If being a governor was easy – everyone would be a governor! That is how we can begin the story of Rick Scott, the American governor of the state of Florida, who is considered one of the favorite, but in some way, very controversial politicians in the US. Of course, we cannot say that he is the only politician who raised clouds of dust during his mandate – but it seems that some, even less important episodes, stirred up the public, or maybe just the media tried to make it seem that way. So what is the truth about Rick Scott, and is he truly one of the most controversial governors of Florida – find out in the text below.
Scandals Have Always Rocked Politics
From the foreign policy point of view, the USA is still one of the leading countries in the world. To be the first among the chosen ones – you must have a unique system. Considering the political system and so many federal states in the US, you will admit that this is not an easy task. We already know that each of the federal states has its own rules of the game, and of course its governors. That can sometimes lead to a series of situations in which it is necessary to prevent possible political and economic crises, as well as intrigues and affairs to which the representatives of the people are exposed. Sometimes it is justified, but sometimes everything is just part of the political game in which the goal is to defeat the political enemy. We can say that many, even very stormy affairs followed politicians in the US during its existence. We will only remember the Watergate affair, the assassination of Kennedy, Nixon and the wiretapping affair, and even the sex affairs, such as the one with Monica Lewinsky. However, it seems that in recent years, affairs and scandals are more directed towards possible financial embezzlement or unacceptable behavior with sexual allusions. So how can we connect Florida Governor Rick Scott to it?
The Tale Of Rick Scott: From The US Navy To Politics
Let’s be precise: The role of Rick Scott in the political life of the USA is quite significant. We are not only talking about the governor of the state of Florida who had two mandates – but it is also about a man who continued his political career as a senator, and has been in that position since 2019. The life story of Rick Scott does not differ significantly from the biographies of other American politicians. Born in the early fifties of the 20th century, Scott was almost a typical representative of the post-war generation. A modest life and big ambitions took him away from home after finishing high school when he first married his high school sweetheart Ann. After that, he joined the US Navy on the USS Glover, where he worked as a radar controller. Taking advantage of the benefits of the GI Bill, he decided to continue his education at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and SMU Law School, from where his ambitions pushed him towards further advancement.
After he started working in law practice, he quickly became one of the partners and then, a co-founder of Columbia Hospital Corporation. Back then, it was already obvious that Scott had political aspirations. However, being so successful is a blessing and a curse at the same time – so Scott couldn’t avoid finding himself in the center of certain scandals.
Rick Scott: Controversies During His Political Career
OK, aside from the Scott Cooper Miami Ice-And-Mannequin Scandal, we can say that the current senator has been pretty quiet over the years. Namely, this somewhat funny scandal was not directly related to Scott – but to the consultant, Joshua Cooper who was photographed in an unusual, not to say inappropriate, pose. Namely, you can look at this link, and it will be much clearer to you what we are talking about. However, Cooper denies the accusations and claims that the photo was taken from an awkward angle – with which political opponents wanted to discredit not only him but also the current Senator Scott. We can say that nowadays this scandal is not that significant, especially if you take into account the fact that it is the senator’s associate, as well as the fact that the senator himself has been married to his wife Ann for 50 years, and that no sex scandals were associated with his name.
The Blast From The Past
Even with a long marriage, having children and grandchildren didn’t change the fact that there were no other controversies, especially during his tenure as governor of Florida. Even while he was co-founder of Columbia Hospital Corporation, Scott had to pay an incredible $1.7 billion penalty due to certain financial malpractices. In addition, during his mandates, Scott came under public scrutiny for his support for the controversial All Aboard Florida project, as well as his support for the controversial North Florida pipeline job.
Rick Scott’s Accomplishments
Nevertheless, despite the attempts to discredit the former governor and the current senator – his political opponents cannot dispute certain successes with which he gained political popularity. One of the things that his voters often highlight as an advantage is his role in changing Florida’s health care law, which until then was based on free market principles. Advocating for patients’ rights, he founded CPR (Conservatives for Patients’ Rights) and has so far given more than 5 million to the budget for these purposes. Also, the citizens of Florida are very grateful to him for the numerous tax breaks they received during his tenure.
Conclusion
In the end, we can only say one thing. Politics is always such that it will show you both sides of the coin – good and bad. You can never count on everything to always be perfect. Even when you try to play this game by the rules, you may have to “beat around the bush” sometimes – while sometimes you will have to meet those who will put their foot down to trip you. Therefore, the first rule in the race for a successful political career is to have nerves of steel and a lot of patience.
