Scott's Promises May Back Him Into A Corner

MIAMI (CBS4) - Rick Scott made lots of promises on the campaign trail this year. Now Florida's governor-elect has a chance to follow through. Many will welcome that, many others will not.

Scott pledged to lower taxes at virtually every campaign stop. "We are going to lower property taxes 19 percent," Scott repeatedly told audiences and that sounds good to struggling homeowners.

Miramar resident Carlos Franco told me, "That's a very good idea. The economy in South Florida is not so good right now."

But cutting taxes will difficult for Scott because he faces a multi-billion dollar state budget deficit when he assumes office in January.

United Teachers of Dade Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram said, "We cannot fund public education with a 19 percent cut, but there are ways to fund public education and Mr. Scott must find those ways."

Teachers also vow to fight when the Republican controlled state legislature almost certainly resurrects the teacher accountability bill that the current governor, Charlie Crist, vetoed.

Scott opposes court rulings allowing adoptions by gay couples. There will be many worries about the possibility for a rollback of gay rights in Florida.

Scott also consistently pressed for an Arizona styled immigration law to be adopted in the Sunshine State. He will have Republican lawmakers backing him now.

On the other side of the debate sits Cheryl Little. She is a longtime immigration advocate and she worries harassment and racial profiling could spike.

"My phone has been ringing off the hook since the election. People are terrified. There has to be a balance," Little said. "I mean, we are much safer if we know who people are and where they are, and we let people come out of the shadows and contribute to our economy. Immigrants are critical to our economy."

Proponents of tougher laws argue they don't want to cut off all immigration—only illegal immigration. The debates will gather force but not immediately.

Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee signal that they will hold a brief special session when the new and old faces in the legislature convene in mid-November.

But they say they will not try to override Crist's vetoes on high profile matters like the teacher accountability measure or the ultrasound abortion bill. Those big fights, and more, will begin in earnest next year.