Senator Scott On Cuba, Property Taxes, Iran War Powers and Teen Employment

Pensacola, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Senator Rick Scott joined Pensacola's Morning News Thursday with updates on several national and foreign policy issues — leading with a pointed prediction about the future of Cuba's Castro regime and closing with thoughts on Florida's new property tax constitutional amendment.

Cuba — Castro Will Flee or Face Prison

Scott says the Trump administration's indictment of Raul Castro and increased sanctions are the most consequential steps taken against the Cuban regime in decades — and he predicts Castro will either flee the island or end up in prison like Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. Scott says once the regime falls the Cuban people will be positioned to rise up and build the democracy they want. He framed Cuba as a direct national security concern — noting China operates a spy station on the island just 90 miles from the Florida coast and that Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah all maintain a presence there. Scott says the lesson of the Obama and Biden years is that appeasement doesn't work — pointing to Obama's visit to Cuba where he attended a baseball game with Raul Castro as a low point. He says the Trump administration must maintain pressure day in and day out and noted that Venezuela — while improved since Maduro's removal — still has political prisoners and ongoing oppression that require continued attention.

Property Tax Amendment

Scott says he likes tax cuts — paying taxes a hundred times over as he put it — but says he wants to fully understand the economic impact of Florida's new property tax constitutional amendment before passing final judgment. He noted that as governor he cut the millage rate year over year as property values rose rather than pursuing large structural changes — keeping tax bills from spiking while avoiding the kind of dramatic overnight shift the amendment proposes. Scott says he wants to understand what the amendment means for sheriff departments, police, schools, and transportation before celebrating.

Iran War Powers Vote

Scott says the House vote to impose war powers limits on President Trump's ability to use military force against Iran is going nowhere — Trump will veto it and Scott says the effort is rooted in the same appeasement strategy that allowed Iran to advance its nuclear program under previous administrations. Scott says Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years and says the president is right to take a firm stance.

Teen Employment

Scott opened the interview with a personal story about working from the age of seven — from delivering newspapers for a penny to cutting grass and working as a fry cook at 85 cents an hour. He encouraged young people to get creative about finding work this summer — noting his 12-year-old grandson is teaching soccer — and said the culture of expectation that discourages teen work needs to change.