Scott dismisses attorney for BP claims

Updated: Thursday, 10 Mar 2011, 6:39 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 10 Mar 2011, 6:38 PM EST
by Warren Elly

TAMPA - While they protested government cuts outside, inside the State House, the Governor was putting the budget axe right up front.

"Floridians have been encouraged to believe that government could take care of us, but government always takes more than it gives back," Rick Scott told the Legislature.

"Rick Scott looks at government as something that is essentially bad, and his goal is to minimize its role, absolutely, in Florida," University of Tampa political scientist Scott Paine said.

So whether it's refusing billions in Federal high speed rail money, or a million dollars from drug makers to start up a pain pill prescription database, the Governor's supporters say you can count on Scott to just say no.

"What happens is these bureaucracies get created," says Sharon Calvert of the Tampa Tea Party "and over time, they just wallow, and money becomes more to fund them, they get bigger and you can't get rid of them, even if the problem goes away."

The BP oil spill may be next. Lawyers say there are billions in damage claims unsettled in Florida, and the attorney appointed by the previous governor to represent the state's interest says Scott won't respond to his calls and letters about pursuing the state's claims against BP.

"I think it would be in the billions of dollars," Yerrid said. "It would have a substantial, if not a mitigating effect on our deficit. The money is there, there's a $20 billion fund that isn't close to being exhausted, and my question is, what are we doing about it?".

"This administration has decided not to retain the services of Mr. Yerrid. We will be pursuing claims in the future with the intent not to have to litigate," said Governor's spokeswoman Amy Graham.

U.T.'s Paine says Scott's view of limited government plays into what his plans are.

"It's fairly consistent with the notion that you just don't want government doing these things. In this case, its aggressively chasing after a corporation that arguably is liable for considerable damages and loss of income. But that's the government getting involved in extracting money from the private sector, and that's pretty inconsistent with Scott's perspective," Paine said.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/state/scott-dismisses-attorney-for-bp-claims-03102011