Gainesville Sun endorses Jim Davis

[seafan]

Davis for governor

October 29. 2006

Charlie Crist wants to be Jeb Too. Throughout his campaign for governor, Attorney General Crist has promised to carry on the Jeb Bush legacy.

But we think Florida needs a break from Jebocracy. Bush's much-touted education reforms have left Florida with one of the highest drop-out rates in America and widespread parental disgust over Tallahassee's reliance on the FCAT as the sole measure of school "success" and student achievement. His ill-considered privatization schemes led to one money-wasting contract after another. And Bush's lax environmental policies have not been healthy for Florida or Floridians.

We also worry that one reason Crist is so intent on associating himself with Gov. Bush is that he has so few original ideas of his own with which to lead Florida into the future.
Jeb cut taxes by $20 billion over his 8 years. So Crist promises to cut taxes by another $4 billion. He favors doubling the homestead exemption on property taxes. Even some Republican legislators have criticized that idea as a nonstarter.

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Jim Davis, the Democrat in this race, also thinks Floridians need property tax relief. But he would go about it in a more reasonable way, insisting that the Legislature restore some of the state revenue sharing that was lost to local governments as Bush slashed taxes on the well-off. That and easing up on unfunded mandates would allow school boards, cities and counties to provide property tax relief without having to gut local services.

Davis is a former state legislator and longtime Tampa Bay congressman who is well prepared for the governor's office. He is a thoughtful political moderate who will be able to work with the Republican Legislature to help resolve some of the problems Florida faces: like the insurance crises, runaway health care costs, growth pressures, an unacceptable high school drop-out rate and an underperforming pre-kindergarten program.
We are particularly impressed with Davis' environmental record. He led the opposition in Congress to drilling for oil and gas in Florida waters and fought for the protection of the Everglades. Bush's Department of Environmental Protection has done a poor job of protecting Florida's environment; Davis will correct that.

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Davis offers Floridians a fresh start and a needed departure from Jebocracy. Charlie Crist promises more of the same: Jeb Too. For new leadership, elect Jim Davis.

(much more)