Backroom Briefing: Jeb in his element

By BRANDON LARRABEE AND JIM TURNER
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, December 1, 2016.......... In one of his first formal outings since onetime rival Donald Trump won the presidency, Jeb Bush went before a friendly crowd Thursday.

The former Florida governor, one of more than a dozen Republican presidential candidates who Trump easily defeated for the GOP nomination, gave the keynote address to kick off the National Summit on Education Reform --- sponsored by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which Bush founded and chairs.

"It is good to be here at the ninth-annual summit. I actually planned not to be here this year," Bush said to laughter and then applause. "I hoped to be pursuing a different kind of public service."

During his speech and a question-and-answer period that followed, Bush showed a sense of self-effacing humor about his presidential bid. He famously raised more than $100 million, only to exit the race after failing to win a primary.

At one point, Bush was talking about the importance of making the moral case for issues like school choice, and defining success by more than just personal achievement.

"Politically, the challenge in this really kind of crude environment is to go beyond being against what's not working and being for things that will work, that will lift people up," Bush said. "And I tried that and totally failed, miserably. I mean, like, belly flop --- bam."

Otherwise, Bush was back to showing his wonky passion for school choice, an issue that defined his education legacy in Florida and to which he's devoted much of his post-gubernatorial life. He chided school districts as part of a Star Wars-style "Empire" and tied the need for education reform to the malaise that powered Trump's rise.

"There's a reason why people are anxious," Bush said. "There's a reason why they're angry. The basic institutions in their lives don't work the way they used to work 30 or 40 or 50 years ago."

That includes education. Bush said some workers lack the skills or knowledge to compete in an economy where jobs can increasingly be turned over to machines. He cited research showing that half of the jobs that Americans do today could be in danger of at least partial automation over the next decade.

He also advised those who support expanded school choice to try to make sure programs are robust enough to "build a constituency." Bush said the Florida Supreme Court could spark outrage if it eventually decides to strike down a vouchers-like program being challenged by the Florida Education Association teachers union. More than 90,000 families --- many low-income and minority --- use the program.

"To take that away is going to be hard to do, irrespective of what the Supreme Court does. ... Governors come and go. Legislators come and go. But moms and dads don't," Bush said.

Bush also found some hope in the incoming Trump administration. The president-elect tapped Betsy DeVos, a wealthy former chair of the Michigan GOP and a board member of Bush's foundation, as his choice for education secretary.

"I'm so excited," Bush said. "President-elect Trump made an extraordinary choice with Betsy DeVos."

PORTS SNAPSHOT TO GIVE ROSY PICTURE

Backers of Florida's 15 seaports will soon have new numbers to demonstrate the success of the state's hefty investment in the trade hubs.

The latest economic-impact analysis from the Florida Ports Council --- the first since 2012 --- is expected to show that seaports directly and indirectly support nearly 900,000 jobs in Florida, up from 700,000, said Doug Wheeler, president of the Florida Ports Council.

"All in all, the jobs are good-paying jobs," Wheeler said Tuesday, during an Enterprise Florida trade committee meeting. "Our analysis suggests it's about a $52,000-a-year salary."

The snapshot will also show the annual collective value of economic activity in and around the ports will be up from about $97 billion in 2012 to $112 billion, Wheeler said.

The report is still being finalized but should be ready in several weeks.

The 2012 report helped as the council lobbied state lawmakers to increase funding for the ports.

The state has spent more than $1 billion on its seaports since Gov. Rick Scott took office in 2011, with some of the largest amounts floated to PortMiami to deepen the channel and complete a fast-access tunnel between the docks.

Wheeler said the 2017 Florida legislative session should be a "heads-down, keep-it-low kind of session for us." Instead, port officials foresee their efforts in 2017 more focused on getting federal funding and approvals for projects.

He noted that the federal government still owes Florida $70 million that was advanced for the PortMiami dig.

"We've actually made a special request that maybe rather than them just pay us back for that, they just apply that towards one of our big projects, either JaxPort or (Port) Everglades," Wheeler said. "It's a pretty sensible solution. So, I'm guessing it's probably not going to happen," he joked.

LESS THAN 200,000 HANDSHAKES LEFT IN SCOTT'S TERM

Scott estimated Wednesday that he shakes hands with about 250 people a day.

"It's nice to travel the state, and one thing I try to do is eat out at different places, different restaurants where you get to meet a lot of people, and you get to hear a lot of stories that way," Scott said Wednesday.

Counting weekends, even though his calendar is typically void of public events most Saturdays and Sundays, with Scott estimating there are some 760 days left in his term, that means the governor has some 192,000 hands to shake --- assuming he doesn't get on the campaign trail for an anticipated run for federal office.

PUTNAM WATCH

The 2016 election is mercifully over, which means that some politicians are already turning their eyes toward the next round.

State Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater has already taken himself out of the 2018 election cycle.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has gone MIA to the Trump transition team, with Tallahassee insiders awaiting word of where she may land on the president-elect's team. She reportedly will meet with Trump on Friday in New York.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has long been rumored to be preparing for a run for the governor's mansion in 2018. But while he continues to collect money through his "Florida Grown" political committee, he isn't talking about his plans.

"Have a great holiday," Putnam replied when asked about his plans Wednesday before exiting the Hilton Sandestin after the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors meeting.

TWEET OF THE WEEK: "Fidel Castro is dead!"---President-elect Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump), on Saturday, following reports that the longtime Cuban dictator had passed away.