EDITORIAL/TAMPA BAY TIMES

Gov. Rick Scott sounded reflective as he opened his short State of the State speech Tuesday talking about the importance of families, friends and neighbors. He recognized the need for a safety net to help Floridians who are disabled, or suffer from substance abuse, or want a quality education. It was a compassionate opening — followed by a hard push for $1 billion in tax breaks primarily for businesses and another $250 million in corporate welfare. This is a governor focused on his future rather than a vision for the state, and it will be up to the Florida Legislature to provide direction to address the state’s most pressing challenges. Continue reading…