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...