Poll reveals a pessimistic Florida

Property insurance rates are about to turn John Melkun into a Pasco County refugee, as he considers following in his brother's footsteps to sink new roots in South Carolina.

Melkun is among Floridians who say the state is headed down the wrong track, a group that outnumbered those who say the state is on the right track, according to a recent St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 poll.

"Florida is going backwards. The Legislature and the state, they talk and talk and talk, and they move slower than a snail," said Melkun, 60, a retired construction worker whose State Farm premium increased from $900 to $4,700 this year.

While frustrated, most Floridians don't appear to blame Gov. Charlie Crist. His popularity has slipped some, with 57 percent of those polled saying he is doing a good or excellent job. In May, a similar poll done for the St. Petersburg Times by the same companies showed about 62 percent of those polled gave Crist high marks. (Story here.)

Comments

Goodbye Florida.

It ain't Charlie's fault. It was the "Do Nothing" legislature, "Spending Happy" cities/counties, and "All Talk, No Action" Jeb Bush that flushed Florida down the toilet.

Someone better step up to the plate soon. Charlie is the person who must do it. He is the only opinion leader in this state at this point.

C'mon Charlie, just do it. Be bold. Don't settle for what we have now. Onto the soapbox with you. Start talking. Start screaming.

Don't be the Governor who presided over the demise of the Florida.

[Grace]

It's the JEBACY.
Like all the Bush brothers, Jeb took care of his cronies thru devious plans and state tax cuts, then hit the road to reap his rewards on corporate boards. Like George Jr. & "Silverado Neil," Jeb Bush left a big mess for others to clean up. This is a Bush family value.

Crist must go. We need a leader not someone who panders. Things are only going to get worse. We are headed down the financial path of California and Crist will lead us there.

[Ronnie]

Do you really think that the legislature will fix insurance rates when it is the insurance industry that funds their campaigns? Insurance companies do not give out millions of dollars a year for nothing. They have bought all of them (Republican and Democrat alike). We need to start voting our incumbents until they get the message.

And how, exactly, is it all Jeb's fault? Simple concepts from delusional, simple people. The truth is that when the rest of the nation's economy tanked after 9/11, it was Jeb's policies that helped Florida achieve a soft landing. Florida had the absolute highest job growth of any state, including California. In any thinking person's view, that is a remarkable feat.

No single person owns the right track/wrong track problem. But, if you're a public official, it's akin to defying the law of gravity to think that your approval numbers will be permanently high if the wrong track numbers are climbing.

912 He was the Governor. He was in charge. All of it occured on his watch. If he wasn't up to the task, he should have not run for a second term. He let the cities and counties spend like drunken sailors with no oversight.

He left Charlie to clean up the mess.

Is there data on how many local govt incumbents lost (Florida wide) in the recent election? In my community there were three who lost to challengers.

Most of the problems with insurance occured during democratic tenures, not republican...

Underselling the market, started during democratic leadership.

PUP companies, started under democratic leadership.

30+ years of democratic mismanagement of insurance in Florida and you are blaming Jeb Bush?

That's like blaming the Captain of the Carpathia for sinking the Titanic.

Grace - Stop with the Bushderangement Syndrome. I bet you are a member of Code Pink too. Shhh, I hear the black helicopters, I bet the Bush people are listening.

[terminator]

slipped some?

you've got to be *hitting me!

If this poll has any reliability (which it probably doesn't), I would say a slide from upper 70's to the 50's shows Charlie the Tuna's popularity is "dropping like a rock".

Earth to Charlie? Has the guy come back to Tally yet or is he still galavanging around South America attempting to build up his VP credentials?

[Grace]

It was tit for tat with Jeb. Most GOP faithful just accept Jeb's entitlement for himself and his friends as the due of the Bush dynasty.
But Harken, Silverado and Wal-Mart show otherwise...if you pay attention and many of us do.

9:41 Doesn't make any difference. Jeb should have corrected it. It festered under his watch. He could have and should have fixed it.

I think there are some major mis-steps that have oocured so far with Cirst administration. I agree with Terminator above that the slipping polls dont bode well for Crist. One of the most major mis-steps is the "all the people are the same" approach. By this I mean that this Governor is seen as being "dis-loyal" to his champions. If you ask most that were his early supporters, you will hear frustration and anger as they were then lumped in with every body else after the campaign, including with the TG people and the people that were on the other side of the isle. Core supporters were left out and mostly feel "betrayed". Say what you want about Jeb, but his greatest attribute was his loyalty to his core supporters that propelled him to a second term and his leaving office with an over 60% approval. That is not an easy thing to accomplish and this administartion needs to start showing greater loyalty and rewarding their supporters. All were not the "same" when candidates like Crist were desperate for support early during the campaigns. Those that supported him should be rewarded for their sacrifice and faith and early support of him. While others not only not supported him, they tried to destroy him with nasty rumors, so how can it be that those spreading the nasty rumors end up being rewarded in this administration? The lack of loyalty and feeling of widespreead betrayal among Crist core supporters is the biggest problem this administration has. The poll I would like to see is the poll of the pre-primary supporters of Crist and how they now feel. I think that poll would be informative to this adminstration.

I worked on the Crist campaign - never again!

I gave money to the Crist campaign - never again!

I voted for Crist - never again!

