Scott’s vetoes make anger levels rise

Think of the line-item veto as a process of moving things from one list to another. With a stroke of his red pen, Gov. Rick Scott moves items from “The List of Things That Make People Happy” to “The List of Things that Make People Angry.”

With his recent rash of vetoes, Scott compiled a long, long “angry” list. And in many cases, the governor didn’t just anger people as an unintended consequence of ferreting out turkeys and unnecessary spending. Scott angered people intentionally. He was dealing in political payback. The fact he intentionally angered people makes their anger even more intense.

One act of political payback typically provokes another. In this case, the proper tool would be a series of veto overrides. There is recent precedent. In 2010, Republicans used their legislative supremacy to override a series of vetoes by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, who had been elected as a Republican but subsequently shunned the party. The overrides, during what was supposed to have been a largely ceremonial session, were pure payback.

It is ironic that the scenario envisioned by Crist supporters if he had defeated Scott in last year’s election — the Legislature and governor locked in a battle of vetoes — has instead played out under Scott.

The second part of that scenario — a series of veto override attempts — unfortunately is unlikely. While Scott’s vetoes deleted some projects favored by House leaders, Senate leaders took the hardest hits. In the Republican intra-party war that rendered Tallahassee dysfunctional, the House and Scott have been allies. The Senate can’t wage an override raid on its own.

As the Sun Sentinel reported, South Florida absorbed about $66 million of the $461 million in line-item cuts that Scott made shortly after the Legislature, meeting in emergency special session, delivered its $78.7 billion budget.

Those cuts included $16.5 million in Broward County and $10.4 million in Palm Beach County. The governor slashed money for quiet zones near rail lines, a new airport terminal in Fort Lauderdale, health programs at Nova Southeastern University, a grant for Scripps Research Institute at Florida Atlantic University’s Jupiter campus and many, many more.

While this year’s legislative process was ugly and included too many backroom deals, Scott’s veto process was rushed and secretive. In some cases, he made decisions based on faulty information — for example, cutting $500,000 for Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options in Sunrise because he thought it turned away children that, in fact, the organization welcomes.

Scott’s widespread targeting of funds for the disabled and low-income people seeking medical attention is part of his payback pattern. Senate President Andy Gardiner had put such aid near the top of his wish list. But Gardiner, who also saw Scott veto $15 million for a new University of Central Florida Campus in downtown Orlando, had defied Scott by seeking an expansion of Medicaid. Scott and the House, under Speaker Steve Crisafulli, refused to budge and rejected sincere attempts at compromise.

Reacting to Scott’s vetoes, including $10 million for health clinics that treat the poor, Gardiner said, “It is unfortunate that the messaging strategy needed to achieve the governor’s political agenda comes at the expense of the most vulnerable people in our state.”

But it is not surprising, since the governor’s entire campaign against Medicaid expansion came at the expense of the most vulnerable people in our state. Many political observers think Scott is contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate.

It is far from certain, given House reluctance, that attempts to override Scott’s vetoes would succeed even if they came to a vote. And in the scheme of things, a few other vetoes — such as Scott’s veto of consumer protections for Floridians who buy property insurance from Citizens — might be more worthy of override than many of the mean-spirited line-item vetoes.

Putting the vetoes to a vote could at least be cathartic. For now, they fester. And Gardiner returns as Senate president next session. If hopes for a more productive session are dim, don’t blame Gardiner. Blame the governor who put him at the top of the “angry” list.