Gov. Bush Imagines Heaven: No State Workers

FLORIDA — Gov. Jeb Bush (R) dug deep into his well of animosity toward public employees during his second inaugural address in January. Rather than talk about the state's potential $4-billion budget gap and how he plans to close it, he mused about a day when state employees won't be needed at all.

"There would be no greater tribute to our maturity as a society," Bush said, "than if we can make these buildings around us empty of workers; silent monuments to the time when government played a larger role than it deserved or could adequately fill."

Bush even took a swipe at hard-working, underpaid social workers — this at a time when the head of his own Department of Children and Families has requested millions of dollars to hire more social workers to help stem child abuse in the so-called Sunshine State.

The speech was written largely by Paul Bradshaw, a leading business lobbyist and the husband of the governor's closest political adviser, Sally Bradshaw. It drew quick and heated responses from AFSCME:

"Obviously, he was pitching to his political base," responded International Vice Pres. Jeanette Wynn, president of Council 79, which represents approximately 110,000 employees of the state, and its universities, cities and counties, school boards and private non-profit hospitals. "Pay no attention to the upcoming shortfall in state money and the idea that some people really do need the help of government. Pay no attention to the folks who like things like clean water, clean air and public safety."