I didn't abandon the Republican Pary - it abandoned me!

I'm sitting out the next election.

I knew the day would come when we all wish we'd voted for Davis.

The main problem for Crist is that he is creeping towards being a "Hollywood Governor". However, unlike Arnold, who actually gets things done, Crist really has little leadership on issues affecting the state.

He needs to have bold initiatives on insurnace and on real estate taxes. So far, he has nothing. He needs to repeat, repeat, repeat these initiatives. He needs a policy platform that he continuously communicates.

He also must start criticizing the legislature more forcefully. No one will object to that.

10:37

Woulda's and shoulda's don't make much difference

Reality is that the problems with insurance had not come to a crisis level till Jeb's last year- which was way too late for his administration to do anything of substance.

The legislature won't respond to issues until they reach the crisis stage. At best they will throw a half assed attempt to solve the problem because of the political ramifications of actually having to make tough choices that permanent long term solutions require.

Amen 11:30 a.m. You nailed it.

I wonder how Rod Smith would have handled all this?

CC's political tombstone will read "He overpromised and underdelivered".

Wishful thinking on my part, but I hope for a few things:
1) a full time legislature that pays people to be there full time. the job should pay enough to attract better quality leaders and candidates.
2) correct the gerrymandering that makes seats less competitive
3) do away with term limits- or at least extend them so that an official can get enough experience and use it before they are outta there again

Let’s see now…

“1) a full time legislature that pays people to be there full time. the job should pay enough to attract better quality leaders and candidates.”

Of course, cause we all know how honest and forthright the well paid president and leaders of Enron are!

“2) correct the gerrymandering that makes seats less competitive”

I’ll give you that one…

“3) do away with term limits- or at least extend them so that an official can get enough experience and use it before they are outta there again”

Baloney… longer terms means longer to become corrupt and waste more tax dollars. Do what you’re elected to do, in the time you’re elected to do it… or get you a*s out!

Now, STAFFER!... GET BACK TO WORK STEALING MY TAXES

[ed]

when only 9% of the eligible voters voted in a recent st. pete election, how can you believe any poll???
as for CRIST, he appears to be a gadfly i.e. everywhere & anywhere! but meanwhile the serious problems like property insurance, property taxes, etc. don't get solved!!

Uh Oh, say it isn't so----Charlie's at 58%. If you look at the real numbers behind that poll, you will see that not many of those supporters are iron clad in their support...ie- most will "drop like a rock" once no real tax relief and insurance reform is delivered. Now, all you Crist staffers on your coffee breaks reading this blog must be getting a little nervous that Teflon Charlie's numbers have been ticking downward for the past few months. Charlie needs to get back to work and fix this mess. Stop putting in 3 day work weeks. His trip to South America needs to be cut short, he needs to stay out of Big Daddy's and go to work, that's why we elected you. Its true, most core supporters who gave money and time and energy are sick of the governor auditioning for VP. Face it,,,the D.C. crowd doesn't have Charlie on their radar, not even on the horizon. Watch it Charlie, if the Tax Amendment goes down, can you say 1 Term and 40% approval.

Ask Terminator how much more rock dropping for Charlie's polls will be necessary before he reaches Rubio's numbers? Support for the Legislature with similar questions to the Governor's would be in the 30s at best. How is that for leadership?

If you think that any elected executive would sulk over poll numbers showing 57% of their citizens thought that they were doing a good or great job, I would have to suggest otherwise.

Charlie's numbers are still very good.
But as for the Legislature: how many real people oculd run for, or hold a job, that pays $28,000 a yearm and demands that you be in Tally for at least 2 months, then an undeterminable nunmber of unscheduled months for special session?
No one but the independently wealthy, or those with partners who'll support them for the long-term "good," or retirees can do that.
And while paying high salaries is no guarantee of success, keeping them low just insures that most people--including some who are affected by what's happening and therefore care, are shut out.

Well said 2:49

We need a full time legislatutre that meets twice a year. In the spring for 2 months to hear/pass legislation and in the fall for 2 months to consider and vote on the budget.

9:12 you are seriously misinformed. It was the Senate, via a very smart staffer, that spent $$$ construction after Sept 11. Others took credit, as they always do.

STAFFER!... GET BACK TO WORK STEALING MY TAXES

4:29,

If we were to keep the commitment of legislators to only a 60 day session plus about ten committee workdays spread over the year, the salary is acceptable for a part time job.

Term limits is a big problem.

We are such blamers, it's Jeb's fault, it's Christ's fault - stop the blaming and become part of the solution - yes we are pessimestic, we have every right too. Look at us, most of us are one paycheck away from the tent city in St. Petersburg. But so, do something about and quit your darn whining. I don't choice to help with the solution because I don't like Florida, so for my part, I will be moving after the holidays and taking my tax dollar with me.

[Karl]

Florida is seriously behind the growth
curve in roads, mass transit, sewers,
water and schools. This is not new
but it is getting worse. Growth is not
free as should be obvious by now. The
sprawl makes it radically worse and more expense. Most governments in Florida are so dominated by the development interests that they lack the courage to follow their own growth
management plans. You see the results.

Isn't it funny that everything negative about our state is blamed on Jeb and everything positive is Crist's great work.

Cristi only needs to stay at near 50% approval by next summer to get a VP nod. That's all he cares about anyway. Hillary, here I come!