Raheem Morris, Gov. Rick Scott Exchange Words
August 6th, 2011
Bucs coach Raheem Morris generally says what’s on his mind, which Joe finds quite refreshing if not entertaining. CBSSports.com’s Pat Kirwan once referred to Morris as “brash.”
So when unpopular Florida governor Rick Scott, the man who will go down in history as killing a federal high speed rail project between Tampa and Orlando, dropped by One Buc Palace for a tour Friday, Joe could have guessed Morris would have had a good one-liner for Scott.
But Joe was shocked to learn Scott, apparently thin-skinned from harsh criticism and his awful approval ratings, not just shot back at Morris but tongue-lashed the third-year Bucs coach, as documented by Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times on Twitter.
@STROUDNFL: Bucs coach Raheem Morris tells Fla. Gov. Rick Scott, “I would’ve liked that light rail, but don’t worry about that.” … Fla. Gov. Rick Scott responds “The highspeed rail? I’ll do that deal for you. Here’s the deal. It’s a great deal… I’m going to give you $2.4-billion, you have to put up a billion. You have to lose, oh, $100-million or so a year… And if you ever get tired, you have to give me my $2.4-billion back.”
WHOA! Politicians of all sorts go to events, dog and pony shows, where they are heckled or needled by someone and rarely if ever does said politician snap like this at a fellow celebrity no less, right in front of the pen and mic club.
This just goes to show how defensive Scott is about what his legacy as the state’s chief executive will forever be remembered for — which happened in the first few weeks of his administration.
Maybe Scott’s all too aware how he sabotaged himself by his high speed rail decision and all but guaranteed he would be a one-term governor, just days after he took the oath of office.
August 6th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
It always cracks me up that people get mad when someone DOESN’T spend their money for them. I don’t care for Scott, but that was a very relative and smart comment.
August 6th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Our bond rating has Been loward. Our debt is owned by communist. And Joe and Raheem want to spend a few billion dollars that we don’t have. Sounds good to me.
August 6th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Joe here,
@Michael Ryan — Joe didn’t say build the thing. Hell, it took Joe of all people to find a cheap way to get fans to the Trop from Tampa. The No Excuses Tour is sold out tonight. http://www.NoExcusesTour.com. But the reality is Scott did sabotage himself with the perception he killed off tons of jobs. shooting down the rail.
August 6th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Stroud left out the part where Raheem took his underwear off, put on his big boy pads and put his face on the Governor.
August 6th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Fear The Glo Says:
Raheem should have said, “Stats are for losers.”
August 6th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Scott made the right call on the rail line that nobody would ride.
And about the “he sabatoged himself” part;
The silent majority would disagree..
August 6th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
This same argument took place in 1930. One group of economist and politicians won out over the other. I wonder how that worked out? History is doomed to repeat itself.
August 6th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Raheem should’ve just bitch slapped him!
August 6th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
People want perks but they don’t seem to give a damn that there’s no money to pay for it. “Just give me my benefits, dammit!” That seems to be the mantra of this ridiculous welfare-mentality society we’ve become. Scott made the right decision and if people were smart enough to investigate the facts which are all based on irrefutable numbers maybe they’d understand. The current level of political savvy in our population is so low that it’s hard to explain anything whatsoever to this dumb herd.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
The only person in America less qualified and deserving of his job than rah rah = rick scott. Although, rick scott would probably put together a more productive front 7.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
This is the worst thing you have put on paper. Scott is doing the right things and will take some abuse from the left. I think he will be elected again. Better do some home work.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
They spent it anyways so why shouldnt we have gotten it, because scott is spiteful same thing with the debt ceiling negotiations that just got us lowered to aa plus republicans being spiteful. I would have fully understood if the money wasnt going to get spent at all but to give it back and then california and ny got anyways? Sabotage your own peeps cause you hate a president??? nice scott one term
August 6th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
oooh and by the way the rail project he green lighted is going to lose way more money and have way less riders and do absolutely nothing. that orlando line where we rent old broken tracks and it has kike 8 stops yeah way to go Dick Scott
August 6th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
It’s always high comedy when sports or entertainment people try to weigh in on political issues. The consumate pro-business governor said that the project was a dumpster fire for Florida – and in 10 years that will be proven correct. How much do we waste every year on Amtrak? Rail is dead – get over it and throw away those 8-tracks as well.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Rick Scott is inept. If you think he’s getting re-elected you have your head buried in the sand. The silent majority bit is delusional. Good post Joe.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Implying the jobs created would somehow hurt Florida’s economy..learn some elementary economics.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
This State put a man, Scott, in office that pled guilty to 14 felonies. I will NEVER never understand that. I guess that simply speaks to horrible the dem candidate was.
