Lets Pink Slip Rick Scott

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LET'S PINK SLIP RICK

Scott's campaign promise

Gov. Rick Scott took office in 2011 with a simple plan he promised would invigorate the state's economy.
Over seven years, through seven steps, Florida would add 700,000 jobs. Shorter: 7-7-7.

Not only that, the state would see improvements in its gross domestic product, personal income and tax collections, all achieved through putting government on a diet and giving taxpayers a break.

Three years into Scott's tenure, Florida is recovering in ways that surprise economists. The unemployment rate is down dramatically, below the national average, and the state has churned out hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

But are Florida's gains enough for Scott to keep his biggest campaign promise?

When Scott debuted his 7-7-7 economic plan in July 2010, nonpartisan economists at the Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research had just released their estimates for Florida's long-term jobs outlook.

They concluded Florida would add 1.05 million jobs between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2018, and it didn't matter who lived in the Governor's Mansion — Scott, Democrat Charlie Crist or someone else.

To account for the news, Scott clarified his promise. His 700,000 jobs would come in addition to the ones state economists forecasted.

Put simpler: 7-7-7 became 7-7-1.7 million.

That promise is a lot harder to keep. It requires the state to produce more than 20,000 jobs on average per month, every month, for seven years.

To date, Florida is averaging 12,000 jobs a month.

"Florida is going to come nowhere near exceeding normal job growth by 700,000 in seven years, no matter how you define it or time it," said David Denslow, a retired University of Florida economist.

WHEN RICK SCOTT CAMPAIGNED FOR GOVERNOR IN 2010, HE PROMISED TO CREATE 700,000 JOBS ON TOP OF NORMAL GROWTH, FOR A TOTAL OF 1.7 MILLION NEW JOBS. BUT SCOTT HAS REPEATEDLY MOVED THE GOAL POSTS, MISLEADING FLORIDIANS ABOUT HIS CAMPAIGN'S CENTRAL PROMISE. AND RICK SCOTT CAN’T EVEN DELIVER ON THAT: JUST 4% OF THE JOBS RICK SCOTT TAKES CREDIT FOR HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CREATED.