THANKFULLY HE IS IN CRITICAL
CONDITION THAT POLICE SAY THEY
REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT HE WILL
PULL THROUGH.
THERE IS A NEW CANDIDATE
FOR GOVERNOR.
HE JOINS US NOW.
IT IS BUSINESSMAN JEFF GREEN.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THE AP IS REPORTING THAT YOU
SAID YOU ARE WILLING TO SPEND
WHATEVER IT TAKES, AS MUCH AS
$200 MILLION OF YOUR OWN
FORTUNE IN ORDER TO WIN THIS
RACE.
FIRST OF ALL, ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT THE PRIMARY OR ABOUT THE
GENERAL ELECTION?
IF YOU ARE SO GUNG [NULL]
WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO GET
IN THE RACE?
THAT IS A LONG QUESTION SO I
WILL ADDRESS IT ONE AT A TIME.
I HOPE I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND
$200 MILLION BUT WHATEVER IT
TAKES TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT IN
FLORIDA, THE DEMOCRATIC
MESSAGE, I WILL SPEND.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW MUCH
ABOUT ME.
MY BACKGROUND IS THAT I WASN'T
A BILLIONAIRE.
I WAS A MIDDLE-CLASS KID IN
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
MY DAD HAD A TEXTILE MACHINERY
BUSINESS.
WHEN THE MILLS MOVED SOUTH HE
LOST EVERYTHING.
WE HAD BEEN A VERY COMFORTABLE
CLASS FAMILY.
BEFORE I KNEW IT I WAS IN WEST
PALM BEACH AND MY PARENTS WENT
FROM LIVING IN A BEAUTIFUL HOME
WITH A BACKYARD TO A SMALL TWO
BEDROOM APARTMENT.
MY DAD WENT FROM A BUSINESS
OWNER TO DRIVING A VAN ON A
VENDING ROUTE.
HARD WORK, MY MOM BECAME A
WAITRESS AT THE BREAKERS.
I REMEMBER SEEING HER COME HOME
FROM WORK EXHAUSTED IN HER
UNIFORM.
I SAW HOW HER FAMILY HAD THIS
CHANGE.
IT WAS FRIGHTENING AND IT PUT
MY FAMILY IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE
-- WHAT PEOPLE IN FLORIDA GO
THROUGH ALL THE TIME.
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GO
THROUGH IT AS WE GET MORE JOB
DISPLACEMENT.
I GREW UP IN MASSACHUSETTS IN
THE SHADOW OF THE KENNEDYS.
I WAS RAISED TO THINK THAT THE
MOST NORMAL -- NOBLE THING YOU
COULD DO WAS TO MAKE OTHERS
LIVES BETTER.
I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH
ENORMOUS FINANCIAL SUCCESS.
I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE
INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
FLORIDA HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
WHAT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE DONE
IN MY VIEW IS DESTROYED THE
STATE IN SO MANY WAYS.
THIS RACE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR
A WHILE.
I DECIDED, WE ARE IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES 2 1/2
MONTHS FROM THE ELECTION AND
THE LEADING CANDIDATE IS
UNDECIDED BECAUSE NONE OF THE
EXISTING CANDIDATES HAVE
INSPIRED THE ELECTORATE.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE
CANDIDATES WILL BE ABLE TO
RAISE THE FUNDS TO BE A
REPUBLICAN EVEN IF THEY HAD
BEEN ABLE TO INSPIRE THE
ELECTORATE.
GUNS ARE A BIG ISSUE RIGHT
NOW.
THIS IS THE TWO-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF THE PULSE
SHOOTING.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO THAT
FAMILY.
WHEN I HEAR ABOUT A TRAGEDY
LIKE THIS, IT IS HORRIBLE.
PARKLAND OF COURSE IS HERE
IN OUR BACKYARD ALSO.
THE LEGISLATURE IS CONTROLLED
REPUBLICANS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET
DONE WHEN IT COMES TO GUN
REFORM?
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
PERSUADE PEOPLE OF WHAT YOU
WANT TO GET DONE.
AND EVERYTHING, NOT JUST GUNS.
I HAVE TO BE FOCUSED ON A LOT
OF ISSUES.
EDUCATION IS ANOTHER ISSUE WE
WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
WHEN MY PARENTS MOVED HERE IN
1970 I WAS A JUNIOR IN HIGH
SCHOOL.
I THOUGHT I DON'T WANT TO MOVE
TO FLORIDA BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS
ARE WORSE THAN MASSACHUSETTS.
