Posted on 02/12/2010 7:48:18 AM PST by Leah at A Better Florida
Small business used to be the bedrock of our jobs market. And we were a lot better off when it was. The State of Florida has more to offer budding businesses than almost any other state in the nation. As Michigan and New York falter under high taxation and shrinking growth, Florida should be absorbing the lion’s share of business emigration. But we’re not. And here’s why:
(Blueprint Items 1-6)
Government cannot and should not take over the free market. Not now and not ever. What government can do is use common sense free market principles to bring business and jobs to the state. This is what I propose to do.
All in all, we need to get back to the same small business based economy that helped propel America and the State of Florida to economic greatness. Civic mindedness and personal responsibility, not to mention passion and ingenuity, are best fostered in a climate of small business. As we struggle to come back to our founding principles of faith, family and good neighborliness, small business has an integral role to play in the above.
(Excerpt) Read more at abetterflorida.com ...
What FL needs most to attract jobs is for government - local AND state - to get out of the way! Why would a business build a plant in FL when it takes YEARS to complete the permitting process when they can go over the state line in AL and be up and running before they even get their building permits in FL?
Also, why would they come here and pay all the taxes that supposedly low-tax FL charges at the state and county level? Intangible tax that can change on the whims of the county property appraiser with no basis in reality, real estate taxes that are levied also with no basis in actual property values, fees and regulations up the wazoo, etc ad nauseum.
Not only does FL need to be attractive to out of state employers who are looking for a new home, but they also need to be attractive to current residents who wish to start a business rather than be an employee. Wouldn’t our unemployment problems be alleviated if some of our unemployed were out there creating their own jobs as well as jobs for others? That is very low-hanging fruit if those who are elected to represent the interests of Floridians wish to cede back to the citizenry the power and responsibility that rightfully belongs to them.
Did you know that in order to run a “legal” lawn mowing business, a 16 year old kid must first go and get insurance, then go pay the city business tax, then go pay the county business tax before mowing a single blade of grass? WTF, people? It’s pretty easy to see why there is a derth of business here - few people want to deal with government hassles and theft of their hard-earned profit.
See what you went and made me do? I will now put my soap box back until the next politician tells me all the great things they’ll do...quite frankly, I don’t believe it anymore.
Florida Ping alert
I am calling for one trillion dollars in new Florida toll roads for electric vehicles, such as the 110 mpg Chevy Volt, which, along with robotics, vehicle mileage metering, collision aviodance, heads up displays, and various other transformational technologies, will COMPLETELY transform the American Road, and the manner in which we pay for the roads.
The Federal Government, in all its iterations, is hopelessly corrupt and bankrupt. Relying upon the FEDS for any of our needs anymore should be a back up plan, and not job one. Yomin, I am glad you are heading to Washington to conduct clean-up operations.
Gentlemen, the liberals in the Dept. of Transportation (totalitarians) are going to own these technologies if we do not out think them, and gain the upper hand: The hand of FREEDOM.
Gulf Stream energy is a good start, now let us press forward with the full agenda that I outlined in Marco Rubio’s book: 100 Ideas for Florida.
I hear a lot of crickets from our poster. I guess they really don’t care about the yoke of oppression placed upon the populace by our overlords in government. Sounds like change I can believe in...
The fact that local governments spend on frivolous CRA projects is known. The licenses you describe are in every state and a federal law should be passed to do away with them. This post was about electing people who oppose the SunRail and other fiscal boondoggles and who present a common sense alternative. All of the plans linked to are about stimulating specific industries instead of wasteful spending.
your frivolous boondoggles are not the only things saddling the Floridian economy. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need all the tedious permitting and impact fees in Alabama right over the border. Again, why would someone locate production here when they can get their project moving immediately there rather than wading thru 3 years of approval and permitting here?
Good point. I’ll bring it up with Yomin. We’re concentrating mostly on what the State can do but that should include preventing counties and cities from over regulating, aside from state permits.
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