Everyday you do countless things to create jobs and boost the economy – but who knows what you do?  Take time this week to call your elected officials to share success, invite them to a meeting or just share your thoughts on economic development. Use these 5 talking points to jump start your conversations:  

1.     We focus on economic development in order to create high-wage primary jobs, expand the tax base, diversify the economy and better control our destiny. Having a strong economic development program is about empowering people and communities.  It is about the process of individuals gaining the ability to provide for themselves through high wage jobs and careers that allows them to contribute as productive citizens in their communities.

2.     Without an effective economic development program, our state and many of our communities may grow but not always in the way they desire.  By targeting high-wage, value added jobs, for which we ferociously compete with other states, we increase the wealth and prosperity of the people of Florida. Diversification from traditional industries balances our economy and makes us less vulnerable to fluctuations in the global economy.

3.     By encouraging more capital investment by targeted companies, we expand the tax base thereby providing more dollars to local and state governments to deliver high quality services and infrastructure that further accelerate primary permanent job creation and strengthens our communities and the state.

4.     Our world economy is rapidly changing. We must stay on the leading edge of innovation to secure our share of prosperity for our citizens. That requires a combined sustained effort including state and local communities with business and government all working together to help create, attract and grow innovative globally competitive companies that rely on a similarly highly skilled and productive workforce.

5.     The continued effort to diversify our economy is critical for our future.  At this very moment other states are competing to take existing high wage jobs out of Florida.  In response, we must aggressively protect and grow existing Florida businesses while competing successfully against other markets for much needed new job creation. We need to continue and enhance what we are doing well to foster more business growth in Florida.

Let us know on Twitter @FloridaEDC which points you would add to this list. The more we share and work together the more we can accomplish!  Don’t forget, there are valuable resources on the FEDC website to guide you through this Legislative Session.

Online tool will survey business stakeholders in effort to make Florida more business-friendly

Tallahassee, Fla. – As part of ongoing efforts to improve Florida’s business climate, the Florida
Legislature today announced the availability of “YourVoice” – an online tool that will survey
business owners and stakeholders to collect feedback on any potential burdensome rules and
regulations for businesses.

“At a time when one out of every ten Floridians is looking for work, the last thing our state needs
is for government to come between a business and the creation of new jobs,” said House
Rulemaking & Regulations Subcommittee Chairman Chris Dorworth (R-Lake Mary). “This
online tool will help lawmakers determine how we can best reduce the burden state government
is placing on businesses and continue to help make Florida a destination for new business.”

“The Florida Legislature wants to hear directly from Floridians about any potential rules and
regulations that may impose unnecessary and burdensome regulation on our state’s citizens so
that we can work to remove barriers to economic growth during the upcoming session,” said
Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability Chairman Senator Jeremy
Ring (D- Margate). “Our state’s citizens are our best source to identify whether or not our state’s
rules and regulations impose unacceptable burdens and this tool gives lawmakers the ability to
directly connect with Floridians across the state.”

Those interested in completing the survey can access it online.

The Florida Legislature is the representative branch of Florida government and has the
responsibility to supervise the power of agencies and local governments to adopt rules and
regulations that may control private and commercial conduct. As part of the Legislature’s effort
to discover how rules and regulations may hinder productivity and job growth, “YourVoice” will
seek to gather important information from current and potential Florida business owners and
stakeholders that can be used to enhance or revise existing rules and regulations.

Starting today, users can access “YourVoice” online and complete a survey. The results of the
survey will be collected by the House Rulemaking Regulations Subcommittee and the Senate
Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability and be considered as ideas for future
legislation.

The information gathered will be used to inform members of the House Rulemaking &
Regulations Subcommittee and the Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and
Accountability and may be used to adopt rules and regulations to protect the health, safety and
welfare of Floridians.

For Immediate Release:
Friday, October 21, 2011
Contact:
Lyndsey Cruley, (850) 487-5632
Ryan Duffy, (850) 487-8148

Orlando, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott unveiled his 2012 Job Creation and Economic Growth Agenda while visiting Metal Essence Inc., a precision metals and plastics fabricator in Orlando. The plan focuses on removing the barriers to beginning, relocating and growing a business in Florida.

“Unlike our elected leaders in Washington, D.C., I realize that it is Florida’s families and businesses, taking risks with their ideas, capital and time, that create jobs and grow an economy,” said Governor Scott. “We will continue to attract new jobs by consistently letting businesses know through our actions that we want Florida to be their home.”

Since January 2011, more than 87,200 private sector jobs have been created, and Florida’s unemployment rate had dropped by 1.3 percent, from 12 percent in December 2010 to 10.7 in August 2011.  In 2011, Florida is adding an average of more than 9,000 new jobs every month.  Governor Scott remains focused on continuously improving programs for both job creation and for workforce development to reach 100,000 new jobs this year, and 700,000 jobs in seven years.

