Quinnipiac University this morning released the first major poll of Rick Scott's first month in office.
The major numbers to report: 35% of Florida voters approve of Scott, 22% disapprove, but the vast majority – 43%- aren't ready to field an opinion of any sort just yet.
However, in reaction to some of his policies, the public is willing to say they don't dig what's he's doing, such as his idea to eliminate at least 5% of the state's work force (I thought he was elected to put Floridians back to work?). 46%-42% call that a "bad idea."
And though a majority (52%-34%) say they prefer cutting services to raising taxes to meet the state's $3.6 billion shortfall, by a 48%-44%, they don't like his already declared stance that he won't dare raise any taxes (A majority thinks he'll have to break that pledge).
Although by 52 – 34% margin voters say they prefer cutting services to raising taxes to meet the state's budget shortfall, they say 48 – 44 percent that Scott should not have promised to do so without raising taxes.
Of particular interest to this reporter is what the public thinks of the media, and how the Governor, who has operated in the shadows as a private businessman his entire professional career, makes the awkward and sometimes unsmooth transition to being the leader of a state that takes pride in its transparency laws, or at least always has previously.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2011.