Gov. Rick Scott used his weekly radio address Friday to fire another warning shot at Florida lawmakers unwilling to embrace his call for $2 billion in corporate- and property-tax breaks.

He also called on listeners to call their lawmakers, as the Legislature enters its second-to-last scheduled week far from any agreement on a budget deal.

“I will not allow special interests to hijack your tax dollars and squander the opportunity to fix our economy,” Scott said. “Please join me in calling on both the House and Senate to reduce taxes for businesses and property owners so we can get Florida back on track.”

A week ago, Scott hinted for the first time in his radio address that he would reject a state budget that didn’t include the tax cuts — although he stopped short of using the word veto. The latest spot seems to build on that message.

House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, said Thursday night that lawmakers were trying to find a way to satisfy the governor. Of course, Cannon also urged that it was important for Capital watchers not to get “hung up” on the idea that the session would end in its scheduled 60 days.

Gov. Charlie Crist performed as the Sunshine State’s chief pitch-man, blowing off Florida’s historic population loss and touting the fine weather in a CNBC interview this morning.

Florida saw a drop of 58,000 residents last year, the first population decrease since military residents left the state after World War II.

“It’s not that big a deal, to be honest with you,” Crist shrugged off the decline on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” show today.

The governor then launched into a Sunshine State sales pitch, touting declines in property taxes and property insurance rates and the weather.

“And it’s Florida. It’s a beautiful place. It’s a gorgeous day today down here in South Florida. You just can’t beat the Sunshine State,” said Crist, who is in Miami. Florida I really think is on the rise and it’s a great deal for an awful lot of people, too.”

Although Florida’s unemployment rate is nearly 11 percent, Crist was upbeat about the job market and pointed to Palm Beach County as a shining example.

Palm Beach County’s unemployment rate was 11.7 percent in July, one percentage point above the state average.

“Even in the Palm Beach County area where Scripps and Torrey Pines and some of these other scientific institutes have located, Max Planck…it’s been great for that area of the state,” Crist said. “We’re very pleased with the direction things are going. We wish they were better, don’t misunderstand me. But we’re not sitting still. We’re on the move. And I continue to be optimistic and encouraged about where we’re going.”

Crist, who drew the wrath of fellow Republicans by urging Congress to pass President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan, reversed that position on the health care reforms now being considered in Washington.

(more…)