Rick Scott Going on Yet Another "Trade Mission" -- Spain's Up Next

farragutband.org

​Gov. Rick Scott confirmed that another vacation "trade mission" is in the works, with Spain being the next target.

This would be "trade mission" number four with Enterprise Florida, after already hitting up Canada, Brazil, and Israel.

How much "trade" is actually being done is hard to tell, since the only job and investment announcements stemming from the "trade missions" have all been in place before the governor's visits.

Unlike Israel -- which was Scott's most recent trip -- Spain is actually one of Florida's top 50 international trading partners, if that adds any legitimacy to his foreign adventures.

It's also hard to tell how much these trips cost, since our records request to the governor's office for expenditures from the Brazil trip -- sent on October 24 -- has yet to be fulfilled.

An employee from the Office of Open Government also told us at the time that not all expenses would be accounted for through the governor's office, as there are also expenditures by Enterprise Florida -- the state agency that organizes the trips -- and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which handles security for the various people who go on these trips.

We sure haven't heard a peep about any jobs or investment coming from Israel, and a poll of our readers showed that only about 25 percent believed in the "trade mission" title.

The governor did bring back pictures of himself wearing a yarmulke, though, as well as his photo op with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Well, if the governor can make it to Spain by about mid-May, he'll be able to catch some of those Copa del Rey games.

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