Rick Scott: Florida Shouldn't Have to "Bail Out Liberal Politicians in Blue States"

Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) has directed a letter to the editor of the New York Times, responding to a recent editorial that argued there should be federal funding to bail out states.

However, Senator Scott disagrees with the argument completely, instead making it clear that he wants to ensure taxpayer dollars for Coronavirus response are effectively used in response expenses and not to aid states feeling the effects of decades of having poor budget decisions that pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter, sent at the end of April and published this week, takes aim at several states who have Democratic Governors.

In the letter, Senator Scott writes that “Gov. Andrew Cuomo and liberal talking heads continue to misuse data to distract from the poor fiscal management of states like New York, Illinois and California.”

The Senator then took aim at the New York Times, arguing that the “editorial advocates blue-state bailouts by comparing federal taxes paid by individuals to federal benefits (like Medicare and Social Security) received by individuals.”

The former Florida Governor details that “the issue at hand is not about what the citizens of our states pay in and receive in federal taxes and benefits,” noting that “it’s about how states have managed their budgets, and which ones are better prepared to withstand the coming fiscal challenges.”

Slamming New York’s economical decisions, Senator Scott expressed that “New York can’t balance its bloated budget without borrowing and consistently raises taxes to pay for its profligate spending,” reminding that in his “eight years as Florida’s governor, I paid down a third of state debt, cut taxes every year and had record funding for education, the environment and transportation.”

Finally, Scott concluded the letter by suggesting that “low-tax policies and sound fiscal management work,” adding that “it’s not fair to Florida citizens to send their tax dollars to bail out liberal politicians in states like New York for their unwillingness to make tough and responsible choices.”

Scott also landed a body blow to Gov. Cuomo.