Scott’s approval rating is in the mid 30’s in a 50+ % republican state per reports. Obama is headed for similar numbers.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
I can see Rah having fun looking out the train window, counting cars and stuff.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
I would love it if rah said to Scott: “statistics are for felons.” lol
August 6th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@nick- If everyone thought the way you think then this country would have already defaulted and we would have riots in the streets just like the Greeks. Let’s spend money, that we don’t have, to build a high speed rail that hardly anyone would use because if not then someone else is going to get that money and waste anyways. Have you ever driven from Tampa to Orlando? Unless you are leaving downtown Tampa at 5pm, it takes about an hour to get there. I wouldn’t call this sabatoge, I would call it fiscal responsiblity. Have you ever been down to Southeast Florida and riden the Tri-Rail. It sucks, it goes from Palm Beach County to Dade County and it stops about every 5 miles or so. Hardly anyone uses it even though the metro areas down south have a higher population. This high speed rail would have cost 3.4 billion, created approximately 30,000 jobs. Thats $113,333 per job. On top of that the state would have to pay for the running and maintaining of the high speed rail, wellafter the federal government’s money is used up for construction. This does not make any sense to me.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
The un-silent minority always cries about career politicians and then subsequently cries when a person has the guts to do the right things and re-election be damned. In the future – funding this unneeded disaster would be just like all other wasteful programs: tax people, filter our money in gov’t, then pay people and call it job creation. If it was a good proposition then venture capitalists would be building rail all over the planet.
August 6th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
We either have to cut spending, or raise taxes. I think Scott made the right decision, but it was not a popular one.
August 6th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Stay the HELL out of politics here.
We really don’t need this.
Hopefully this won’t be the beginning of the end of civil discourse here.
JoeBUCSfan, that’s what I’m here for, something all of us enjoy save for the occasional 2.2 whack job who enjoys bringing people down.
Last you’ll here of any of the above from me, promise you that.
August 6th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Garv,
Joe wants us to post comments that are somewhat relevant to his article. Joe brought up the issue in his article and therefore it became fair game for commenting. Simple as that. If you don’t want to read about politics on a sports site by all means, when you see politics being mentioned in the article you might consider skipping the comment section that one. People will always comment based on the content of the article, for better or worse. Simple as that.
August 6th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
I have already dissowned the rays organization untill his term is up for letting this a–hole throw out the first pitch and be booed off the mound at several rays and stonecrabs games and now he is disgracing one buc place??? somebody needs to tell this guy hes not wanted!!!
August 6th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
and apple roof cleaning you wont get my buisness
August 6th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
@Garv agree I come here because I am so tired of politics dominating the TV.
August 6th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Eric:
Joe thinks he startled his neighbors from laughing so loud.
August 6th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Thomas- lol! Rick”Sabby”Scott doesn’t know the correct angles to do his job, either. Plus he possesses the same clueless arrogance when confronted with a blatant botched play.- just defiantly sticks his lil quivering lip and goes in denial. I think we ought to send him to congress. He’d blend right in with that ” self thyself first, America 2nd, the people eventually” crowd. And I’m pointing a finger a BOTH parties! They’ve both become so galvanized to the Part(y), that they can no longer serve the whole.
Socrates wrote his Manifesto on all potential forms of Government- communism, democracy, Theocracy- etc, Etc.. He discussed the pros and cons, and fatal downfalls of each. He said of Democracy- while perhaps the fairest form of government, it’s downfall will come when the elected representatives grow to realize that they alone control their wages and compensations, which by gunman nature, will soon far excede the standards of the represented.
Greatest country on Earth. But our political governing body needs an enema, and a little readjusting!
Now, about football . .
August 6th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Scott will go down as the worse gov of florida EVER! I live in orlando and would of loved the high speed rail!
August 6th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
and this is the ame FELON that bilked florida,medicare and the elderly out of potentially BILLIONS OF DOLLARS that couldve funded the high speed rail system!!!!!!!!!
August 6th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
he gives D!CKS a bad name!
August 6th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
same felon…sorry.
August 6th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
Hes Horrible I dont know any1 that voted for him!
August 6th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Joe. stick to writing about football. It is obvious you were chasing the women when you should have been in econ 101 classes. I am not particularly enamored with Scott but he was right on target with that call. In fact he could have displaced rock star. I like your site, but you should think before speak.
August 6th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
Quoted from various individuals throughout history.
****
Good job to the Governor of FL.
Those who jump on the “we are a republic” bs, I don’t agree. That was lost long before we were born.
The feds have failed, and the States that fall into their federal money carrots, are lost. Those who don’t understand, you are dependent, and lost as well.
I believe the only way to fix what is going on is Every State legislature can appoint their own 2 Senators, no more votes from the dependent, who vote themselves benefits from others hard work.
Thanks for the site Joe(s), now back to the bucs : )
August 6th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
Hi speed rail is a boondoggle, much like wind turbines – well maybe not quite that bad, but bad. The cost is much greater than the benefit, and it will never stop being drain on taxpayers who get nothing out of it. Good call by Rick Scott.
I love Raheem, but he would do well to stay with what he knows.
August 6th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
By the way, kudos to TAC. I agree with his excellent post.
