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AAA quizzes the candidates on several key issues
With its long history of public service, AAA constantly provides insight into important
safety, consumer, automotive and travel issues. To this end, we asked Florida's
gubernatorial candidates several questions on issues that impact AAA members. Following are key excerpts from their responses. (AAA does not endorse candidates).
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| RICK SCOTT Republican www.rickscottforflorida.com |
AAA: Florida has taken an undeniable hit to its tourism industry this year. As governor, how would you re-invigorate tourism in the state?
Rick Scott: This is about leadership. As a businessman, I know that when you have a problem and you are the head of an organization, you show up, roll up your sleeves, and stay until the problem is solved. That is what I will do as governor. I will lead by personally showing up and making sure the problem is solved. I will work with Visit Florida, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, to get the message out that Florida continues to be open for business, and that our beautiful beaches, resorts and other vacation destinations remain the best in the country.
Alex Sink: As our Panhandle residents are struggling with one of the worst recessions in our state's history, the oil disaster could not have happened at a worse time. As Florida's Chief Financial Officer, I have been focused on bringing relief to our small business owners, particularly when it comes to navigating the difficult claims process. I was also one of the first elected officials to call for BP to fund a worldwide advertising campaign, letting people know that our beaches and businesses are open and clean. As we deal with the next steps of the oil disaster, my focus is on holding BP and the federal government accountable to make sure our business owners are compensated, and making sure we do what we can to promote our state as a great place to vacation. The oil spill hurt our already struggling economy in the Panhandle, and as governor I will make sure to hold BP accountable until our businesses are made whole.
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| ALEX SINK Democrat www.alexsink2010.com |
AAA: Distracted driving poses a serious and potentially deadly threat to motorists. Florida is one of only a few states that has not enacted legislation addressing this
dangerous issue. What would you do to ensure that laws are put in place regarding the dangers of texting while driving?
Alex Sink: Instead of lagging behind other states when it comes to safety precautions for motorists, Florida should take the lead. National studies show distracted driving is on the rise and causes thousands of fatal accidents each year. I support laws that would prohibit sending text messages while driving and restrict the use of cell phones by truck and bus drivers, except in emergencies. I will make this and other safety initiatives an integral part of my transportation agenda.
Rick Scott: Distracted driving of any kind—whether it be texting, fumbling with CDs, or even eating fast food while driving—has to be discouraged. We need to get people to realize that when they aren't concentrating on driving, they pose a risk to themselves and everyone else with whom they are sharing the road. As governor, I will work with legislators that share my concern to adopt policies that address distracted driving.
AAA: How do you plan to address the crisis that exists with regard to homeowners insurance in Florida? Are you willing to let Citizens' rates become actuarially sound? Do you want the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) to take more or less risk? What role do you believe the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) should play in setting homeowners rates in Florida?
Rick Scott: My plan to address the homeowners insurance crisis in Florida is to re-invigorate the private insurance market and let it work. To do this, I would reverse the policies that have expanded Citizens' product offerings to include multi-peril policies, thus keeping Citizens' premiums artificially low.
Alex Sink: Since I was elected CFO, I have been calling for responsible, comprehensive steps for our property insurance situation that reduce the exposure in our state and bring more companies in. I pushed in 2009 for a glide path for Citizens. The OIR should play a big role, working to achieve a balance that meets the needs of our consumers while encouraging companies to insure more Floridians. As CFO, I have led programs like the My Safe Florida Home program, which made sure that more than 30,000 homes in Florida were strengthened against hurricanes, plus offered free wind inspections for over 400,000 homeowners, often resulting in lower insurance rates. I also strongly support a national catastrophe fund, which just makes sense for reducing the risk in our state.
AAA: Florida is one of only three states without a booster seat law for children over the age of three. How would you strengthen existing child passenger safety laws to address this issue?
Alex Sink: My comprehensive transportation plan directly calls for better laws to protect our children. It's unacceptable that, despite the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's recommendation, Florida is one of only three states—Arizona and South Dakota are the others—that does not mandate booster seats for children ages 4 to 8. As governor, I will change that.
Rick Scott: I am willing to look at any proposed change to the law that is sent to me by the legislature. If the legislature passes a law that strengthens child passenger safety standards, and there is adequate data to support the need to do so as well as the proposed solution to the problem, I would support the change.
AAA: What is the most important thing Floridians should know about you?
