DEBATE FACT #1: The Failed Crist Economic Record

What Crist Said…

Crist talks about creating jobs but since the stimulus passed, more than 200,000 Floridians have lost their jobs.

The Facts About The Crist Record…

Crist Inherited One Of The Strongest Economies In The Country. Today, Florida’s Economy Is One Of The Weakest – 49th – Almost Dead Last.  Only Nevada, California And Washington, D.C. Are Worse. (G. Scott Thomas, “Survey: Florida Among Weakest U.S. Economy,” South Florida Business Journal, 7/27/10)

When Crist Took Office In January 2007, Florida’s Unemployment Rate Was 3.5 Percent. In August, Florida’s Unemployment Rate Had Risen To 11.7 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, www.bls.gov, Accessed 10/6/10)

In The 44 Months Since Crist Took Office (Jan. ‘07 – Aug. ‘10), Unemployment Has Risen In All But Three. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, www.bls.gov, Accessed 10/6/10)

1,083,718 Floridians Were Unemployed In August 2010. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, www.bls.gov, Accessed 10/6/10)

Since The Obama-Crist Stimulus Passed In February 2009, Florida Has Lost More Than 210,708 Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, www.bls.gov, Accessed 10/6/10)

In March 2010, Florida’s Unemployment Rate Reached 12.3%, The Highest In The State’s History. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.data.bls.gov, Accessed 8/25/10)

CATO Institute: Crist Earns A “D” On Fiscal Responsibility For Supporting Large Tax Increases On Floridians. “In the 2008 Cato report card, Governor Crist received an ‘A’ based on his support of property tax cuts and spending restraint. But since then, the governor has switched fiscal gears and supported large tax increases on Floridians. Crist signed into law a $2.2 billion increase in 2009, which included a $1 per pack increase on cigarette consumers and more than $1 billion in new ‘fees’ for vehicle licenses, fishing licenses, and other items. Then, exhibiting amnesia, Crist declared in his 2010 State of the State address: ‘My core principle is to not raise taxes.’” (Chris Edwards, “Fiscal Policy Report Card On America’s Governors: 2010,” CATO Institute, 9/30/10)

Read more at Marco 2010 Rubio-US Senate