Platitudes are not enough, Charlie

By SAM RASHID, Special to the Times
Published August 12, 2007

Gov. Charlie Crist is great at being all things to all people. But when tough decisions are needed, friends tend to vanish.
	[AP photo]

ADVERTISEMENT Sam Rashid is a Valrico businessman and Republican activist and fundraiser.

So Gov. Charlie Crist's new friend du jour is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. I can't say that I'm surprised. In the 13 years I've known Charlie, he has had an uncanny ability to attach himself to a new friend quite frequently. It always seems to be someone who is being followed around by network television cameras.

It goes back to the 1994 five-way gubernatorial Republican primary race in Florida, when Charlie became "best" friends with every candidate.

After Jeb Bush won the primary, it was only Jeb with whom Charlie was "actually" friends. Prior to this election, his new friend du jour was Mark Lunsford, the nationally known father whose daughter was kidnapped and murdered. I wonder if Mark's been able to get through to Charlie recently.

I've been active in Republican politics for more than 15 years, and I've known Charlie for almost as long. My wife and I have hosted at our home many of the state's Republican leaders, including Charlie, former Gov. Bush, the current and former state House speakers, and the current and former state Senate presidents. We've had lunches and dinners with them, raised money for their campaigns. We've even exchanged notes on our car windshields with Charlie at Tampa International Airport. There's no doubt that he is a really nice guy, and I guess you could say that we know each other pretty well. That's also the reason I didn't support Charlie in last year's Republican primary for governor.

As nice as Charlie is, those of us who know him best know he is a political opportunist. Charlie has a knack for being all things to all people. Core values? Forget it. The business of running the state? Nope, not for him. Sound bites, photo opportunities, platitudes and national press -- that's Charlie.

As a result, he's liked by just about everyone. Heck, why wouldn't you like Charlie? He agrees with everything you do -- and, remember, he's your friend. And you know, he does have a 70 percent approval rating in our state. But the problem with being liked by everybody is that one day you may have to make a decision that may upset somebody. When that day comes, you find out quite quickly the love wasn't quite as deep as you thought.

In my opinion, Charlie's just not interested in managing the day-to-day mundane process of running a state because he has bigger fish to fry -- a place on a national presidential ticket one day.

For example, I wonder whether Charlie has spent much time thinking about how this state has just lost a tremendous asset in Curtis Austin, who resigned as president of Workforce Florida Inc. and is one of the smartest individuals I've ever met in government (or outside). I'll bet the governor doesn't know much about what Austin paid close attention to -- job growth, employment, career training and coping with the substantial loss of tourism following 9/11 and multiple hurricanes. Will detail-oriented, brilliant individuals like Austin feel comfortable in an administration where the governor is focused on sound bites?

Remember property taxes? The platitudes were great, but where are we today? Small businesses continue to face rapidly rising rents, because property owners continue to face rising taxes and insurance costs. Owners of nonhomesteaded homes continue to face the threat of confiscatory property taxes.

Remember the catastrophic insurance fiasco last year? Some business property owners saw 500 percent increases in the cost of basic property insurance, if they could get any at all -- an absolute requirement for bank credit. Who do you think paid for those increases? You did. The rent to tenants was increased, who in turn had to increase their price of goods, which in turn you paid for when you purchased those goods.

Instead of addressing these and other issues, what does Charlie address? Feel-good issues that rank at the bottom of the chain of our immediate economic (or conservative) importance. But in Charlie's long-term plans, they rank at the top of his political goals.

Automatic restoration of a felon's right to vote -- great. Good job, Charlie; that's really important to your conservative base. Greenhouse gas emissions -- wonderful. Solar panels on the Governor's Mansion are a nice touch, but you might want to think about not smoking those cigars with your new friend Schwarzenegger.

While we face the possibility of an expanding economic crisis in Florida, Charlie's taken a trip to Israel and plans one in November to Brazil. It's called increasing one's "gravitas," and for a national ticket, it's mandatory.

Do we conservatives know what we're facing? We have three of the most popular Republican politicians in the United States -- Crist, Schwarzenegger and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- promoting "New Democrat" policies. Their home states hold a significant number of electoral votes. These are the new "Rep-Dems" who have learned that art of walking on every side of the street.

Here's a message to our governor and to national Republican Party leaders who have given us liberal, shallow political ideology. Come back to substance and conservative issues, or watch the conservative base of our party leave the tent.

Sam Rashid is a Valrico businessman and Republican activist and fundraiser.

[Last modified August 10, 2007, 20:15:42]