Yesterday former Florida Governor Claude Kirk passed away at the age of 85. Although I was just entering politics at the time (1967), I had an opportunity to meet and even work with the Governor on consitutent issues. I was a student in graduate school at the Florida State University and when my retired parents contacted me about their frustration with government inaction on a local issue, I felt the matter should be brought to the new Governor’s attention. Never thinking that I would get a chance to sit down and discuss the matter with the Governor, I called his office in the old Capitol anyway. Next thing I know, I am sitting in the first floor corner office of the old Capitol explaining to the chief executive officer of the great state of Florida my parent’s problem.
That was the modus operandi of Governor Claude Kirk–direct, blunt, ‘why not’, and “take no hostages, they cost too much to feed”. Hard not to like that kind of guy. After being elected to both the Florida Senate and House of Representatives,I ran into the Governor a number of times, and found his memory excellent on our first meeting. The Governor had a legion of critics, and some of the criticism was probably fair. But I always considered him a friend and no-nonsense guy. As they say, dislike him if you wish, but always respect a man or woman that is not afraid to act.
