Scott’s California dreamin’ backfires as political stunt

Gov. Rick Scottwent to California trying again to lure businesses to Florida. His charm offensive included criticizing the state’s governor and its policies.

Gov. Jerry Brown called him out for “silly political stunts,” pointed out that California has added more jobs in the last year than Florida, and accused Scott of “sticking his head in the sand” regarding climate change.

To create jobs, Scott could stay in Florida and helpmomand pop operations expand their businesses or assist college grads and budding entrepreneurs start new businesses — but that doesn’t get much media attention.

Was the trip good politically? Let’s see, Scott generated media attention forweeks before the trip, ran radio ads in California’s major media markets, insulted that state’s Democratic governor and generated headlines in and outside of Florida.

Much of the coverage of Scott’s tripwas less than flattering, but any time the media says “Scott” in the same sentence as “jobs,” the governor adds it to his win column.

Scott used the trip to make a political statement— popular among theRepublican base— against raising the minimumwage. California’s is at $10 per hour and is incrementally increasing to $15 by 2022. Florida’s minimumwage is $8.05 an hour.

Prior to his trip, Scott started running radio ads in Los Angeles and San Francisco that attacked raisingwages forworking people in another state far, far away. Who’s paying for the ads? Enterprise Florida. Who funds Enterprise Florida? Florida taxpayers.

Is that the best use of Florida’s tax dollars — to run radio ads in California, more than 2,500 miles away, that criticize its policy of paying higherwages to hourly employees?

The idea of raising the minimumwage is getting more popular nationally, and the critics’ arguments against it are losing steam as cities like Seattle are debunking themyths of corresponding job losses and price increases.

Whether you agree or disagree with increasing the minimumwage, is it a legitimate use of Florida’s public funds to air radio ads in California? Running anti-minimumwage ads in our own state for such a blatantly political purposewould be suspect aswell.

Scott’s awealthy man, so he could use his own money. He also could use his political committee, Let’s Get toWork, which has raised more than $51million fromthose doing business with the state of Florida. However, thatwould highlight the self-indulgent nature of his travel to theWest Coast.

Could Scott be looking for his next political gig? His final term as governor ends in January 2019. There’s some disagreement on what his political aspirations might be: Is he eyeing the 2018U.S. Senate race or is he hoping to catch the DonaldTrumptrain and become his vice president?

Scott’s trip to Californiawas timed shortly before that state’s presidential primaries. And he’s been acting a little moreTrumpian lately.

Scott recently ran an ad against a constituent who confronted him in a Starbucks. Wouldn’tTrump say, “You’ve gotta hit back”? And his visit to Californiawas an “in your face” move directed at Jerry Brown— except hewasn’t actually in his face and used radio ads to deliver the punch.

If Scottwants to beTrump’sVP or aU.S. senator, a more national mindset might serve him better. Wouldn’t an international trade mission partnering with other governors be more productive— and patriotic— than the zero-sum game of poaching jobs fromone state to another?

Whena business relocates to take advantage of incentives or to pay lower taxes or wages, don’t the top executives make the move, leaving only lower-wage positions for Floridians? Isn’t Scott really saying, “come to Florida wherewemake sure you can pay our people less?”

This system of competition between the states is a boon to corporations but a bust for taxpayers and the middle class. Aren’t most presidential candidates— includingTrump — decrying corporations formoving offshore for the same reasons? And howsuccessful has Scott been? Scott’s previous trip to California produced no discernible benefit. During aworkers’ strike at their ports, Scott tried to convince shippers to change their trading routes to Florida’s ports.

His trip to Pennsylvania brought usWawa — not the corporate headquarters, just the enthusiastic announcement that the companywas planning more gas stations throughout the state.

And, although it’s hard to believe, Yale didn’t jump at Scott’s invitation to relocate to Florida. But allwas not lost. The ideawas crazy enough to generate national publicity.

Paula Dockery is a syndicated columnistwho served in the Florida Legislature for 16 years as aRepublican fromLakeland. pbdockery@gmail.com.