The Florida Chamber of Commerce is a Person

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is a person. The Supreme Court ruled so in Citizens United v. FEC. The person known as the Florida Chamber of Commerce has created the Florida Jobs CCE. The CCE has been used by other people such as AutoNation, Florida Power & Light, and Publix Supermarkets.

Here is how much these corporations people have donated to Florida Jobs CCE.

AutoNation
$100,000

Florida Power & Light
$250,000

Publix Supermarkets
$400,000

The Florida Chamber of Commerce gave $175,000 to incoming Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner. What does the Chamber of Commerce want Gardner and other Republicans to do? Chamber President Mark Wilson has fought to cut unemployment compensation, increase homeowner insurance and bust unions. These are hardly populist positions in a time of economic woe.

If the Florida Chamber of Commerce is a person would you want to hang out with him?

Florida's Constitutional Crisis

Gov. Rick Scott does not care about the constitutional authority given to the Florida legislature. Florida Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander questioned whether Scott had the authority to sell state planes without legislative approval. Bruce R. Jacob, dean emeritus and law professor, at Stetson University told Politifact Scott overstepped his authority as governor.

"What Alexander is complaining about is that, under this section, where the Legislature has appropriated money for the expense of the planes, the governor is required to spend that money," Jacob said. "I am sure the governor from time to time does not spend money that the Legislature has appropriated for a particular purpose, and I doubt that anyone gets upset about it.

"However, the main point, it seems to me, is that if the governor was thinking of doing this, he needed to consult with the leadership of the Legislature," he said. "Common courtesy called for such consultation. The governor and the Legislature have to work together. The governor should not be allowed to 'go it on his own,' so to speak, in a situation such as this."

Jacob also says Alexander has a "point" by claiming that the amount owed on the Cessna should have been appropriated by the Legislature and paid from the state treasury. "Money of the state should not be spent unless it is for an authorized purpose and complete records should be kept so that anyone in the state can see what was spent and for what purpose. In this case it seems to me that the governor short-circuited the process," Jacob said.

Scott overstepped his authority again by killing the Orlando to Tampa high-speed rail project. Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida legislature approved the plan. Scott can not change what has been made into law just because he opposes it. State and the federal governments have three separate branches of government to insure that such power grabs do not happen. Scott's actions dictate a man with utter contempt for the rule of law.

Scott rejected the last ditch proposal to the high-speed rail project. Republican lawmakers are now talking about suing the newly elected governor.

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