Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
STEVE BOUSQUETDemocrats criticized a contract for sending jobs overseas - but officials say all the jobs will actually stay in Florida.
TALLAHASSEE - Democrats tried to seize on a growing national political issue Thursday by criticizing Republicans for replacing state workers with a private company that then sent some jobs to India.
But state officials and the company said Democrats got it wrong because everyone working on the state contract will stay in Florida.
Democratic lawmakers called it unpatriotic for companies to "use Florida money to create jobs overseas." Their target was Convergys Corp., a Cincinnati company with a seven-year, $280-million contract to handle human resources for state agencies.
In the fall of 2002, weeks after winning the Florida contract, the company transferred about 40 high-tech jobs, and a $1.7-million annual payroll, to India.
That prompted Democratic lawmakers to call for a law requiring companies with state contracts to hire Florida workers.
"We need the jobs here in Florida," said Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale. "Florida citizens shouldn't have to surrender their hard-earned tax dollars to keep the economies of India or the Philippines or Pakistan humming."
But state officials say Convergys already is required to base the jobs in Florida, and a company official said the jobs sent to India were part of a contract with Cisco Systems, not the state.
"They are clearly saying here that we moved jobs in association with the Florida contract overseas, and that's absolutely not the case," said Chris Emerick, Convergys' vice president of operations in Florida. He said 600 jobs have been created in Florida under the state contract.
The state Department of Management Services said Convergys' contract requires that services be provided in Jacksonville and Tallahassee.
The Democratic criticism echoed the party's presidential hopefuls, who have accused President Bush of allowing a drain of jobs overseas. The issue gained intensity in recent weeks as the presidential primary campaign winds through manufacturing states deeply affected by job losses.
Last week, the president's top economist, N. Gregory Mankiw, apologized for saying shipping jobs overseas was good for the economy, a remark that was criticized as insensitive.
Florida's economy has fared better than most states, and Gov. Jeb Bush frequently touts the state's two-year record of leading the country in job creation. But Democrats see potential political gain by criticizing the outsourcing of jobs.
Another development Thursday prompted some Democrats to refer to the Convergys contract as a disaster because it is taking longer and costing more than lawmakers were told two years ago.
Bush wants to delay the Convergys contract by six months, which requires an extra $3.7-million to keep the old system running.
"The timetable was overly aggressive," said Bill Simon, secretary of the Department of Management Services. Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua, said Simon inherited a bad contract and advised: "Sometimes you just have to shoot these dogs."
Sen. Les Miller, D-Tampa, questioned Simon on the issue of Convergys' moving jobs to India. The Legislature's oversight is important because Convergys' fees are contingent on a yearly budget appropriation.
Democrats said their criticism was not a partisan election year attack. But state Democratic Party chairman Scott Maddox appeared with lawmakers at a news conference in the Capitol.
"In my personal opinion," Maddox said, "George W. Bush should run for president of India, because he's created more jobs there than he has in the state of Florida."