Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist
It looks like there’s going to be a contest in Florida for a U.S. Senate seat. The seat is now occupied by Bill Nelson!
What on earth has Bill Nelson contributed, for the sake of Florida, from that Senate seat? That question has never been far from my mind, that is, since about 2001.
Bill Nelson has been present nearly 30 years in Washington. What impact has he made for Florida, or, for that matter, the Nation? His exploits in space, well, are interesting, but hardly of great importance to the improvement for the real lives of real people.
List of Accomplishments
After a great deal of thought, and work, his total achievements have been narrowed down to this list of ten:
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That’s quite a list of accomplishments for having spent 30 years in Washington. Voters are being asked to reward Bill by returning him to a fourth, six-year term at age 76.
The Republican Party of Florida (RPoF) has launched NoMoreNelson.org to highlight that after nearly 30 years in Congress, Bill Nelson has sponsored 860 pieces of legislation and only ten have been signed into law. “His mediocre ascension through the political ranks has produced no noteworthy accomplishments, says RPOF, “but instead has left behind a trail of high taxes and lost jobs. Bill Nelson has failed to do his only job-represeningt Floridians in Washington City.
Republicans elaborate: Three of the ten pieces of legislation Nelson sponsored was during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives. Nelson’s 10-item “career accomplishment,” has cost an estimated $4.4 million in taxpayer-funded government salary over the course of his political career.
But what Nelson may lack on his invisible record and below-par (49 percent) name recognition, he makes up on energized opposition in Florida to President Donald J. Trump’s perceived policies on guns, minorities, immigrants, and women.
Rick Scott
It’s now official. Governor Rick Scott, wants the Senate seat, not to offset Florida’s second Senate seat occupied by Marco Rubio, but to enhance Florida’s clout by having a united two, and not a divided two, if Bill Nelson were to be returned to the Senate.
In February, Rick Scott’s approval rating as governor was at 58 percent. A growing Florida economy has given his campaign a strong foundation, as well.
Under his leadership, taxes have been cut by more than $10 billion, businesses have created nearly 1.5 million new jobs, and record investments have been made in Florida’s education system, transportation infrastructure, and environment.
An Expensive Race
It’s predicted that Floridians will view the race between Nelson and Scott as entertainment, until, it gets caught up in the inevitable “food fight.” Then, its like, “Cut it out!” Each side will have millions to spend. And they will! Let’s just sit back and enjoy the passing parade, because it has to run its course, with or without our concurrence.