group Inc. of Coral Gables.”

“Rossin’s choice as a running mate is bad for Floridians. He has proven himself as a tax and spend liberal.” stated Bush-Brogan Communications Director Todd Harris. “McBride has tried to sell himself as a candidate of the working people, but his record and the choice of his running mate prove differently. They prove that McBride stands against Floridians and is controlled by special interest groups.”

In contrast in 1998, then-candidate Jeb Bush selected a running mate who had a lifetime of experience in the field of education. As a former classroom teacher, PTA president, dean of students, assistant principal, principal, county superintendent and Commissioner of Education, Frank Brogan has dedicated his life to serving Florida's students, teachers, and parents. Jeb Bush and Frank Brogan ran on their belief that every child can learn and that no child should be left behind. Now, four years later, that command focus on education is paying off through rising student achievement, higher standards, greater accountability, and a $3 billion increase (27%) in education funding.

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Please visit our website at www.jeb.org.

[PhiKapMom]

FYI -- Reaction to the McBride-Rossin Ticket -- Tax and Spend DemocRAT Liberal Lawyers running for Florida Governor and Lt Governor!

[PhiKapMom]

Posted for your information. Do you all have a Florida bump list for Bush/Brogan?

[Texas_Jarhead]

at least none of those quotes is racist

[NautiNurse]

Oh boy--69 years old from Palm Beach County...call in the DOJ to oversee their election too.

State Sen. Tom Rossin

Tom Rossin

 Sen. Tom Rossin, D-West Palm Beach, District 35

 First elected: 1994.

 Committee assignments: Senate Democratic Leader; Finance and Taxation, vice chairman; Agriculture and Consumer Services; Banking and Insurance; Comprehensive Planning, Local and Military Affairs; Rules and Calendar; Appropriations Steering Group; Joint Legislative Auditing Committee; Joint Legislative Budget Commission; Zero-Based Budgeting Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

 Occupation: Attorney, banking consultant

 Personal: Born 1933. Education: Columbia University, B.S., 1957; University of Miami Law School, J.D., 1975. Married to Joyce Thornton; three children and four stepchildren.

 District office: 503 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, 33411. Phone: (561) 753-2537. Fax: (561) 753-2540. Assistants, Tracy Peters and Becki Siegendorf.

 Fort Myers office: Lee County Courthouse, 2120 Main St. 206, Fort Myers 33901. Phone: (941) 338-2646. Fax: (941) 338-2472. Assistant, Michael Welch.

 Tallahassee office: 200 Senate Office Building, 404 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee 32399-1100. Phone: (850) 487-5356. Fax: (850) 487-5496. Assistants, Cathy Branch, Tracy Peters, Mike Welch, Becki Siegendorf.

  E-mail: rossin.tom.web@leg.state.fl.us

  Legislature Web site

[Dutchgirl]

Thanks for the post. I am lurking around Florida politics tonight. We are starting a FReep chapter in Jax. Maybe we should have some tap-dancing marshmallows show up when McBride appears for his debate with JEB in jax next week.

[PhiKapMom]

LOL!!! Great idea!

[Brett66]

Speaking of no-name dems. I thought it was pretty funny Orza lost to Brad Henry in the run-offs in Oklahoma.

[PJ-Comix]

I wonder how Alec Penelas feels with the rug pulled from under him. No Lt. job for Penelas. Now I'm sure McBride will LOSE.

[PhiKapMom]

No kidding! I thought that was funny too!

[Fracas]

This is just what Florida needs: a lawyer AND a banker - and an old one, too!

It speaks volumes that this is the best McBride can get as a running mate.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Rossin's bad for Florida's economy... small business owners give low marks.

Florida Chamber of Commerce gave Rossin a big "F" for the 2002 legislative session .

According to Florida Capitol News, May 2002:

Those lawmakers on the bottom of NFIB's list are Democrats mostly from South Florida, including Senate Democratic Leader Tom Rossin of West Palm Beach.

That's the National Federation of Independent Business, lobbiests for small business owners.

(^:

[Theodore R.]

It's interesting that voters do not really consider lieutenant governor candidates when they vote for gubernatorial tickets, as they do in FL, NY, and IL. All the attention goes to the top of the ticket. I guess Bush will hold on unless the bottom of the Republican party falls out before Nov. 5. Some will vote for McBride as a "new face." Most probably think McBride is some kind of "conservative" in that he defeated the liberal Reno. Of course, that is false; he just accents a different shade of liberalism than does Reno. (By the way, is her name really "Reno," or is that an alias?)

[NautiNurse]

McBribe is a slovenly, AlGore-sweaty attorney with zero political experience. He is an utter bore to hear. He just didn't have the Clinton baggage that came with Janet Reno.

This is one of my fav McLawyer pics--Popeye!

[floriduh voter]

TWO RICH GUYS WHO WANT TO SPEND OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY. Just what Florida doesn't need. Banker-lawyer, lawyer-banker, I get all blurry eyed from here. They got there's and now they want ours. TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION, that's not the ticket. McBride did the most fundraising so they played to his ego to get him to run against Jeb. Wait until the debates when we find out that McBride knows absolutely nothing; even about picking running mates.

Hispanics and blacks are insulted that he didn't pick a more diverse running mate. Maybe they'll stay home or come over to the Jeb side where diversity is commonplace.

[floriduh voter]

I see he has a degree in BS. He's the perfect running mate for McLawyer who has a degree in uh, I forget. He just raised the most money consistently for the Orlando dem syndicate.

I wish someone in a debate would ask McLawyer what cases he tried or what he did at the law office because I don't think he really tried cases. I think he was a figurehead and his wife got him the job.

Did you see the RNC has 100 million and the DNC has only raised 67 million? They just can't get enough to fight all the grass root conservative campaigns.

[NautiNurse]

Did anyone check to see whether Rossin sent in his resignation letter yet? We certainly wouldn't want Demoncrat voters to be disenfranchised or confused about whether he can really be on the ballot November 5.

[Goldwater Girl]

Love the quotes from the Dem "activists"---what a choice!
This guy is pompous and arrogant- and a HORRIBLE speaker- Brogan will destroy him in the debate.

Can't wait for the introduction at the Bethel AME church in Micanopy:

"Please welcome the Democrat candidate for Lt Governor- from ROYAL PALM BEACH- Tom Rossin."

And out comes the white bread millionaire banker-lawyer in the $2000 suit. That ought to energize Reno's minority voters!

[Goldwater Girl]

He doesn't have to resign- he's out of office in November- term limits. Gov term starts in January.
The dems will be confused enough trying to figure out why they're stuck with him.
Off to the dustbin of history with both of them!

[PhiKapMom]

Rossin sounds like a real loser but then I am not impressed with McBride either!

This is going to get interesting!

[PogySailor]

''He's sort of white toast with mayonnaise.''
-- An un-named fellow Democrat senator (Miami Herald)

ROTFLOL!