Resident Florida Senate GOP Medicare fraudster Rick Scott wants America's governors to return the $360 billion in aid to local and state governments in the Biden American Rescue Plan signed into law yesterday, and Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is actually blaming Scott for not getting the Sunshine State more of the Democrats' filthy lucre.
In an open letter to governors and mayors, sent moments after the U.S. House on Wednesday approved the $1.9 trillion bill, Scott called it “massive, wasteful and non-targeted," urging states to follow his lead and send a message to Congress to “quit recklessly spending other people’s money.”
“By rejecting and returning any unneeded funds, as well as funds unrelated to COVID-19, you would be taking responsible action to avoid wasting scarce tax dollars,” he wrote. “After all, every dollar in this package is borrowed.”
Scott, a former governor of Florida, called his request “simple and common sense,” adding that money slated for state and local governments is “wholly unrelated to responding to the pandemic.”
Scott has a history of bucking federal funds. As governor, he refused to allow Florida to accept Obamacare-related money to expand Medicaid health care coverage.
His letter comes as polls show the legislation is extremely popular. A Morning Consult/Politico poll found 69% of U.S. voters said the "package is the right amount" or "doesn’t go far enough," including 54% of Republicans.
The latter includes, apparently, Scott's successor, Gov. DeSantis, who complained Florida should be getting a bigger piece of the pie.
While Scott was calling for rejection of the assistance, DeSantis announced he has big plans for the stimulus money. And he may well be blaming Scott, at least partly, for not getting Florida more of it.
“The Senate didn’t correct the fact that Florida is getting a lot less than what we would be entitled to on a per capita basis,” DeSantis, in an apparent jab at Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio, said Monday at a press conference.
The polarization on spending comes amid rumors that both DeSantis and Scott have eyes on the White House in 2024. At odds on numerous issues, DeSantis has for almost a year blamed Scott for the massive failures of the state's unemployment system, which was developed and implemented when Scott served as governor.
Now this is a fight I want to see more of. Rick Scott made billions in austerity cuts to the state's budget, including billions in health care system cuts (as a former hospital chain CEO, no less) and Ron DeSantis presided over 2 million COVID-19 cases and 32,000 dead. These two villains actually make Jeb Bush look like a competent politician.
Floridians are of course the big loser, no matter who wins.
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