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The Republican blamed Haitians and Cubans for South Florida election problems.
©Associated Press
September 19, 2002
FORT WALTON BEACH -- Gov. Jeb Bush and fellow lawmakers are criticizing derogatory comments state Rep. Jerry Melvin made about Cubans and Haitians in an e-mail to the governor.
The Fort Walton Beach Republican, being forced from the House by term limits, sent the e-mail after losing a Sept. 10 primary challenge of state Sen. Charlie Clary, R-Destin, but the message had nothing to do with his own race.
Instead, Melvin was angry over problems in South Florida that delayed the determination of a winner in the Democratic gubernatorial primary for a week. He urged Bush to send election officials from the Florida Panhandle to Broward and Miami-Dade counties to straighten out the mess.
"Simply appointing another 'Cuban' sympathizer is not going to hack it," Melvin wrote. "As you know, the Cuban and Haitian ways of bribery, lawlessness and rioting aren't the way we should be doing things there in Florida."
His missive prompted state Rep. Phillip Brutus, D-Miami Shores, to label Melvin a bigot.
Bush responded in a statement released by his office Tuesday.
"Rep. Melvin's choice of words are inappropriate and inaccurate," Bush said. "I understand his frustration with the election difficulties in Miami-Dade and Broward, but his anger is misplaced."
Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Coral Gables, defended his constituents and sent Melvin an e-mail saying, "This is the greatest country on earth because people like you can spew all the hatred they want without going to jail."
Melvin is standing his ground.
"If people keep their fanny on their shoulder all the time they're going to be offended by something," Melvin said. "I'm so tired of Dade and Broward counties making the rest of the state the laughingstock of the world and nobody doing anything about it."
Comments attributed to Melvin have gotten him in trouble before.
In April, Melvin denied criticizing Jewish senators for objecting to an education bill he had sponsored with the words "you thought we had shot them -- every one -- or lined them up against the damn wall."