Highlights of Governor Scott’s 2012 Job Creation and Economic Growth Agenda include:

1.    Streamlining business permitting and eliminating burdensome rules and regulations.

• ·         Continuing to repeal over 1,000 burdensome rules and regulations.
• ·         Work with the Government Efficiency Task Force to help businesses open doors and hire workers faster by establishing temporary business permits and provide a reasonable period to achieve full compliance.
• ·         Continue effort to streamline business registration by establishing one-stop business effort.

2.    Providing tax relief and reform for Florida’s working families and businesses.

• ·         Increase the business tax exemption by an additional $25,000, eliminating it for 25 percent of the companies required to pay it.

Tangible Personal Property Tax

• ·         Exempt any business with less than $50,000 in tangible personal property, eliminating it for roughly half of the businesses required to pay the tax levied on the amount of all articles of value owned by a business.

Manufacturing

• ·         Maximize incentives for new and existing manufacturers to make Florida more attractive to quality manufacturing jobs.

3.    Reforming Florida’s unemployment system to create a reemployment system.

• ·         Proactively work with job seekers to analyze skills.
• ·         Require mandatory job training for under-skilled job seekers collecting unemployment.
• ·         Help the unemployed receive the training needed for career advancement, increased productivity and economic prosperity.

4.    Restoring accountability and credibility to Florida’s Workforce Boards.

• ·         Increase oversight of Florida’s 24 locally-controlled workforce boards to restore accountability and credibility and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

5.    Prioritizing vital transportation projects to facilitate economic development opportunities.

Ports

• ·         Invest in improving Florida’s 14 deepwater sea ports to prepare for the expansion of the Panama Canal, ratified free trade agreements and the growing economies of Central and South America.
• ·         Improve transportation to and from Florida’s ports, including support innovative concepts like inland ports.

Infrastructure

• ·         Build interconnected, efficient transportation system, guided by the Florida Department of Transportation’s vision plan. Goals for infrastructure improvement include employing creative financing alternatives, offering transportation choices, reducing bureaucracy and streamlining decision making to plan and develop future corridors.

6.    Offering stability to Florida businesses by balancing the budget without raising taxes.

• ·         Produce a balanced budget without raising taxes so Florida has the stability and commitment that businesses can plan for the future.
• ·         Continue conservative and responsible money-management policies that require state government to live within its means.

7.    Prioritizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in education.

• ·         Prioritize STEM to focus Florida’s K-12 and higher education systems on producing graduates that can support a growing high-tech workforce.
• ·         Florida will need approximately 120,000 new workers in STEM fields through 2018.

Read the full version of Governor Scott’s 2012 Job Creation and Economic Growth Agenda here.

For your planning purposes, please be advised that the schedule for interim committee meetings of the House of Representatives is as follows:

The week of September 19
The week of October 3
The week of October 17
The week of October 31
The week of November 14
The week of December 5

The House will be organized to conduct the bulk of our business between Tuesday and Thursday of each week.

Please note that the 2012 Regular Session convenes on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

The actual schedule for each week will be distributed as early as possible prior to the notice deadline.   If you have additional questions, please contact the Speaker’s Office at (850) 488-1450.

More Information

Thursday, May 27th, 2011, Governor Scott signed the $69.1 billion Florida budget vetoing $615 million in spending. You can view the full details on Governor Scott’s website.

FEDC Leadership Comments:

“We are happy to see the Governor sign the Jobs Bill today and congratulate him on creating jobs for Florida’s future.  This bill will not only help the creation of jobs, but give a strong message to retaining and expanding existing Florida businesses.  For more information, always rely on Florida Economic Development Council — the voice of economic development practitioner.”

Deborah Wilkinson, Chief Development Officer,
Broward County Office of Economic  & Small Business Development and Chair of the Florida Economic Development Council

“We appreciate the efforts of Governor Scott in promoting strong economic development for our state. We look forward to his attendance at the FEDC 2011 Annual Conference as this not only demonstrates the Governor’s commitment to growing jobs and the economy but also his commitment to the professionals who build their communities everyday.”

Amy Evancho, President and CEO of the Florida Economic Development Council

What are your thoughts on Florida’s Budget?  Tell us by commenting below!

Good afternoon, FEDC Members,

As most of you are aware, an important priority for our state’s future, Economic Gardening, is included in the legislative budget awaiting Governor Scott’s signature this week.  We need your support to ensure that this program continues serving companies throughout our state.

No doubt you have felt the ripple effects in your community of the Economic Gardening GrowFL program, which, in its first year and a half has:

• engaged more than 200 companies from 30 counties;
• helped participating companies create 418 direct jobs; and,
• generated an annual economic impact of $281.2M, created an estimated 1,400 direct/indirect/induced jobs and produced an $8.4M increase in state/ local net tax revenue.

Last week, Florida hosted the Ninth Annual National Economic Gardening Conference, and all of the attendees from around the country pointed to our state as the national model for an economic gardening program.  We need your help to share with the governor the impact that Economic Gardening is making in your region and the success that it is achieving in creating jobs.

