I don’t think anyone would argue that the recession is still here and will be with us for sometime to come. So what is Florida, as in the Florida Government, going to do to position this State for recovery and eventually growth?
Many would say that Government is the most important. They want to go back to the new deal and make sure all the needs of every citizen is taken care of by the government. From basic health care, to eyeglasses, to job security, to housing; many argue that these are rights and the government should make sure we each have our fair share.
And to be quite honest, when Florida was going through its boom, this State spent far too much money on special project and “needs” of the electorate. As a result of this over spending and growth in government this state finds itself once again facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall.
So what to do? Raise taxes in order to maintain the current level of government? This would cripple, deepen and prolong our recession.
The answer is JOBS! And jobs are “created” when two things happen. And they must happen together. First the government needs to incentivize existing and emerging companies to relocate or expand their operations in Florida. We are a Country of 50 States, each of these States compete against each other to attract industry. Florida must compete and win. This State has done, at best, a poor job at attracting industry. This must change and change fast if we are going to pull ourselves out of this recession. There are many bills in the House and Senate now that will go along way towards making Florida competitive. Many are listed under the legislation tab on this page.
The other thing Government must do is limit itself. It must get out of the way. It must get out of the homes of our citizens and out of the balance sheets of its businesses. You maybe surprised to learn that Florida has the lowest ratio of state employees to citizens than any other state. OK, that is a good start, but there is much more to be done. In order to spark recovery, what Florida must do is the opposite of what the feds are doing today. We need to lower taxes, shrink government agencies, and limit what we control. When Florida even just shows signs of being a free state to live and work in, we will see a boom and then a recovery.
If Florida is serious about ending this recession it will need to spend far less money on entitlements, far more money on incentives and loose the restraints it has placed on its families and business.
Agree? Disagree? Post your comments and have your Florida Voice heard.
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