My Florida Governor Charlie Crist

Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is my Governor for the great state of Florida.

My Charlie Crist Performance Scoring:

Character: Upstanding, uncompromising.

Competency: Stellar.

Contribution. Impressive; particularly with property tax reform and education.

Charlie Crist Accomplishments

• In a welcoming departure from the norm of all talk and no action, Crist achieved a contribution toward energy independence with the FPL Sunshine Energy Solar Array at Rothenbach Park in Sarasota County. This solar powered facility is the largest in Florida and the second-largest in the Southeast and possesses 1,200 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The solar panels convert sunlight into electricity and produce about 250 kilowatts of clean energy, which is enough energy to power about 55 average homes. These solar powered panels will prevent the release of more than 654,000 pounds of C02 into the atmosphere each year. The PV panels are mounted at ground level and consume about 28,000 square feet, the equivalent of about half the size of a football field. Success from this project can be scaled to much higher production. This action is one small, but important, step toward energy independence for Floridians and all Americans.
• Crist is clearly making ground breaking property tax reform progress. His spearheading of the constitutional Amendment 1 Homestead Exemption modifications received wide spread voter endorsement on January 29, 2008 and have done more to aid property owners than any legislative act of the last 20 years.
• The Governor has shown a continuation of the former Bush focus on child services. Crist created the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness to educate and motivate Florida students to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Crist also established the Children and Youth Cabinet and appointed a Chief Child Advocate (CCA) to improve the Florida adoption process. Its also interesting to note Crist's child safety efforts. In fact, it was John Walsh of America's Most Wanted who publicly filed Crist's gubernatorial candidacy paperwork, citing Crist's efforts with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
• Crist signed and implemented the Anti-Murder Act as the first law of the 2007 legislative session.
• Crist is clearly committed to economic development, however, the measured success of his efforts remains elusive. For example, in May and November 2007, Crist headed trade missions to Israel and Brazil. With Brazil in particular, there is a claim that $300 million is anticipated to come into Florida’s economy as a result of the trade mission. I'd like to see some evidence that this economic stimulus is delivering (and that these politically stylish trade mission trips are not just feel-good boondoggles).
• Crist appears to legitimately champion eco-friendly initiatives. He is vocally committed to restoring Florida's Everglades and doing something about global climate change. In July 2007, Crist hosted a well attended Florida Summit on Global Climate Change in Miami and brought together scientists and experts from around the world to discuss the greenhouse-gas emission impact for all of us. Crist also used the summit to sign three Executive Orders outlining efforts to decrease carbon emissions.
• While a Florida State Senator, Crist championed the Stop Turning Out Prisoners (STOP) legislative bill requiring prisoners to serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentences; I believe this is one of the best legislative mandates in Florida's last decade. A little known fact is that Charlie was at one time referred to as "Chain Gang Charlie" as he reinitiated the support for chain gangs for state prison inmates.
• Crist has made the Governors office far more approachable to its constituents. Almost immediately after his swearing in ceremony, Crist created the Office of Open Government by Executive Order.

Charlie Crist Positions

• Abortion. Pro-life and pro-family.
• Economy. Pro-growth. Supports free trade, tax cuts and economic stimulus packages.
• Education. Supports No Child Left Behind Act and standardized testing.
• Environment. Supports restoration of the Florida Everglades, funding of alternative energy sources and carbon dioxide emissions programs. Opposes oil drilling off the Florida coast.
• Health care. Supports prescription drug tracking for assurance of safety.
• Immigration. Supports closed borders and promotion of legal immigration.
• Religion. Opposes the godless liberals attempts to remove all public displays of religious significance from society.
• Second amendment. Supports the right to bear arms.
• Gambling in Florida. Opposes further statewide expansion of legal gambling.
• Other: Proposes lawsuit reform by eliminating joint and several liability, proposes property tax reform to lower resident taxes, supports Florida's Defense of Marriage Act, cautious support for the death penalty, aggressive support for increased hate crime penalties.

Charlie Crist Public Service History

Crist entered the political fray as state director for former U.S. Senator Connie Mack. In 1992, Crist was elected to a Florida Senate seat. During his six year Senate tenure, Crist served as Chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and as Chairman of the Appropriations Criminal Justice Subcommittee. Crist was then appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). In 2000, Crist won a special election and became Florida’s last elected Commissioner of Education. In 2002, Crist won election as Attorney General, and was Florida’s first elected Republican Attorney General. In 2006, Crist was elected to serve as Florida’s Governor.

Crist graduated from Florida State University in 1978 and later earned his law degree from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama.

Posted: March 10, 2007
Keywords: My Florida Governor, Charlie Crist