Scott hires former tea party activist for $70K to help spread his message
by Dara Kam | August 9th, 2011After slashing government jobs by more than 1,000, Gov. Rick Scott is spending nearly $400,000 a year on “special assistants” around the state to do advance work before the governor comes to town.
The community liaison jobs aren’t new – governors at least as far back as the late Lawton Chiles relied on them to keep apprised of goings-on around the state.
But Scott’s latest appointment is Robin Stublen, a former tea party activist who supported Scott in his campaign for governor. Stublen, whose annual salary is $70,000, came on board as a “deputy director of public liaison” on Aug. 1, Scott’s spokesman Lane Wright said. Stublen is one of two “public liaison” deputy directors who oversee five other workers located around the state and whose salaries range from $45,000 to $70,000. In all, the seven workers earn $395,000 a year.
Like Stublen, several of the special assistants served on Scott’s campaign team doing advance work similar to what they are doing now on the state payroll. Scott’s staff insists that no extra money is being spent on the special assistants but that the jobs are part of a reorganization of the executive office.
The aides’ job is to ensure “we hear from individuals around the state, about what their issues are,” Scott told reporters at the mansion today.
Scott acknowledged that Stublen helped him during last year’s Republican primary for governor.
“Robin, I’ve known for a while,” Scott said. “He’s from Charlotte County. And I know he was very active in the tea party down there.”
When told Stublen was earning $70,000, Scott added, laughing, “He better do a very good job.”
Tags: Rick Scott, Robin Stublen
August 9th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
No one will work harder than Robin to get the Governor’s message out. He’s smart, he’s loyal and he’s a tireless worker.
August 9th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@ Diane….Really? He’s smart? We cut education only to pay for his PR, and you think that’s a good use of state funds?
August 9th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
And thus continues the hypocrisy of the Tea Party…
August 9th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Francesca, I couldn’t agree with you more!This is crazy. Anyone who is ok with cutting education and environment spending only to pay for this man’s low approval ratings, has lost it!
August 9th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
People in high places are forgetting that the staff for the governer are state workers. Why does he fire to hire and then says WOW are unemployment has gone down. The GOP in FL state workers. Why they even get a life time of health care and benifits. How does that happen.
The rich get richer but don’t kick me doing it.
August 9th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
The policies of the Governor and our legislature were not the topic of my comments. The subject was Robin. The verbs; smart, loyal and tireless worker modified the proper noun, Robin. I do honestly hope that Francesca and Jennifer do not teach reading or English in the State of Florida.
August 9th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
@Diane…Smart, loyal and tireless are not verbs. They are adjectives…I hope you dont teach anything, anywhere!!!
August 9th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
@Eric – Diane sounds like she is related to Robin. What if she home-schooled him?
August 9th, 2011 at 5:58 pm
I thought the TEA-TARDS were into SMALL government. Now they WORK for the government? Hypocrisy, don’t you think? It looks like the TEA-TARDS are lying down with dogs and they ARE getting fleas. Sorry if I insulted any dogs out there.
August 10th, 2011 at 11:01 am
The argument of $400k is one thing. But do any of us Floridians know WHO these seven liasons are and where in the state they are situated? If these people make a living by hearing from the state’s taxpayers, wouldn’t you like to know where they are? So that when you wish to bring your concerns to the governor’s attention, you’d know who to go to? Especially if it would be prior to a visit to your area?
Bottom line: The money is spent. Agree or disagree on why or who. But if this is what its for, at least be in tune enough to know how to use the services that these people provide.
August 10th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
Harry Reid’s appointments to Super Committee=stock market DOWN.
They know it’s the same old people.
August 10th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
OUTRAGE! Now we pay for millionaires PR Team to tell us lies and misrepresent what is actually happening to our state. I need a Tea Party moron to tell me how great Scott is?
This is another of the Tea Party and the Repulican parties many lies. Much like “family values” the Republican Gov is a FRAUD.
They have done nothing to create job for anyone other then themselves, or make life better for 1 Florida citizen other than themselves – the Tea Party is a fraud organization started by David Koch and Scott is a complete fraud who now is making us pay his PR & campaign bills.
Why should I pay for this jerk Robin’s time walking around running his mouth?
August 10th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Pathetic. Cut education, turn a blind eye to the sick and elderly, and cut funding for the disabled. Not to mention a desire to control healthcare after he was already convicted of 14 felonies for STEALING money from helpless people. I don’t care if you want to cover it up with words like ‘Conservative’, in my book it is wrong and against anything the Bible teaches and I don’t care if your apart of the “tea party’ or not. All they are doing is using Christians to get votes. Sorry for the soapbox but that is all I have to say..
August 11th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Scott “won” (read bought) the election with ONLY 27% of Registered Voters voting for him. I would imagine a good portion of those 27% now wish they hadn’t? Scumbag Scott will go down in Florida History as the worse, most unpopular (read hated) Governor in Florida history.
His personal legacy will be: He found a way to make millions by screwing people into paying more for health care through is HMOs. Got caught doing it, but resigned before punishment (cost his former company BILLIONS in fines).
Screwed the sick, the unemployed, state and local workers, teachers, and other Florida Citizens while Governor.
Let’s see what other life occupation could he go to……? In Private Business he screwed up. Politically he screwed up. I guess he could seek a Heavenly legacy? Can you imagine his eventual interview with God? Mr Scott, what did you do to help my people? (Scott pauses and thinks, man, I should have sent a guy to heaven in advance to lie-up my image. Maybe figured a way for God to have paid for it).