Florida Governor Terminates Reporter's Q&A About State's Unemployment Record

Florida governor Rick Scott

Florida governor Rick Scott's press conference today in Tallahassee got a bit testy when a Bloomberg reporter asked Scott to comment on a report from the state legislature's chief economist. The findings suggested the state's unemployment drop "is almost exclusively due to people leaving the workforce," according to a story in today's Miami Herald.

The Republican governor initially answered that 130,000 jobs were created, presumably as a result of his policies. When pressed to clarify how his position so strikingly differed from that of a professional economist, Scott curtly cut the reporter off.

It has been the Republican mantra that their so-called "pro-growth" policies generate significant employment opportunities. Ask a college grad what challenges they face getting an interview (never mind a job), and you'll get a taste of the "pro-growth" truth. Inquire among your acquaintances who've been laid off how their job prospects are. Go to a public library and count how many people are refining their resumes, researching firms, and hoping they'll get a break.

It's possible Governor Scott did not go far enough. Perhaps he should have taken a page from Mitt Romney's campaign playbook. As Mitt did, Scott can simply speak at a fund raiser attended by a room full of one-percenters. He can declare the unemployed deadbeats, burdened with a poor self-image, and motivated by government subsidies of their personal needs. Then he can ask for money.