Rick Scott

The sunshine state of Florida is full of rich traditions and long lasting legacies. Florida is going through some tough times currently. The person who helps mediate the well-being of the state is the governor, Rick Scott.  Scott, who became the 45th Governor of the state of Florida in early 2011, has hard a rough start to his tenure. He has seemed to draw a lot of harsh criticism for some of his more public actions. It is still to be determined whether his legacy will be one full of praise or disdain.

Richard Lynn Scott was born in Bloomington, Illinois in 1952. He was part of the US Navy, working as a radar technician. He later went to college at the University of Missouri and graduated with a degree in business administration. He also earned a law degree at Southern Methodist University.

Scott earned much fame early in his career when he helped co-create the Columbia Hospital Corporation. The company had much early success, but Scott was forced to resign amid a bunch of federal investigations on the company for fraud and illegal actions. The HCA scandal would end up being the largest fraud settlement in US history.

Eventually Scott made his way into politics. He founded the Conservatives for Patient Rights in 2009. In his words, he said the program was intended to put pressure on Democrats to enact health care legislation on free-market principles. In 2010 he announced that he would be running as a Republican candidate for the Governor of Florida. He beat out Bill McCollum for the Republican Party and eventually beat out Alex Sink to become the 45th Governor of Florida. He officially assumed office January 4th, 2011. It should be noted that Scott used millions of his own dollars during his campaign run.

Scott immediately made his presence known after assuming the office. One of his first actions was to veto the bill for a high speed rail system in Florida. This was something that was scrutinized as it seemed like a great idea to create jobs and allow speedy travel within the state, however in the long run Scott noticed how it might be a bad idea and scrapped the plan altogether. In hindsight, Scott looks to be spot on with his rejection as other states with a high speed rail system are starting to see the negative effects on their own economy. It sounds like a good idea, but the time, money and resources used for this struggle are better served in other areas of Florida.

Rick Scott enjoys public events. In one display, he volunteered at a local donut shop and served donuts to customers. It seemed to represent a homage to how Scott become financially stable. While he was first trying to break into success, he bought two small donut shops and turned them into a positive investment. Scott actually takes one day out of each month to work at a select organization for the day to try and mingle with Floridians.

Being the governor, Scott has tried to better the state of Florida. His priorities seem to aim towards lowering state taxes, reduce state spending (see high speed rail veto), he wants to increase job creation, he also wants to hold the government accountable, as well as the creation of a world class education system. Focusing on his stance for the educational improvements, Scott aims to emphasis specifically in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and math. He has labeled this program STEM. The program looks to hire the best teachers for those subjects so that students can get the best education and learning experiences around.

Rick Scott is having a hard time getting people to support him, but he is still pushing forward and trying to help Florida. His approval rating has not been the highest. It has recently risen to 35 percent, a whole six points better then previously polled. Still, Scott is striving for excellence in what he does. He wants to lower the unemployment rate in Florida, and he also wants our children to be properly educated. He will not leave this position without also leaving his impression on the state. Rick Scott may not be a Florida native, but it seems like the man will continue in his struggle to make this state better for everyone living within its boundaries.

Rick Scott Paper Notes

Full name is Richard Lynn Scott. Rick for short.

Served in the U.S. Navy.

Helped found the Columbia Hospital Corporation in 1987.

Merged with Hospital Corporation of America.

Became the largest private for-profit health care company in the U.S.

Resigned in 1997 due to a scandal.

Founded the Conservatives for Patient Rights. (CPR)

Republican.

Assumed office as the 45th Governor of Florida on January 4th, 2011.

Rejected the federal funding of a high-speed rail system in Florida.

Created a drug screening process for applicants of the welfare system.

Moved to have the port of Miami dredged, in order for larger freights the capability to unload there more easy.

his priorities are:

To reduce state spending.
To lower state taxes.
Hold government accountable.
Make Florida the number one state for job creation.
Create a world calss education system.