Florida gubernatorial race: surprise endorsement for Davis

["Gloria Pipkin" <gpipkin@knology.net>]

This is a stunner--an endorsement for Jim Davis from the major newspaper
in what I've seen identified as the most conservative Congressional
district in the country. No doubt Crist's ties to the insurance industry
influenced thinking in this hurricane-ravaged area, but the FCAT played
a big role too. -- Gloria
 
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061105/
OPINION/611050314/1020
 
Pensacola News-Journal
November 5, 2006

For governor, two good candidates, one choice

The best news about the race for governor in Florida is the two good
candidates. These are not divisive, polarizing politicians; both come
across as thoughtful on the issues and closer to the center than either
ideological extreme.

But voters have to choose, and so do we for an endorsement.

Our pick: Jim Davis.

The top issues across the state for most voters are the cost of
insurance, rising property taxes and education.

. Property taxes:

Davis offers $1 billion in school property tax relief, replacing the
money by ending exemptions and tax breaks lobbyists have engineered in
Tallahassee for just about everyone but property owners.

Crist wants a constitutional amendment to double the homestead exemption
and to provide portability for tax savings under the Save Our Homes
amendment. But that further worsens the inequities building in the
property tax system, and simply redistributes the burden to those who
don't benefit, such as small businesses.

. Education:

The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test is crowding too much else out
of our schools, which soon might be turning out students whose only real
achievement is passing the FCAT.

The test's weaknesses were revealed earlier this year when it was found
that many, if not most, of the people hired to grade it were not even
certified in their subject area.

Davis, refreshingly, calls for ending the FCAT's chokehold on our
schools. He would keep it as an evaluative tool, but expand the criteria
for evaluating schools while dropping the dreaded grading system. He
wants students who get their tests back to be able to use them for
understanding where they are.

Crist seems to like the FCAT as it is, although under pressure has been
modifying his stance, as he has done on a number of key issues lately.

. Insurance:

We're not sure either candidate has the answer on insurance, but who
does?

Davis at least has his eyes focused on policyholders, pledging to seek
repeal of a 2006 law that gave insurance companies more freedom to raise
rates on their own, this on the heels of a 2005 law that clarified the
question of policy liability squarely in favor of the insurance
companies. With the Legislature so focused on helping insurance
companies, it will be helpful to have a governor looking out for
policyholders.

Crist of late can't seem to decide whether he is for or against the rate
law, implying he would have vetoed it, and then backing off. Meanwhile,
he also was mostly silent while the insurance debate was raging in the
Legislature.

It is also hard to tell where Crist stood on the matter of the totally
improper and unconstitutional attempt by the Legislature and Gov. Jeb
Bush to intervene in the Terry Schiavo case. As attorney general, Crist
remained silent, although he now says that privately he took a stand
against it.

On such a matter, the attorney general should have taken a clear public
stand. While Crist ran a professional and competent office, people are
right to expect more leadership from such a high-profile position.

We believe both Davis and Crist will be an improvement over the current
administration on environmental matters, and both will stand strong
against offshore drilling on Florida's coast, a role Davis took in
Congress.

In this race, Florida voters could do a lot worse than either candidate.
We believe they will do best with Davis.