PB Post Assails Rubio For Lacking 'Ethical Basics'

For Immediate Release: April 14, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Add another voice to the uproar. Today the Palm Beach Post weighed in on House Speaker Marco Rubio's sour turnpike deal, battering the Republican for his recent string of scandals, a rash of improprieties that sullied the previously golden boy from Miami.

Rubio is accused of attempting to help a political friend win Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) contracts by secretly inserting obscure language into the state budget. The move would have allowed Max Alvarez - a close political ally and contributor of Rubio's - to bid for specific state contracts that FDOT hoped to bundle together to save money.

After the Miami Herald broke the story, Rubio sought to deflect attention from the foul deal. The Post lambasts Rubio's spin "after he was caught surreptitiously trying to help his friend" and notes how "other legislators correctly recognize that his actions would prohibit the state from even getting bids to see if a combined contract would be better." [Palm Beach Post, 4/14/08]

Rubio intended to prohibit the state from combining fuel and concession contracts at rest areas on Florida's turnpike. Transportation officials have tried to bundle the contracts for the past two years only to be steamrolled by Rubio.

The Post notes how the Speaker is "having trouble getting the ethical basics right. He failed to disclose a $135,000 home-equity loan from some political allies. Now, it's the gas contract for Mr. Alvarez, whose family members and corporations have contributed at least $9,000 to Rep. Rubio since 1999, the Herald reported. The only innovation has been in the explanations Rep. Rubio has invented." [Palm Beach Post, 4/14/08]

"More and more Floridians wonder whether Marco Rubio wants to serve with integrity or just line the pockets of his friends. It's sad we can't trust the Speaker of the Florida House to do what's right in these uncertain times," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Alejandro Miyar said.

Read the Palm Beach Post editorial.

See how the Miami Herald's Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Morin illustrates the turnpike scandal. 

Read last week's St. Petersburg Times editorial.

MORE ON RUBIO

Rubio, the once-darling Speaker of the House, has dropped his squeaky clean image like a bad habit as he runs for mayor of Miami-Dade. Last week's loan scandal and this week's gas scandal have made his holier-than-thou attitude plainly duplicitous. A Miami Herald investigation revealed how Rubio secretly inserted language into the state budget to give a close confidant the ability to more easily bid for fuel contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars - a deceitful move denounced by his Republicans colleagues and transportation officials.

Rubio has thumbed his nose at critics, grasping desperately to the belief he can coerce the public into believing the sweetheart deal will somehow save the public money.

"Reading news reports in the state's newspapers doesn't exactly instill confidence in Tallahassee... Rubio slipped language into the budget bill that helps a political contributor and friend with a turnpike fuel contract worth millions of dollars," wrote Florida Times-Union columnist Ron Littlepage. "This is the same Rubio who has a holier-than-thou attitude when it comes to telling local governments throughout Florida how they should conduct business."

Rubio defends added language
Miami Herald, 4/8/08
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/486913.html

Dems: Rubio 'reeks of corruption'
St. Petersburg Times Blog, 4/7/08
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/04/dems-rubio-reek.html

Rubio's budget wording benefits ally
Miami Herald, 4/7/08
http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/485704.html

Rubio's Fast $135,000
Palm Beach Post, 4/7/08
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/04/07/m18a_rubio_edit_0407.html

Rubio Amends Disclosure Forms After Newspaper Investigation
Associated Press, 4/1/08
http://www.nbc6.net/news/15766474/detail.html

Rubio Home Equity Loan Questioned
Miami Herald, 3/29/08
http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/474645.html

Tax Flip Benefits Richer Families
Palm Beach Post, 3/30/08
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/state/epaper/2008/03/30/m1a_prop_tax_0330.html