Dave Weldon: Now it's me vs. Connie Mack

Sure, the GOP Senate race looks over. But former Congressman Dave Weldon says he's sticking it out now that George LeMieux quit the race. A press release:

"What is important here is that Floridians now have a clear choice between two candidates, a moderate and a conservative.  Connie Mack is the establishment’s hand picked moderate candidate who will support the status quo – while I am the conservative candidate who will stand up for Florida families and Tea Partiers who are fed up with the Washington establishment.
 
This is not a coronation.  This is an election.  And today’s events only amplify the need for a one on one debate. My record of balancing the federal budget, reforming the welfare system, creating massive surpluses, standing up for the unborn and traditional marriage will create a clear contrast between Connie and myself.  Floridians deserve to see my conservative record versus Connie’s record side-by-side on a debate stage."

PolitiFact reviews the George LeMieux file

George LeMieux gave PolitiFact plenty of fodder to fact-check while he ran for U.S. Senate. Check out how LeMieux fared on our Truth-O-Meter.

George LeMieux calls it quits in Florida Senate race, Connie Mack all but guaranteed nominee

Former Sen. George LeMieux abruptly quit Florida’s Republican U.S. Senate race on Wednesday, all but guaranteeing that frontrunner Connie Mack will be their party’s nominee.

LeMieux was behind in fundraising, behind in name identification and behind in big-name endorsements when compared to Mack, a sitting congressman from Fort Myers and the son and namesake of former Florida Senator.

“Ahead of us in the polls, the Mack name enjoys widespread recognition that can only be matched with substantial advertising or the opportunity to debate on statewide television,” LeMieux said in a video address posted on YouTube.

He lamented that Mack refused to debate him on television and that “our finances cannot support” a major advertising campaign. In Florida, competitive statewide campaigns burn at least $1 million a week in the final days on television.

Mack, meanwhile, received word Tuesday that he was about to be on the receiving end of a $1 million contribution from Las Vegas gaming magnate Sheldon Adelson, a Republican sugar daddy who planned to deposit the money in an independent political committee, Freedom PAC, established to get Mack elected.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/20/2858956/george-lemieux-quits-senate-race.html#storylink=cpy

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Video and written statement below:

Enforcement of pollution laws drop under Scott

Florida’s enforcement of pollution laws has dropped significantly during the administration of Gov. Rick Scott, according to a report released Wednesday by an environmental group.

The declines during Scott’s first year in office were across the board, from the number of major cases opened to the size of penalties collected, according to an analysis by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

Jerry Phillips, director of Florida’s PEER office in Tallahassee, said some falloff was expected because Scott, a former hospital executive, had campaigned on a pro-business, anti-regulation agenda.

“We all hoped it wouldn’t happen but I can’t say I’m shocked by these numbers, although if you look at the numbers in a historic context, yeah, it’s shocking,” said Phillips, a former enforcement attorney for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Jennifer Diaz, a spokeswoman for the Florida DEP, criticized the report as misleading and “irresponsible,” saying it failed to account for the agency’s proactive efforts. The department’s strategy, she said, includes “compliance assistance’’ outreach efforts with industry, businesses and government agencies intended to reduce violations.

The report by PEER, a national nonprofit whose members include state and federal workers whose names are kept confidential, compared enforcement statistics in 2011 with the previous year. It found:

•  The total number of enforcement cases dropped by 28 percent.

•  Pollution penalties dropped by 29 percent, with the number of fines topping $100,000 dropping by half.

•  Enforcement with mandatory follow-ups to check compliance fell by 62 percent. Previous reports produced by PEER show enforcement fines and cases falling since the administration of former Gov. Jeb Bush, but Phillips said the sharper decline over the last year points to a shift in policy to use enforcement only as a last resort.

~ Curtis Morgan

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/19/2857830/report-pollution-enforcement-drops.html#storylink=cpy

Q poll: Most support voter purge; Scott support still weak

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows that 60 percent of Floridians approve of Gov. Rick Scott's efforts to purge non-citizens from the voter rolls, while 35 percent disapprove. The statewide survey of 1,697 adults, conducted June 12-18, has a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.

Other highlights of the latest Q poll:

* Scott remains unpopular, with 49 percent of Floridians disapproving of his job performance and 39 percent approving. That's a slight drop from the last Q poll in May, in which Scott was upside down by a 46-41 percent margin. Women disapprove Scott by a 50-35 percent margin. "(Scott) has some work to do here," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

* Scott's personal popularity with his constituents is very shaky. Asked whether they like Scott "as a person," 37 percent said yes, 35 percent said no, and 29 percent didn't know or had no opinion.

* Only 22 percent of Floridians believe the economy has improved since Scott took office -- hardly a ringing endorsement of the "jobs governor." A total of 43 percent believe things have stayed the same since Scott took office 18 months ago and 31 percent think things are worse. (The state's unemployment rate has dropped by more than 2 percentage points with Scott at the helm).

* Both of Florida's U.S. senators got good grades in the poll. By a margin of 51-31 percent, people approve of Republican Sen. Marco Rubio's job performance, and the approval rating for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is 47-32 percent.

* The state Legislature got poor marks. Fifty percent of Floridians disapprove of the job lawmakers are doing, 31 percent approve and 19 percent had no opinion. 

-- Steve Bousquet