The Senate’s budget chief, J.D. Alexander, says Gov. Rick Scott broke the law.

[JeffreyS]

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/22/2080026/rick-scott-on-crash-course-with.html

Rick Scott on crash course with Senate budget chief

The Senate’s budget chief, J.D. Alexander, says Gov. Rick Scott broke the law when he sold two state planes. And he wants answers from the governor.
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BY MARC CAPUTO
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott is on a political crash course with the Florida Senate’s powerful budget chief, J.D. Alexander, who wrote a letter Tuesday asking the governor to cite the “legal authority” for the way he sold two state planes.

Sen. J.D. Alexander said he believed the Feb. 11 transaction was unlawful because the governor failed to get the Legislature to sign off on the $3.67 million deal and kept some of the money from reaching the state treasury â€" a highly unusual transaction.

Alexander, who wrote a letter last week saying the deal wasn’t legal, wrote his follow-up Tuesday so that Scott would tell him specifically who advised the governor.

“In your response, please state specifically why this transaction did not violate Article VII, Section 1(c) of the Florida Constitution and Sections… [of] Florida Statutes,” Alexander wrote Tuesday. Alexander says he supports the sale of the planes, but opposes the way the governor handled the deal.

The governor’s office said Tuesday that Scott stands by his previous statements that the transaction was lawful.

“I reviewed that project step by step with our general counsel and we did the right thing,” Scott said Friday. “And it’s exactly what the taxpayers of this state want: They want to make sure that, as governor, I’m going to watch how you spend every dollar.”

The disagreement between the two Republicans is significant in a state Capitol dominated by the GOP, which prefers to keep disputes within the party. Both politicians are independently wealthy, no-nonsense businessmen.

But Alexander is a seasoned lawmaker who’s leaving office in 2012 due to term limits. A master of the budget process, he has the reputation of a straight-talker who doesn’t suffer antagonists lightly.

The Lake Wales Republican said he has nothing personal against Scott, whom he likes, or his advisors.

For years, Alexander has sought to sell the state planes, which were used to ferry lawmakers and judges across the state.

But the state planes weren’t put up for sale until Scott won office after campaigning on selling the Cessna Citation Bravo jet and King Air 350 turbo prop. Alexander said he met with three Scott advisors and told them the Legislature needs to sign off on the sale. Scott said as much in early January, but then reversed himself. Scott uses his own jet for state business.

Scott’s staff directed that much of the sale of the planes â€" $3.4 million â€" be sent to Capitol One, which owned the jet lease that the state had yet to pay off. Alexander said the money should have gone into the state treasury. He said the governor doesn’t have the authority to sell state property and spend money without the Legislature’s approval.

Alexander said he shared his concerns with Scott’s policy advisor, Mary Ann Carter, but Scott went ahead with the deal. Carter’s name has gained a measure of notoriety in the Florida Senate after she told Alexander and two other Republicans at a governor’s mansion dinner that they should pass Scott’s proposed budget because “the nation is watching.”

Alexander said he wrote his follow-up letter Tuesday to make sure nothing was left up to chance.

“These are real, serious constitutional issues we’re dealing with,” Alexander said. “This isn’t lip service.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/22/2080026/rick-scott-on-crash-course-with.html#ixzz1EkC7FpJ2

[Garden guy]

We've all seen and known about this man ways and the republicans of this state saw fit to make him our leader...he's thieving as we speak and so many of you sit with closed mouth out of fear of being PC...democrates stand up...take back this state from the thieves.

[Dog Walker]

We knew he was a scorpion when we agreed to give him a ride.  It's just in his nature to ignore or bend the rules when he wants something.

[Garden guy]

He reminds me of Omar Qaddafi....just lost and believes nothing but what's in his demented little brain.

[BridgeTroll]

   Who is "Omar Qaddafi"?

[Shwaz]

What are 'democrates'? Is that something that stores or carries demolition / demonstration materials?

[Doctor_K]

Demo-crates.  Brother of So-crates?

[Doctor_K]

He reminds me of Omar Qaddafi....just lost and believes nothing but what's in his demented little brain.

Oh I see - so Rick Scott has thrown out all Palestinians living in Florida and is touting his own version of Islamic Socialism.

Got it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moammar_Qaddafi#Islamic_socialism_and_pan-Arabism

[mtraininjax]

What are 'democrates'? Is that something that stores or carries demolition / demonstration materials?

Can we ship them to a different continent? They sound contagious!