Rick Scott: I am a conservative outsider that is running for governor because I honestly believe that the career politicians that have been running the state have failed us. As a businessman with a proven track record of creating private sector jobs and balancing budgets, I will be able to hit the ground running on day one and implement my detailed plan to create 700,000 Florida jobs. I will put an end to politics as usual in Tallahassee. I will create jobs, balance the budget, reduce the size of government, and hold government accountable to the taxpayers.
Alex Sink: With my real-world business experience, I am a leader who understands how to work with Florida's small businesses, entrepreneurs and working families to create and save jobs. As governor, I will revive our economy in the short term, remake our economy for the long term, and reform our government to create a climate of confidence and prosperity by holding state government accountable for its actions and spending. And as a mother of two children who graduated from Florida public schools, I understand the importance of a strong public education system in growing this new economy. I share the same priorities and values of every Floridian—creating jobs, supporting small businesses and improving our schools—and growing our economy will be my top priority as governor.
AAA: The Florida legislature approved a sweep of the transportation trust fund during the last legislative session. Governor Crist ultimately vetoed the sweep. What will you do to ensure adequate transportation funds are available to maintain our current network of roads and bridges? What is your position on how trust funds— transportation or otherwise—should be used?
Alex Sink: As governor, I will veto efforts by the Florida Legislature to raid this funding source and ensure that it is spent only on transportation projects—because I know that this funding equals jobs for Floridians. To ensure adequate transportation funding, I will bring home our fair share of federal transportation funding, including transit funding. I also recognize the importance of public-private partnerships in funding transportation projects and will work to find such opportunities during my administration to help move projects along. I have a detailed transportation plan that discusses transportation funding at AlexSink2010.com.
Rick Scott: To ensure that there is adequate money available to maintain our current network of roads and bridges, I will only use the funds in the transportation trust fund for that purpose. I believe that trust funds were created to fund designated government functions and that the money that goes into those trust funds should only be used for those specified purposes. If the money that is placed in trust funds isn't truly dedicated to that given purpose, then there is no point in having trust funds to begin with.
AAA: What would you do as governor to continue to saves lives, reduce injuries and prevent crashes on Florida roadways?
Rick Scott: I would adequately fund road construction and maintenance and law enforcement so we have safe roadways on which our citizens can travel.
Alex Sink: In addition to fighting to strengthen child passenger safety laws and banning texting while driving, I will also have FDOT include a safety analysis of new road projects in performance measures that the agency reports to the Legislature. Such an analysis would demonstrate whether new or improved roads actually increased safety over the ones they replaced. As governor, I will also seek to expand the percentage of federal safety funds that FDOT spends on bicycle and pedestrian safety programs. Bicycle and pedestrian fatalities represent 21.4 percent of all Florida traffic deaths, yet less than 5 percent—about $4 million—of federal highway safety funding is spent on bike and pedestrian safety for the entire state. Even a modest increase could help boost safety outreach efforts.
AAA: Florida is presently a "donor state" when it comes to the percentage of money we get back from every federal gas tax dollar sent to Washington, DC. How would you increase that percentage of return?
Alex Sink: Florida is a "super donor" state, ranking among the bottom five states in the amount of federal transportation dollars we get back in return for taxes sent to Washington, DC. In fact, Florida receives only 86 cents for every dollar sent in transportation taxes. I will fight to bring home our fair share of federal transportation funding—including transit funding—by leading a coalition of states that all want a better return on their investment in the federal highway trust fund. I will also partner with our congressional delegation to demand Florida is at the negotiating table when federal transportation funding allocations are made. Getting more of our tax dollars that we send to Washington back to Florida is one of my top priorities as governor.
Rick Scott: Once again, this is an issue of leadership. I will be a leader with other donor state governors, as well as the Florida congressional delegation, to increase the return of the gas tax money Florida sends to Washington.
AAA: If you become governor, what legacy do you want to leave?
Rick Scott: I want to be remembered as the Governor that didn't play politics and actually go to work. When I leave office, I hope to leave behind a stronger economy and a smaller state government. I hope my legacy is one of job creation, economic growth and a prosperous Florida.
Alex Sink: I want to bring my decades as a Florida business leader to create jobs and grow a stronger economy. We are still facing an economic crisis, with over a million Floridians out of work, and I will revive our economy and help create jobs quickly. But I will also diversify our economy—moving Florida from a sandy foundation of tourism, retirees and real estate to an economic foundation that is rock solid. I have a detailed plan to remake Florida's economy, with a focus on the innovative industries that make sense for our state. My legacy would be a more diverse economy with stable, high-paying jobs for Floridians now and for future generations.