Florida governor wants to take California jobs home with him
Gov. Jerry Brown has a new Republican antagonist named Rick.
Following in the footsteps of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is planning a trip to California next month in an attempt to lure companies to relocate to the Sunshine State.
Scott is targeting shipping companies bothered by the labor dispute that threatened to shut down Southern California ports last month. An agreement was reached, but officials said it could take three months to clear a cargo backlog.
In a letter, Scott said Florida has been investing in its port infrastructure to handle additional shipments. He also touted his state’s “low-tax, business-friendly climate” while criticizing “Governor Jerry Brown’s tax-and-spend administration.”
Targeting California is a favorite tactic of Republicans. Perry has traveled to the state repeatedly, at one point arriving in Sacramento in a Tesla sedan as he tried to persuade the electric car company to build a battery factory in Texas. (The company ended up selecting Nevada.)
Evan Westrup, a spokesman for Brown, issued a statement calling Scott “one of the 60 million tourists expected to visit California this year.”
“We can certainly understand why our friend from Florida is interested in visiting the Golden State,” he said, touting the state’s job growth and its status as the world’s seventh-largest economy. “We hope the governor’s stay is both enjoyable and educational.”
Follow @chrismegerian for more updates from Sacramento.
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