Late last week, Gov.-elect Rick Scott asked more than 400 high-level state officials to stay on the job after he takes over, delaying the expected departures of some officials from Gov. Charlie Cristâs administration. The move is raising more questions about Scottâs unclear 2011 agenda.
Via the Florida Tribune:
Crist asked hundreds of state officials to resign by Jan. 3 as part of the transition. But with time running out before Scott takes over, the transition team announced last week that they would ask scores of people to remain on their posts.
Enu Mainigi, a Washington attorney and head of Scottâs transition advisory board, said last week the transition staff tried to identify the âfolks we need in place to ensure that government can function and this agency can fulfill its function on a moving forward basis until a new administration comes into place.â
The episode sheds some light on Scottâs tight-lipped transition team under Mainigi, who advised Scott during his campaign, according to the St. Petersburg Times:
She writes off the criticism as backbiting inherent in the sport of Tallahassee politics.
âIt is a game,â Mainigi said. âOne of the reasons weâve primarily run the transition outside of Tallahassee is because we donât really want to be distracted by the rumors and the buzz.â
The transition team, based in Fort Lauderdale, has offered few details on its policy agenda, aside from statements at a handful of public appearances by Scott and the platform he laid out during the campaign. His campaign plan promised some ambitious-looking cuts to state budgets that came under scrutiny before the election and continue to fuel speculation about how the new governor plans make the numbers add up.
