Florida Governor Rick Scott has exposed his nascent political career as a simple personal enrichment scheme.
The Governor's new plan is to test state employees and recipients of public assistance for recreational drug use. Scott's chain of urgent-care clinics, Solantic, would benefit financially from this proposal, as they offer drug-screening services to employers. Random drug testing of state employees and welfare recipients sounds like a good hustle. This is in addition to his plan to privatize Medicaid, another potential windfall for Solantic.
However, sensing a potential conflict of interest, Scott claimed he transferred his stock in Solantic, so he technically doesn't own it anymore.
His wife does.
Besides the conflict of interest, Scott has managed to create a potential cash cow by doing something that will cost the government of Florida a lot of money, will not reduce "welfare fraud," but will enjoy the overwhelming support of the public. The debates about this proposals going forward are going to be about whether it's a good idea to screen welfare recipients for drug use and not whether it's a boon for Rick Scott. People opposed to the plan because Scott will benefit personally will be tagged as "soft" on drug abuse. Florida legislators who vote against it will see ads in 2012 see ads play in their districts saying they voted against requiring drug testing to receive welfare benefits and when they explain that their vote was an effort to prevent Rick Scott and his wife from making money off of taxpayers no one will understand because that will be totally eclipsed by the public's hatred for government assistance programs.
The one thing Rick Scott isn't is stupid.
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