Attached is a template that you can use to draft a letter to the governor in support of Economic Gardening. You can also find more information about the program at www.growfl.com.

I urge you to send Governor Scott an email and tell him that Economic Gardening has created jobs in your region.

Best regards,

Amy L. Evancho

President and CEO

Florida Economic Development Council

Please copy and paste the letter below and email Governor Scott by clicking HERE

The Hon. Rick Scott, Governor

The State of Florida

Dear Governor Scott:

When the Florida Legislature created and funded the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (FEGI), few likely believed that nearly two years later economic development experts gathered for the Ninth Annual National Economic Gardening Conference would say “instead of wanting to be like Silicon Valley maybe we ought to be saying I wish we were more like Florida.”

However, those were exactly the words of a Georgia economic developer who attended that meeting … held in Orlando last week because experts wanted to hear more about how in such a short time Florida had been able to turn the concept of investing in second-stage growth companies into a winning formula for job creation.

In its first year alone (actually just 10 months), FEGI’s GrowFL technical assistance program had produced more than 400 jobs created directly in the companies GrowFL counseled.  And, the indirect job creation brought that number to more than 1,400 with participating companies reporting $280 million in economic output directly related to the services they received.

Economic gardening is a proven approach … it helps strengthen growing companies and helps them create job opportunities.  In my region, we have directly benefited from the economic gardening services that GrowFL provides, and we hope that more of our local companies can continue receiving these advanced business services.

Thank you for supporting programs that create jobs for Florida’s citizens.

Sincerely,

[your name]

What: Florida’s space industry will visit Tallahassee to participate in Florida Space Day and share the challenges the industry faces in ensuring Florida remains at the forefront of the nation’s space program.  The state’s $8 billion aerospace industry employs 84,000 workers from 1,900 statewide companies. As the space shuttle completes its final flight this year, the job losses could reach 21,000 direct and indirect jobs losses that represent a highly skilled workforce across Florida.

When/where: March 16, 2011; Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee, FL

Who: Space Day Industry leaders and representatives will conduct legislative visits with House and Senate Representatives to bring collaborative messages on space and aerospace initiatives and discuss pending legislation with policymakers.

Appearances/Exhibits: Apollo 16 Astronaut Charlie Duke, the tenth man to walk on the moon, will be making appearances throughout the event. Space-related exhibits will be available on the second floor Rotunda of the Capitol.

Media interviews available upon request: Astronaut Kay Hire, STS-90 (1998) and STS-130 (2010) logging over 711 hours in space; Kevin Hoshstrasser, Site Director for Florida Boeing Operations and Florida Space Day 2011 Chairman; and Frank DiBello, Space Florida President and CEO and Florida Space Day Co Chairman.

To learn more about Florida Space Day 2011, visit www.floridaspaceday.com, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloridaSpaceDay and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FLSpaceDay2011

Media contact: Jessica Rye, Mobile:  321-474-9175, Jessica@griffincg.com

2011 FL Space Day Media Advisory

 Commerce and Tourism Committee

Orlando Sentinel
Posted by bkassab on February, 28 2011 10:26 AM
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Gov. Rick Scott is recommending Gray Swoope, currently Gov. Haley Barbour’s chief of economic development in Mississippi, take over a new state agency and Enterprise Florida.
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According to a letter sent by Scott to Enterprise Florida Vice Chairman Hal Melton and obtained by the Sentinel, the governor reiterated his plan to create a Department of Commerce, which would include economic development, workforce training and community development.
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He said he wanted to maintain the private investment in Enterprise Florida, but said the same person would lead the group as well as the Department of Commerce.
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His choice for that job is Swoope, who is the executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority. Scott, clearly impressed with Swoope’s credentials, said Swoope helped convince companies like Toyota and GE Aviation to build facilities in Mississippi.
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He also said Swoope refocused Mississippi’s efforts “to aggressively support industry retention and expansion” resulting in a “measurable increase” in jobs saved or created through expansions.
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And Scott pointed out that Swoope was successful at increasing his agency’s services and programs while decreasing its staff by 15 percent and lowering its budget by 26 percent over seven years.
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According to Swoope’s bio at the Mississippi Development Authority, he joined the organization in 2004 and was appointed as executive director by Barbour in 2007.
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Scott’s office did not immediately respond to questions this morning about Swoope.
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Last month in a move symbolic of his assertion as the state’s chief economic development officer, Scott led an Enterprise Florida board meeting and then promptly fired its former president, John Adams.
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If Swoope is officially hired, it would mark the second out-of-state economic development hire for Florida in the last week. The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission announced last week it hired Rick Weddle, president of the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, as its new president.

Governor Scott picks new Enterprise Florida leader Gray Swoope-Orlando Sentinel 2-28-11

Gov Scott Announces Gray Swoope as Next Leader of Enterprise Florida by EFI