The Scott Brand of Transparency

Deja vu washed over me when I learned that Gov. Rick Scott would unveil his new budget for Florida to a gathering of Tea Party supporters in Eustis last week.

It was a trick presidential candidate George W. Bush employed to make his speeches appear universally well received. His handlers continued to hand-pick audiences even after Bush was elected president, going so far as to bar attendees because they had unfavorable bumper stickers on their cars parked blocks away from the appearance.

The Tea Party venue should have been a sure sign to Floridians that they wouldn't like what Scott had to say. I can't deny having had a twinge that they deserved whatever bad news it was. Floridians did, after all, vote him into office by a strong majority despite ample warnings.

Of course the Scott campaign had countered those warnings with promises of transparency and - most of all - jobs.

Oh yes, "Let's get to work!" The slogan was effective though details were short on how he was going to add 700,000 jobs in seven years. Details have been even more elusive since Scott occupied the governor's office. Campaign promises to operate Florida like a business have proved that his meaning was that meetings would be held behind closed doors, in contempt of Sunshine Laws which require open forum for state business, and hand-picking reporters when media finally is allowed inside the veil.

Scott's out-of-hand rejection of high-speed rail this week has motivated others to comment on the pattern. Beth Kassab, Orlando Sentinel business columnist observed: "Most governors unveil their budget proposals in Tallahassee where the serious business of negotiating the state's budget plays out, but Scott turned his spending cuts into a Tea Party pep rally in Eustis last week.

"Scott used Fox News to tout his budget. On Thursday, he appeared again on Fox to talk about his refusal to accept federal money for the high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa..."

A coward addresses only audiences he thinks will applaud his actions and then calls it transparency.