THAT WAS 48 YEARS AGO.
GUESS WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE
LAST 20 YEARS AGO?
WE ARE 40 IN THE COUNTRY.
IF I GET ELECTED GOVERNOR, I
GUESS I CAN'T DO MUCH WORSE.
HOW MY GOING TO GET MORE FUNDS
TO HAVE PRE-K FOR ALL KIDS
BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR YEARS?
WE WILL GET IT OUT OF THE
BUDGET.
THAT IS THE SAME QUESTION YOU
ASKED ME ABOUT GUNS.
I WILL HAVE TO BE THE KIND OF
GOVERNOR THAT PERSUADES AND
DOES WHATEVER IT TAKES.
I WILL HAVE TO PERSUADE THE
HOUSE AND SENATE TO GO ALONG
WITH WHAT IS IMPORTANT.
WE ARE RUINING OUR KIDS LIVES
IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
IN THE THIRD GRADE, CHILDREN
LEARN TO READ.
AFTER THIRD GRADE THEY READ TO
LEARN.
IN THE THIRD GRADE IN FLORIDA,
54% OF THIRD GRADERS ARE AT A
THIRD GRADE READING LEVEL.
46% OF THOSE KIDS ARE NOT GOING
TO BE ABLE TO READ TO LEARN.
CHECK THE STATISTICS, ALL
THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL IT IS STILL
IN THE 50s.
WE HALF TO ADDRESS -- WE HAVE
TO ADDRESS EDUCATION IN A BIG
WAY.
I'M GOING TO FIGHT THAT WE WILL
BE TOP FIVE IN 15 YEARS.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME
FROM?
IT IS ALWAYS TIGHT.
OF COURSE YOU HAVE BEEN VERY
PHILANTHROPIC WITH YOUR OWN
FORTUNE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF VERY WEALTHY
PEOPLE WHO SAY I DON'T PAY
ENOUGH IN TAXES?
I WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY MORE
IN ORDER TO HELP OUT COMMON
CAUSES LIKE EDUCATION.
IS THAT AN ANSWER?
WOULD YOU CONSIDER RAISING
TAXES?
NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR THAT HE
WILL RAISE TAXES THAT I CAN
TELL YOU THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME
WHO HAVE BEEN HUGE
BENEFICIARIES OF THIS RECOVERY
WE HAVE HAD WHICH HAS BEEN A
RECOVERY FOR THE RICH.
WAGES HAVE NOT GONE UP FOR
ORDINARY FLORIDIANS.
ASSET VALUES BECAUSE OF ZERO
INTEREST RATES AND THE
INABILITY OF WASHINGTON TO GET
FISCAL POLICY PASSED THESE LAST
YEARS HAVE ENRICHED VERY
WEALTHY PEOPLE.
LIKE WARREN BUFFETT SAYS, THE
VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE SHOULD PAY
A BIGGER SHARE OF TAXES.
AND IT IS NEEDED.
ULTIMATELY WE ARE RUINING THESE
KIDS LIVES.
WE ARE NOT GIVING THEM THE
BASIC TOOLS THEY NEED TO
SUCCEED.
EDUCATION IS ONE THING.
HEALTHCARE, WE HAVE A LOT OF
ISSUES TO ADDRESS.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF FORM ON A
NUMBER OF THESE ISSUES.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT
OF TIME.
THE MAC WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
YOU COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT IT
MORE.
WE HAVE THE PRIMARY CONTEST
WHICH IS TAKING PLACE IN
AUGUST.
YOU ARE FIGHTING AGAINST SOME
OF THE OTHERS, YOUR FELLOW
DEMOCRATS TRYING TO SEPARATE
YOURSELF FROM THE PACK.
WE WILL BE WATCHING CLOSELY.
TO RESPOND TO THE FIRST
QUESTION YOU RAISED, CHARLIE
CRIST SPENT $50 MILLION, WHEN
YOU SEE THE LAST STORY YOU CAN
SEE WHERE HE GOT THE MONEY FROM
AND IT IS ALL DAWNING ON ME
NOW.
THIS MAN MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN
MONEY PERSONALLY BUT HE IS
RAISING MONEY FOR THESE
ELECTIONS.
IT -- AT THE EXPENSE OF FLORIDA
TAXPAYERS TO CLEAR GUTTERS.
IT IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF
MONEY TO GET A DEMOCRATIC
MESSAGE OUT.
WE HAVE BEEN OUTSPENT 2-21.