Scott, Corcoran: They are better than that

With all due respect, it’s difficult now not to look at or listen to Gov. Rick Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran without a jaundiced eye and ear.

Ten days ago, the two Republicans traveled the state on their we’re all one, big, happy family “Fighting for Florida’s Future Victory Tour.”

But for three months, starting in January, we all remember how they were feuding Republicans — sniping, almost viciously, at each other.

You know the fight: The governor wanted $250 million for Enterprise Florida and $76 million for Visit Florida. Corcoran wanted to cut Visit Florida’s funding to $25 million and abolish Enterprise Florida, huffing repeatedly that the money for corporate recruiting was the worst of corporate welfare.

The dispute probably cost Floridians millions of dollars. 

Economic development officials from all over the state traveled hurriedly to Tallahassee before and during the legislative session to lobby House lawmakers not to defund the two agencies. This consumed hours and hours, not to mention the money spent to travel to and from Tallahassee. We heard over and over how economic development officials also were hearing from clients that Florida was being crossed off relocation lists.

Gov. Scott himself spent weeks and thousands of dollars traveling the state, holding press conferences to disparage Corcoran’s efforts and urge Floridians to contact House members to keep the agencies’ funding.

On top of this, the dispute put 79 Republican House members in a political bind. They had no good choice:

• Vote to abolish Enterprise Florida to stay on Corcoran’s good side but  land on Gov. Scott’s black list.
• Or, vote to keep Enterprise Florida to stay on the governor’s favored list side but be banished by Corcoran for the next two years to the House woodshed.

We all know the outcome. Six months after the acrimony, six months after time and money whooshed away, Corcoran came around to Scott’s side, and Scott to Corcoran’s. 

“The message is that we’re on the same page in fighting for jobs and fighting for a world-class education,” Corcoran said June 12.

Now we can understand how this outcome is the give-and-take of politics and the legislative process. But maybe it’s our naivete. What we — and probably millions of Floridians — don’t understand is how and why two of the state’s top elected leaders, from the same political party no less, didn’t see the damage and costs to themselves, the state, House lawmakers and their political party that would cascade from their differences over this one policy issue.

Scott and Corcoran could have — and should have — settled their dispute long before the legislative session began. Floridians expect dignified leadership. 

In the end, the losers in this saga turn out to be themselves — Scott and Corcoran. 

We know they are better than that.