Florida voters who were dazzled by Charlie Crist after his first month in office four years ago are viewing new Gov. Rick Scott much more warily, a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows.

The new poll shows 35 percent approve of the way Scott has done his job in his first few weeks in office, with 22 percent disapproving and 43 percent undecided. Scott is viewed favorably by 28 percent of voters and unfavorably by 24 percent, with 45 percent saying they don’t know enough to form an opinion.

After Crist’s first month in office in 2007, a Quinnipiac poll found 69 percent approval for his job performance and only 6 percent disapproving, with 25 percent undecided.

The new survey of 1,160 registered voters was taken Jan. 25-31 and has a 2.9 percent margin of error. By a 52-to-34 percent margin, Florida voters like Scott’s approach of cutting government programs and services rather than raising taxes to handle the state’s budget problems. But 58 percent say they don’t believe Scott can keep his pledge not to raise taxes or fees.

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A self-described Massachusetts “political activist” was arrested Monday night and charged with sending a threatening e-mail to state Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, an hour after the Arizona shooting that killed six and critically injured U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

The unsigned e-mail, sent to Snyder’s state House of Representatives address on Jan. 8, told the legislator to “stop that ridiculous law if you value your and your familie’s lives.”

Snyder has proposed an Arizona-style crackdown on illegal immigration for Florida.

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UPDATE: After we posted our blog, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a revised press release including Florida in the states addressing the dangerous bath salts. The drug czar’s staff said the oversight wasn’t intentional – they were simply unaware of Bondi’s efforts.

White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske issued a bath salt alarm, warning about a dangerous drug combo that’s got poison control centers working overtime.

Kerlikowske issued a statement about the synthetic stimulants, including MDPV, marketed as “bath salts” under names such as “Ivory Wave” or “Purple Wave.”

The drug czar gave a shout-out to states, including Hawaii, Michigan, Louisiana, Kentucky and North Dakota considering legislation to ban the drugs. In his statement, he also pointed out that “several counties, cities, and local municipalities have also taken action to ban these products.”

Maybe he didn’t know, or just forgot to mention, that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi last week issued an emergency order banning the sale or possession of the drugs. Bondi said she acted quickly after learning about the “bath salts” to prevent a rash of overdoses or other dangerous behavior during the Panhandle’s upcoming Spring Break.

Former statewide prosecutor William Shepherd, who headed the investigation that led to last year’s indictment of former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, is joining the West Palm Beach office of Holland & Knight as a partner in the megafirm’s national white-collar defense team.

Shepherd worked seven years in the Florida attorney general’s office, the last four as statewide prosecutor, where he oversaw a team of about 40 attorneys. The attorney general appoints the statewide prosecutor to a four-year term from a list of nominees selected by the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Committee. Shepherd was tapped by former AG Bill McCollum.

In addition to the Greer case, Shepherd handled high-profile prosecution of gang members and mortgage fraud cases. He also helped former state Sen. (now Chief Financial Officer) Jeff Atwater and state Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, craft anti-gang legislation.

Gov. Rick Scott, who’s fought against federal health care reform since its inception, said today Florida won’t begin implementation of the federal health care law ruled unconstitutional by a judge yesterday.

“We are not going to spend a lot of time and money with regard to trying to get ready to implement that until we know exactly what is going to happen,” Scott told reporters this morning. “I hope and I believe that either it will be declared unconstitutional or it will be repealed.”

U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson ruled yesterday that critical components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are unconstitutional. The Department of Justice indicated it would file an appeal and ask the judge to issue a stay on his order.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who picked up the challenge after her predecessor Bill McCollum initiated the lawsuit, said she and the 25 other states who’ve joined Florida’s lawsuit are trying to decide whether to by-pass the appellate court and seek resolution directly from the Supreme Court, which both sides agree will ultimately rule on the law.

Scott said he is not concerned about whether a delay in implementing the law in Florida could create problems if the Supreme Court upholds it.

Scott said state officials “will have enough time” to implement the measure before the 2014 deadline.

“The state won’t be caught flat footed,” Scott said. “We’ll be ready.”

Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign manager Susie Wiles has gone to work for Brian Ballard’s lobbying firm and is opening a new office for Smith & Ballard in her Jacksonville hometown.

Ballard, one of Gov. Charlie Crist’s chief advisors, was the top fundraiser for Scott’s inaugural campaign and has long ties with GOP governors beginning with Bob Martinez, for whom he served as chief of staff. Ballard’s partner is his father-in-law Jim Smith, a former state attorney general who also served as secretary of state.

Wiles’s husband Lannie Wiles, who was an integral part of Scott’s crackerjack advance team during his campaign for governor, recently went to work for former Republican Party of Florida Al Cardenas’ lobbying firm.

Federal candidates filed reports Monday showing their campaign bank account balances as of Dec. 31.

After raising and spending more than $6.5 million on his 2010 race to unseat Democrat Ron Klein, new U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, begins the 2012 cycle with only $52,459 in cash on hand. Should Klein attempt a comeback, he’ll begin with a mere $41,390 in the bank.

After a fairly easy glide to reelection in 2010, U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, begins the 2012 cycle as the Palm Beach County delegation’s money leader with $432,474 in cash on hand.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, reported $128,766 in cash on hand.

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, reported $161,204 in cash on hand.

Former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley still has more than $1.2 million in his campaign account. And former Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler’s campaign still has $320,673.

BOYNTON BEACH — A standing-room-only crowd of 400 or more packed a gym Monday night for a town hall meeting with new U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, a few days after West drew about 400 to a town hall confab in Deerfield Beach.

It was an adoring throng for the most part, with West even getting applause when he announced where his district offices will be and eliciting a “Whoo-hoo!” from the audience when he said he’ll be on the Small Business Committee.

When it was time for Q and A, West said he wanted to hear first from people who didn’t vote for him.

He did. Read about it here.