# Mastermind and funder of the town hall riots is now Florida's governor **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 5, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544 "2010-11-05T03:20:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/1 "2010-11-05T03:20:38Z")
[http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/08/06/rick-scott/](http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/08/06/rick-scott/) > [@](#): > > If you’re wondering who is primarily responsible for organizing the barbaric efforts to sabotage the Democratic town halls across the nation, wonder no longer. The man’s name is Rick Scott, and he is in charge of the Web site Conservatives For Patients Rights. He is a multimillionaire ex-hospital CEO whose company was charged with the largest case of financial fraud committed against the government in United States history. > > Yes, the former CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospital system was at the helm during a span of 10 years when his company defrauded Medicare for $1.7 billion dollars. They were found guilty and that amount has been repaid [http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/rick-scott-touts-ceo-experience-in-run-for-florida-governor-to-a-degree/1105385](http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/rick-scott-touts-ceo-experience-in-run-for-florida-governor-to-a-degree/1105385) > [@](#): > > However, federal investigators found that Scott took part in business practices at Columbia/HCA that were later found to be illegal — specifically, that Scott and other executives offered financial incentives to doctors in exchange for patient referrals, in violation of federal law, according to lawsuits the Justice Department filed against the company in 2001. [http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view\_all&address=389x9472432](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9472432) > [@](#): > > I have been wondering all day how the hell that happened. The media failed us miserably on this except for a few brave columnists. How this man became our governor is something we have to find out before more harm is done to this state. ETA: [Rick Scott - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Scott#Columbia.2FHCA_fraud_case_details) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/2 "2010-11-05T04:13:55Z")
Don’t think of it as a former fraudster becoming governor, think of it as cutting out the middleman. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/3 "2010-11-05T04:53:20Z")
I really think those on the right disregard the sins of their favored candidates far more than than those on the left. If a Democrat had that kind of baggage, there’s no way he’d be elected to any kind of public office, even in the bluest of blue states. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/4 "2010-11-05T05:29:06Z")
[Marion Barry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_barry). Every party sees the sins of their candidates as lesser than the other party. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/5 "2010-11-05T05:30:16Z")
Shouldn’t defrauding the government out of $1.7 billion involve some serious jail time? I can’t understand how this guy was elected governor. Also, in the primaries, he attacked Bill McCollum for being “pro-homosexual rights”. The same Bill McCollum who spend over $100,000 of state money on George Rekers’ “expert” testimony in defending Florida’s ban on gay adoption. Apparently that’s not anti-gay enough for Rick Scott. How much money do gay tourists spend in Florida per year, I wonder… ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/6 "2010-11-05T12:38:35Z")
I stopped at “barbaric”… If I were you I’d try again. You’re definitely in the right place though. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/7 "2010-11-05T14:33:20Z")
He eats babies, you know. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/8 "2010-11-05T14:36:33Z")
I am also surprised by his election, although the vote was very close between Scott and Sink. Rick Scott’s very first TV commercial had to do with how he endorsed the Arizona immigration law, and he would do the same in Florida. This commercial aired in all of Florida, including South Florida, where not only is a vast majority of the population first generation immigrants, but a majority of those also entered the country illegally. The commercial only aired a few times, but when I saw it, all I could think of was how big an idiot this guy’s campaign manager was. And yet he won. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/9 "2010-11-05T14:40:36Z")
Meh. Sink ran a poor campaign, and refused to play dirty. The HCA stuff only came up in editorials. This despite the fact that they had his deposition testimony, which made him look _awful._ You can see it on YouTube. When _every_ major state newspaper endorses you, and you still lose the election, you ran a shitty campaign. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/10 "2010-11-05T14:41:46Z")
**lalenin** , The illegals can’t vote so I don’t think they were a factor anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/11 "2010-11-05T14:44:42Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > **lalenin** , > The illegals can’t vote so I don’t think they were a factor anyway. It seems to be an article of faith on the right that they **do** vote and that’s the only way Dems ever win anything. But **lalenin’s** point seems to be that a lot of citizens in Florida were illegals once, or have close relatives who are or were – and yet Scott could alienate them and still win. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/12 "2010-11-05T14:59:31Z")
I thought the aliens from Cuba were bold patriots, striking a blow to oppression and risking all to come to a land where they might dare to breathe free. Isn’t it just the Mexicans who are smelly criminals dropping anchor babies and living on welfare? ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/13 "2010-11-05T15:00:45Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > **lalenin** , > The illegals can’t vote so I don’t think they were a factor anyway. I realize that, but while nearly every Haitian, Salvadoran, and Honduran in South Florida came into the country illegally, the vast majority of them are now legal citizens and vote. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/14 "2010-11-05T15:06:08Z")
Er… cite? ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/15 "2010-11-05T16:51:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Er… cite? Clearly when someone uses terms like “the vast majority” you will never get a cite. ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/16 "2010-11-05T16:52:17Z")
I tend to vote Democratic, whereas most of my friends and family tend to do the opposite. Yet every last one of them denies voting for the guy. Yeah, doesn’t mean squat. I know. But even the few hardcore righties I know are suprised he got elected. I can’t hhelp but wonder who voted for this creature. ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/17 "2010-11-05T16:55:38Z")
> [@lalenin](#): > > I realize that, but while nearly every Haitian, Salvadoran, and Honduran in South Florida came into the country illegally, the vast majority of them are now legal citizens and vote. With all due respect, I’m thinking that this is quite far from true. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/18 "2010-11-05T18:42:44Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Er… cite? My cite is living and working in South Florida. I can assure you that all the Haitians I saw with “I voted” stickers almost certainly did not come originally as legal immigrants, same for the other nationalities. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/19 "2010-11-05T18:46:37Z")
Are you living and working as a customs officer? An immigration attorney? No? Then try again. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544/20 "2010-11-05T18:53:15Z")
> [@Tixenfleaz](#): > > With all due respect, I’m thinking that this is quite far from true. I don’t have facts to back up my claim. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to look for factual data for this. My source is knowing that many people I know and work with are from various Caribbean and Central American countries, and many of them were once illegal immigrants. And through different processes, amnesty for some, marriage for others, eventual refugee status for others, they and their families have become naturalized. And I can add, these people vote, you only need to look at the make up of the local government to see that. > **[City of Miami - Official Website](https://archive.miamigov.com/cityofficials.html)** [http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/03/1905842/jean-monestime-unseats-long-time.html](http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/03/1905842/jean-monestime-unseats-long-time.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mastermind-and-funder-of-the-town-hall-riots-is-now-floridas-governor/559544.md?page=2)