August 6th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
It doesn’t surprise me that many of the regulars here on JBF.com would support a hgh-speed rail line. These are the same losers who want their football team to spend $20 million a year on a CB, Nnamdi. Their also the same ‘fans’ who want the owners to spend, spend, spend then they bitch and moan about how expensive the tickets are.
Hmmm maybe there’s a cause and effect?
These are probably the same yahoo’s who voted for the class size ammendment so that we in Florida have to limit class size to 20 or less right? Never mind that kids used to learn fine when there were 30 or more in a classroom right?
August 6th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
surprised most of you didn’t blame the Glazers for not spending enough to get rail in Fl.
“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'” you savvy?
August 6th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
So the rail would have lost money?
Do highways make money?
August 6th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
I would be a season ticket holder again if we had the light rail. I live in Orlando and would have used it a lot, and not just for football games.
August 6th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Burg, thanks for demonstrating your ignorance buddy. YES in fact highways make it possible for places like Orlando to even exist. The amount of traffice allows for commerce, for commuter communities, etc.,
Transportation systems are the lifeblood of commerce. There are only two (2) high speed rails in the entire WORLD that make money and one is located in Europe and the other in Japan. Every other rail line exists due to subsidies.
The amount of $ a high-speed rail would cost to go from Tampa to Orlando would be outrageous. But let’s assume, for arguments sake, that private business would pay for it – ok? You would save 20 minutes by taking the rail over driving.
So you’re going to PAY $40 to ride the train one-way? Oh and don’t forget the parking and once you get there you’ll have to take a taxi/cab to get to your final destination. That’s $80 round-trip, PLUS parking PLUS taxi/cab fare. Now if you take your spouse that’s an additional $80. Compare that to $30 in gas.
Wow high-speed rail is SUCH a bargin NOT! Just another boondoogle project for those who like to spend other people’s money.
August 6th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
I too live on Orlando and I would have NEVER have ridden that money pit of a rail line to Tampa. And I guarantee Raheem would have NEVER have ridden the rail line either. Stroud didn’t say if Raheem had anything to say after Scott dressed him down – I bet there was dead silence.
Way to go Gov!
August 6th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Successful cities have mass transportation.. we have i-4 enuff said… Transportation is key!
August 7th, 2011 at 8:08 am
Love ya Joe.. And actually agree with you. Scott will go down in history for SAVING Florida from that costly boondoggle of a money pit. I liked Scot’s response to Rah. Kudos Governor!!!
August 7th, 2011 at 8:43 am
TAC, you are right in that we should return to the days where each state’s two senators are chosen by the representatives and not elected. However, in my opinion, that’s only putting lipstick on a pig.
The problem is the money.
The United States had an effective overall inflation rate of 1% in the century before the government abdicated their constitutional responsibility to control the money supply in 1913. In the 99 years since the private Federal Reserve Corporation was put in charge of the money supply, inflation has run rampant because of their fiat monetary policies. What costs a dollar today cost 4 cents in 1913 (visit the Minneapolis’ FED web site for a cool calculator that will show just how much inflation we’ve endured).
Now, with the raising of the debt ceiling again, they’re trying to inflate their problems away, which means that your money will be worth less and less to pay for the government’s rampant spending. Most people think inflation is a raising of prices, but it is instead a hidden tax.
Once we convince our government that we must have a constitutional money supply, we’ll be able to fix our problems. Until then, it’s all bread and circuses, my friend.
August 7th, 2011 at 11:54 am
It would have created jobs. It would have had larger corporations move to the Bay area. It may have elevated this market. I’m pretty sure it would have helped tourism too. It would have only benefited the area, not hurt it. But it doesn’t matter now. I like the Raheem “stats are for losers” comments–that’s good stuff.
August 7th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Mr Lucky, I think you spelled that out very well.
I was against the rail because it left too many unanswered questions. Federal funds are not free. I also felt that the project was too costly for only connecting Tampa to Orlando. I would have much preferred them take a more long term approach that looped from Tampa, Orlando, Vero, Palm Beach. Ft Lauderdale, Miami and back up to Naples, Ft Myers, Sarasota & Tampa. This would be way more costly but would make state business travel more practical. Anyone can drive 60 miles but when you start getting in the 150 mile range other options become attractive. Short Term construction jobs created by the govt have a lessor impact and too many of them go to illegal aliens.
August 8th, 2011 at 9:43 am
You and me and every other taxpayer already paid that money. It was there, ready to be spent. The effect on the i-4 corridor would have been life-changing to tens of thousands of citizens (actually, many many more). It would have helped property values for Tampa and Orlando, and put tons of people back to work, and helped funnel tourist dollars into Tampa.
Instead, your taxes you already paid out are now being used to fund rail in other cities, and Tampa Florida remains behind most metropolitan cities around the world. If you don’t get this, and are too lazy to read anything but the headlines, or are too old to get it or care please pass on to the other side already, so this state can stop being a geriatric mess; you are holding up progress.