The November elections on both the statewide and national levelswere, as many expected, a Red Sea of Republican victories.

Here at home, Rick Scott eventually claimed victory in theclosest governor's race in 134 years. Scott, who barely met theresident requirement to run (he moved here in 2003; one must be aresident for seven years to run for governor), spent some $75million of his own money for the right to move from hismulti-million home in Naples to the governor's house inTallahassee.

In his campaign, Scott's slogan was "Let's get to work!" and herepeatedly promised to foster a business climate that will "create700,000 jobs over the next seven years." To accomplish the task, heis assembling what Susan MacManus, a political scientist at theUniversity of South Florida, calls a "hall of fame of conservativeeconomists." Donna Arduin, who served as director for the FloridaOffice of Policy and Budget under then-Gov. Jeb Bush, will leadScott's economic advisory council. Arduin held similar posts withgovernors Arnold Schwarzenegger in California and George Pataki inNew York. Other members of the financial brain trust include ArthurLaffer, known as "the father of supply-side economics," who servedas an economic adviser to President Ronald Reagan; Tad DeHaven ofthe libertarian Cato Institute think tank; Talmadge Heflin,director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Center for FiscalPolicy; Randall Holcombe, a Florida State University professor andsenior fellow at the James Madison Institute in Tallahassee; andRobert McClure, president and CEO of the James MadisonInstitute.

Liberals and progressives bemoan the fact that, given thecloseness of the election, Scott did not include experts withdifferent economic perspectives to provide a more balanced view. Anegalitarian mix does not appear likely to happen with this councilor any others. Scott, as he repeatedly announced, is not, was not,and does not want to be a "politician." The "art of compromise," aspolitics is commonly called, will not come easily to a manaccustomed to giving orders.

Despite his bashing of the president during the campaign, Scotthas set himself an Obama-ambitious agenda. In addition to hisjob-creation promise, he has vowed to phase out corporate incometax, cut property taxes by 19 percent, reduce the state work forceby five percent, expand public school voucher programs, and makebusiness-friendly changes to the civil justice system. He alsowants to sell the governor's official jet.

Unlike his top-down corporate days, Scott cannot accomplish hisagenda alone. He needs the support of a majority of his fellowelected officials. However, as Gary Fineout reports in his columnon page 12, a Republican governor and Republican-heavy Legislaturedoes not necessarily guarantee a buddy-system at the Capitol. Theleaders in the House and Senate proved that during the NovemberSpecial Session. As Jon Mills, a former Democratic speaker of theHouse during Gov. Bob Martinez's tenure, told the Miami Herald in arecent interview, "Legislators are cognizant they are representingthe whole state — people who agree with them and those who don'tagree with them. And all those folks have to run again."

As insurance professionals, we also "represent" a variety ofinterests — carriers, insureds, wholesalers, employees, employers,the entire spectrum of Florida's human and corporate population.Although many in our industry strongly supported Alex Sink, thereality is that we will have Scott leading our state come January.For an industry perspective on this, I encourage you to read theOpinion piece by Florida Insurance Council President Cecil Pearceon page 19. He says, in essence, that the election is over, and theinsurance industry is ready to "get to work."

Scott must deliver his first budget on Feb. 4, and theLegislature convenes on March 8. Tick-tock.