So far, everybody loves Charlie [re GOP FL Gov Charlie Crist]

St Pete Times ^ | March 9, 2007 | Adam Smith

[summer]

GOP FL Gov Charlie Crist

Gov. Charlie Crist invokes Robert F. Kennedy and channels Al Gore on global warming. He embraces paper trails for voting machines.

Florida's most powerful Republican pays homage to the teachers union and speaks so passionately about civil rights that one legislator dubbed him "Florida's first black governor."

What's a Democrat to do?

"Gov. Crist is a political nightmare for the Democrats," said state Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller. "How do we run against somebody who whenever we come up with a good idea, he goes, 'Hey that's a good idea, let's do that.' "

State Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, called Crist "one of the best Democratic governors Florida has ever had."

In this strange, post-Jeb Bush era, Democrats in Tallahassee are struggling to make sense of their new buddy in the Governor's Mansion.

"With Bush, we woke up in the morning knowing that whatever he said we'd be against," House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber said. "With Crist, because he's clearly not an ideologue, we might wake up one morning fighting him and then the next morning as his choir.

"We can't lose our job as the honest opposition, but if he's going to offer centrist, progressive policies, we certainly can't reject that just because of his party."

The love and harmony breaking out in Tallahassee is unlikely to last throughout the 60-day session. But much of Crist's agenda is likely to face more obstacles from Republicans than Democrats.

"Some of us old heads will kind of rein things in as we go along," said state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala. "There will be some days where it's just too far over the edge. Our job as stronger, staunch conservatives is to hold up the plumb line once in awhile."

State leaders face some of the biggest challenges in modern Florida history - a property insurance crisis and cries for sweeping property tax reform - so bipartisanship is more than a noble goal. To get any tax reform plan on the ballot, Republicans need three-quarter majorities in both chambers. Which means they need Democrats.

But Democrats are in a tricky position. They don't want to roll over and accept proposals such as replacing property taxes with a higher sales tax, but they risk being cast as petty obstructionists if they block tax relief efforts.

"Gov. Crist has played a brilliant game of chess because he's got the Democrats with no place to go but follow him," said Steve Uhlfelder, a Democratic lobbyist who supported Jeb Bush.

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, perhaps the Democrat best positioned to challenge Crist down the road, called for her party to embrace Crist as an ally rather than a rival.

"If I were going to sit here and say for the next eight years we want a governor who's not going to be successful, that would be totally wrong and totally against my values," Sink said after leaving Crist's state of the state speech that drew stronger applause from Democrats than Republicans. "The message I heard from Gov. Crist was very, very encouraging, and I wish him every success."

[crosslink]

Jimmy Carter was a really nice guy but misguided and screwed up the country.

Charlie is on his way to making people feel good. The tax bill will come due in 3 or 4 years and then, like Carter, he will not understand what went wrong and all of you will be screwed.

[Moonman62]

Bottom line is if a huge storm hits you and your state will be forced to raise taxes to pay the bond holders.

True, but it'll be a big poop sandwich for everyone if more big storms hit the state, regardless. Effectively, the risk is being spread throughout the state, and the costs to a future time if they occur. Those in less risk areas can say it's unfair, but I don't hear them complaining when they share in the big revenues that come out of the coastal areas.

[crosslink]

You and I agree socialized insurance. Good luck.

[doc30]

So his dad was a physician and was on the school board. Big deal. Lots of professionals serve on school boards. That does not make them RINOs.

[Rosemont]

Time to cut the ridiculously high property taxes.

[doc30]

Time to cut the ridiculously high property taxes.

Or at least restructure it in a more equitable way. It isn't right that a long term resident in a mansion pays a few hunderd a year in property taxes, when the new owner of a small bungalo next door pays several thousands of dollars. Today, people living in FL cannot afford to move to a new house because the taxes will kill them. It is cheaper to to stay in a huge place when you retire rather than downsize because it will be far more expensive in taxes than staying put.

[Rosemont]

Thinking the property tax revenue is their own, the local governments have been spending our money like drunken sailors. Property taxes are way too high in Florida.

[doc30]

I like what Crist said a month or so ago, "Municipalities have to learn to live within their means just like Florida residents who face huge property tax bills and insurance premiums."

[doc30]

How much are you willing to wager that even in the depressed real estate market here, with declining home prices, that municipalities will still increase their appraisals, or, possibly, their millage rates to keep from losing any revenue?

[Rosemont]

" How much are you willing to wager that even in the depressed real estate market here, with declining home prices, that municipalities will still increase their appraisals, or, possibly, their millage rates to keep from losing any revenue?"

Florida Democrats are doing everything they can to avoid/ postpone property tax cuts.

[doc30]

Of course. It's 'for the children' you know.

[RockinRight]

Sounds like a RINO to me.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Congrats, Florida. You got a RINO loser Governor. What a shame.

[brytlea]

I wish more of them would leave....
susie

[summer]

Today, people living in FL cannot afford to move to a new house because the taxes will kill them. It is cheaper to to stay in a huge place when you retire rather than downsize because it will be far more expensive in taxes than staying put.

You are absolutely correct (again). :)

[summer]

Re posts #52 and #53 - Well, what can I say - he won the election. And, BTW, not to sound like a thorn in anyone's side, but if only diehard conservatives candidates were allowed to run for office, and only diehard conservative voters ever voted for them, no conservative would ever win an election. Just a reminder that every vote counts, and not every politician is so easily labeled. Again, Gov Bush won with 13% of the vote when he was re-elected - do you really think only conservatives voted for him?

[RockinRight]

Not what I'm saying at all. There's a difference though.

Do I expect a firebrand conservative? No. But when a GOP candidate is SO moderate he's really liberal (i.e., Giuliani, Chaffee, etc.) then doesn't that defeat the purpose of being a Republican? Not saying Crist is that, I don't know enough about him, but this article certainly suggests it.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"but if only diehard conservatives candidates were allowed to run for office, and only diehard conservative voters ever voted for them, no conservative would ever win an election."

Gee, all we're asking for is a Conservative, not a damnable liar as Crist misrepresented himself to be. I say that as someone who supported him over Gallagher. I now deeply regret supporting this phony RINO.

"Just a reminder that every vote counts, and not every politician is so easily labeled."

Madam, labelling politicians is the singlemost easiest endeavor I have ever pursued, up there with walking and chewing gum at the same time. Dig it, Crist is a now out-of-the-closet liberal RINO. He has already betrayed his party and the people that placed their faith in voting for him for Governor. If he was so interested in pandering to the minority FL rodent party and pursuing an agenda they're jealous of, let him switch parties and allow us to put forward someone who is not a damnable liar.

[Kuksool]

Good god. Crist must be taking orders from the Austrian Girlie Man from CA. Any Republican candidate who talks of
"post-partisanship" should be a red flag to reject them in the primaries.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yeah, really. Can you imagine a Democrat candidate talking about playing nice with the GOP and doing something to forward THEIR agenda ? How long do you think a candidate like that would last in a Dem primary, let alone as Governor ? I mean, we'd want them to switch parties ! Republicans don't HAVE to pander to rodents in Republican states.