The subject came up last year, and it's back again: Rick Scott wants the power to pick judges.
Even worse, he claims that's what Floridians want, to give him even more power than he has now.
Worse still, this year Republicans in the legislature are apt to give it to him, because they say they've gotten to know him better.
And that's just the beginning.
It's still early in the 2012 session but the Republican-controlled Legislature is starting to move ahead with proposals that would give Scott more hands-on power to shape the judicial branch and control regional job development agencies.
Scott could also win his bid to have more of a say over state incentives used to lure businesses as well as get a legislative blessing for the way he has tackled the rule making process of state government.
These moves are already drawing sharp complaints from Democrats, who warn this could be the start of a major concentration of power into the hands of the governor.
But many top Republicans say that in the last year they have come to know Scott and trust him more than they did when he first came into office.This is a turnabout from a year ago.
Scott, a former hospital chain executive who used more than $70 million of his own money to win the governor's race, entered office barely knowing many top GOP legislators. In his first few months many of his budget recommendations were ignored, he was sued by two legislators over his decision to reject high-speed rail funding from the federal government, and the Senate's budget chairman contended that the governor's office had broken the law by the way it sold off the state plane.
Those early misgivings have given way to a more cooperative attitude as Scott has tried to remake his image, pared back his agenda and turned to Tallahassee insiders to help him in his dealings with state legislators.During last week's opening of the session that cooperation paid off. A House committee approved a top Scott initiative to give him more control over regional workforce boards that control millions in money for job training and job placement services. Scott made the push in the wake of reports of misspending by several boards, including handing out contracts to family members. Last year he demanded that members of a central Florida workforce board resign.
The bill now moving would spell out that the executive director of the boards "serve at the pleasure" of the governor and could be fired at any time.
That's similar to the approach included in a measure that would give Scott more power over judicial nominating commissions.
I can only imagine that Republicans think they'll benefit from this somehow. For anyone who has gotten to know Rick Scott better than when he first took office, one would be less inclined to give him even more power. His approval ratings aren't low for nothing.
Furthermore, while Republicans may think they can trust him, chances are good they'll trust him at not only ours, but their own peril. Maybe they haven't been paying attention, as there's little evidence that anyone can really trust Rick Scott. Look at his record so far.
So what do you think Florida? Would you be happy handing more power to Rick Scott than any other governor in Florida has had before?
