Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Marco Rubio can't wash the sugar off his sticky hands ... by gimleteye

The conservative American Enterprise Institute tees off on a topic familiar to Eye On Miami readers: Marco Rubio's cozy relationship with Big Sugar: "Marco Rubio is a conservative senator with a record of opposing corporate welfare in all corners of the economy, except one. That would be in the swampy fields of South Florida, where they grow sugar cane."

Big Sugar has shadowed Rubio's political career from the first days in West Dade where the Fanjuls -- Cuban American billionaires on both sides of the great political divide -- cultivate new talent to rise to the occasion of protectionism. Alfie covers Democrats. Pepe covers Republicans.

The American Enterprise Institute is faithful to opposition to policies that pick winners and losers, but it doesn't go so far as to describe Big Sugar as the next Big Tobacco. Meanwhile, Rubio has actually made recent statements that protecting his Big Sugar backers like the Fanjuls is a matter of "national security".

It is no coincidence that Jeb! Bush, feeling the pressure from Rubio, recently came out against the sugar subsidy in the Farm Bill despite having been deathly still on the issue during his eight years as Florida governor. No coincidence, either, that the first person to greet Marco Rubio off the stage in Miami when he announced his bid to be the next GOP candidate for president: Big Sugar's billionaire Pepe Fanjul.

Big Sugar poisons people, poisons democracy, and poisons the Everglades.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ted Cruz is against big sugar subsidies.

Anonymous said...

Jeb¿ 'goes after' Marciovelli with stuff like missing votes in Senate, but let's be honest. Floridians are better served when that clown is NOT in Washington.

But you are correct here, Rubio's constant licking of Pepe's sugar stick (as well Rubio's Tobacco give away while in Florida legislature that led to a $$$ in kind support to Rubio in return) are what Jeb¿ should mention.

How is the ability to poison kids with sugar a 'national security' issue?

I am 'shocked, I tell you SHOCKED' that the Fox News 'urinalists' did not ask these types of questions last night.

Anonymous said...

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz calls U.S. sugar subsidies “corporate welfare.”

Cruz makes comment at Fox Business Network/Wall Street Journal-sponsored debate, which includes Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush; Florida is No. 1 state for sugar cane
NOTE: Sugar subsidy phaseout could aid producers of competing sweetener producers, such as corn growers whose crops produce corn syrup; first presidential caucus state Iowa is among nation’s biggest corn production state
NOTE: Florida is base of U.S.’s most powerful sugar barons, the Fanjul brothers, who have long-standing ties to at least three presidential candidates: Rubio, Bush and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton
NOTE: Rubio earlier this yr defended U.S. sugar program at event organized by Koch brothers; as of Aug., Bush sought to phase it out while Clinton campaign didn’t respond to Bloomberg request for comment

David said...

Why is everything that is "wrong" with Florida the Fanjul's or FPL's fault?