Election Guide: Republican Primary, Florida Governor

This guide is for the Republican Party Primary, Florida Governor (no candidate has chosen a Lt. Governor).

The three candidates and their platforms:

1) Mike McCalister.

• PhD in Management.
  
• Taught college, MBA, and Doctoral Management courses "from Tallahassee to Miami."
  
• Retired full Colonel with 33 years military service in the Guard, Reserves, and Active Duty.
  
• Worked in health care for over 20 years.
  
• A small business owner.
  
• Has a 9 page resume on his website (click "About Author" on his website).
  
• Author of his book titled "The Right Future for Florida and You..Starting Right Now."
  
• "If you fix the education system, the jobs will be there."
• Supports asking specific industries what should be done.
  
• Would eliminate the FCAT.
  
• "Doesn't believe the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to people born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant parents."
  

Sources: http://mikemccalister.com/
"Third Wheel" article.


2) Bill McCollum.

• Property tax freeze and a cap on local government spending.
  
• Lower FL corporate income tax by 1% to 4.5%.
  
• Provide tax credits for Research and Development.
  
• Exempt corporate income taxes for certain qualified small businesses for their first 10 years.
  
• Provide a sales tax exemption for certain high-tech equipment and infrastructure purchases.
  
• Create Florida's Venture Capital Council and Florida Genesis Fund to increase access to capital. Establish relationships with Florida's universities to profit from projects.
• A Rating from the NRA.
  
• Develop standards for pre-kindergarten curriculum.
  
• Phase out tenure by teachers.
  
• Supports Amendment 8 to "right size the class size."
  
• Require high school students to take at least one internet class.
  
• Develop the Florida "Back to Work Program" through competitive funding for programs.
  
• Against abortion.
  
• Supports Arizona's immigration law "as amended."
  
• Require immigrants to carry valid documentation or face up to 20 days in jail.
  
• Opposes same-sex marriages.
  
• Offer tax incentives for companies to locate or expand their shipping facilities within Florida.
  
• Currently the Attorney General of Florida.
  
• Expanded the Attorney General's Child Predator CyberCrime Unit.
  
• Law degree from the University of Florida.
  
• U.S. Navy Veteran.
  
• Member of the United States Congress from 1981-2001.

Sources: http://billmccollum.com/
http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/4492d797dc0bd92f85256cb80055fb97/1515ce372e59d1e885256cc60071b1c4!OpenDocument
"Unveils Controversial Immigration Reform Plan" article.
"Gives Contradictory Views on Gay Issues" article.


3) Rick Scott.

• Institute "Accountability Budgeting."
  
• Opposed to immigration amnesty.
  
• Committed to "conserving Florida's natural resources" and preserving the Everglades."
  
• He started Columbia Hospital in 1987 which is now "the 12th largest employer in the world."
  
• Co-founder of Florida based Solantic Health.
  
• Opposes Obama's "government-run public option."
  
• Supports a state constitutional amendment that prohibits the federal government from imposing Obama's mandate.
  
• NRA member and supporter of the 2d Amendment.
  
• "Rick will create jobs by keeping taxes low and limiting job killing regulations."
  
• In the 1990s, the FBI launched an investigation of the Columbia Hospital which "led to the company pleading guilty to criminal charges of overbilling the government." They "paid a record $1.7 billion in fines"

Sources: http://www.rickscottforflorida.com/home/
Sun-Sentinel article.
Tampa-Bay.com article.