Friday, May 18, 2012

Taking A Trip To Spain: Gov. Rick Scott Squires Billionaire Fanjul Sugar Barons

File this under OUTRAGEOUS. Spain is an economy on the rocks, largely because of abuses in the mortgage sector that mirror South Florida-- and probably involve many of the same actors. Yet the Governor is taking to Spain on a business junket 69 members of "Enterprise Florida". No time like an economic crash to do a little prospecting.

Notable travelers who are being squired about Spain by Gov. Scott: the Fanjul billionaires who pollute the Everglades, deform democracy, and have gained vast wealth through a subsidized crop that puts public health at severe risk costing billions. (One of the points that Dr. David Servan-Schreiber notes, in his new book, "Anticancer: A New Way Of Life" -- see below -- is that cancer feeds on sugar.) At the very moment the Fanjuls and Governor Scott should be nailing down the details of the billion dollar water quality agreement with the US EPA, they're sailing off to Spain just like the former mayor of Miami-Dade County Alex Penelas vanished in Spain at the critical moment of the 2000 presidential recount. It's sickening.

The Florida Current:

Gov. Rick Scott will head for Spain on Sunday evening for a five-day trip designed to promote Florida as a destination for Spanish businesses, as well as the Viva Florida 500 celebrations for the quincentennial of Ponce de Leon’s landing on Florida’s east coast.

Joining him will be a retinue of 69 staff members, business executives, lobbyists, Enterprise Florida board members and the Spanish general consulate.

According to Enterprise Florida, the state’s private-public economic development arm will pay for the governor and its members and staffers out of its private sector funds. The cost for others will be $1,000, although some state employees, including Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, will be on the airplane, meaning some state money will be spent.

Other notables on the trip include: Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad; Secretary of State Ken Detzner; Florida Chamber of Commerce executive vice president David Hart; Florida Crystals Corp. president and vice chairman Jose Fanjul (and his son, Jose Fanjul Jr., another Crystals executive); Hayden Dempsey, Enterprise Florida board member and lobbyist for the Tallahassee Greenberg Traurig firm; Dosal Tobacco Corp. CEO Yolanda Nader; Eric Silagy, Florida Power & Light CEO and Enterprise Florida board member.

Related research: Access the Team Florida Mission to Spain agenda and list of participants. Enterprise Florida, which will take eight board members and six staffers on the trip, describes the journey as a business development mission, not a trade mission, since Scott will be focusing on promoting Florida as a destination for business, not its exports. Florida did $846.7 million in trade with Spain in 2011, the 33rd-most among countries.

The trip marks the fifth overseas trip for Scott since taking office in January 2011. He led missions to boost Florida’s overseas trade and economy on trips to Panama, Canada, Brazil and Israel last year. Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has gone on similar ventures to the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Reporter Gray Rohrer can be reached at grohrer@thefloridacurrent.com.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Usually they take "guests" to Casa de Campo. I guess Gov. Scott didn't like the optics of that, so he's taking the whole crew to Spain. Can't help but note Greenberg Traurig and Miguel Diaz de la Portilla are on board, too. Hope someone packs a camera. 60 Minutes? Sickening is right.

Anonymous said...

Researcher says sugar is as addictive as cocaine
LINDSAY GOLDWERT
Monday, April 02, 2012
Dr. Robert Lustig thinks America needs to go to rehab for sugar addiction.

According to brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine, the California-based endocrinologist told CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”

It causes a euphoric effect that triggers dopamine, the chemical that controls pleasure in the brain.

The average America eats a third of a pound of sugar every day — 130 pounds a year.

Lustig says his research proves that the sweet stuff causes heart disease and cancer, as well as Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Anonymous said...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/18/us-spain-economy-idUSBRE84G0CK20120518

Scott is a moron with more lobbyists at his side than probably JeB! Or, at least JeB didn't claim to be cleansing Tallahassee of them!

Anonymous said...

Toxic toxic toxic

Anonymous said...

Not a fan of the Fanjuls or Rick Scott, but Europe's burgeoning debt crisis means more foreign monies going into US investments, including those here in FL. Scott is a huckster who governs mostly to funnel monies into the hands of his cronies, but this is one spot where I'm not so critical.

Anonymous said...

The statement that "cancer feeds on sugar" is disingenuous, misleading, and sophomoric. All cells are powered by glucose if it is available.

It's like saying we should outlaw oxygen because all criminals breath it.

Give me a break!