Crist meets with farm workers, promises help

Jason Steele — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Southwest Florida farm workers Wednesday urged Gov. Charlie Crist to act to eliminate slave-labor conditions in agriculture.

Crist said the injustice and arrogance of the situation has angered him, and that he would have a statement on the situation in a few days.

“That concerns me greatly,” Crist said after the meeting. “We want to be a continuing partner to help.”

Earlier this month more than 120 farm workers and protesters rallied at the Capitol and criticized Crist for not meeting with them in person. Crist sent Department of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon to speak with the group.

Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers said their meeting with Crist was both cordial and productive.

“It was a very intimate dialogue, but there is a lot of work to do,” said Gerardo Reyes, a CIW member.

The coalition had complained that some workers are forced to work the fields and then chained at night, and they said the workers haven’t received a raise since 1978. They said the average worker makes about $10,000 a year.

They asked Crist to clarify his opposition to such treatment and use his voice to eliminate slavery and low wages.

–Stephen D. Price

Crist’s approval still soars

Jason Steele — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:41:00 +0000

Gov. Charlie Crist’s political teflon keeps shining, even in the middle of a grinding recession and after slashing more than $6 billion from the state budget in the last two years.

A poll released this morning shows Crist’s approval ratings at a stratospheric 73 percent.

The poll was conducted for the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Political Institute by Public Insight Research, an arm of Cherry Communications. The survey of 610 likely voters was conducted from Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 and has a 4 percent margin of error.

Here’s what respondents were asked: “Do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove or strongly disapprove of the job Charlie Crist is doing as governor?”

The results:

• Strongly Approve, 19 percent
• Somewhat Approve, 54 percent
• Somewhat Disapprove, 13 percent
• Strongly Disapprove 7 percent

“Governor Charlie Crist’s approval rating is again rising, up from 68 percent in the November Florida Chamber of Commerce poll,” said Marian Johnson, vice president of Political Affairs for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “Clearly Florida voters appreciate the governor fighting to put people back to work during the past few months, and this rising approval rating reflects that.”

A Quinnipiac Universty poll released Jan. 21 pegged Crist’s approval rating at 65 percent.

–Jim Ash

Brevard County Republican Executive Committee » mobile

Crist meets with farm workers, promises help

Crist’s approval still soars