Local unemployment rate jumps to 13.4 percent, Rising Florida unemployment numbers tie 1975 record (contractors, live in)

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by JLFL

It's amusing that Scott has only been in the office for a short period of time and is already paving the way to further screw Florida over.

The following should be obvious to all, but only a few are speaking out...

Cutting state jobs by 8,000+ will increase the unemployment number by 8,000+.
Cutting education spending will increase unemployment in that sector by about 5,000+ (some estimate as high as 20,000).
To further enhance the screwing of Florida, he wants to decrease unemployment spending.

All of these cuts will decrease or eliminate household incomes, lowering the number of dollars people pay to the state in sales taxes.
Ultimately leading to an increase in the number of home foreclosures, meaning less being paid in property taxes as well.

Anybody who thinks we're not being screwed is a blind fool. I acknowledge the fact that something needs to be done, but to come up with these ideas that ultimately lead to even less being paid in to the state are NOT the answer. The true answer would be for all of the state's leaders to take pay/benefit cuts - governor included (hahaha... laughable, I know).

this is a very one sided economic view, one put forward by keynes. i know that it is intuitive to follow keynes, especially because it was drummed into your head at school, but there are other economic theories. govt jobs and stimulus are not the way forward and i applaud scott for having the courage to stand up.

[Maggi07]

Sure.... the employment outlook is looking grand under Scott. Let's see.... so far we have refused money that would have created many thousands of jobs, next we are going to lay off several thousand state workers, and after that teachers will be losing their jobs.

Please, PLEASE tell me where the job creation is? I have heard NOTHING that points toward that, only a bunch of blah blah blah about corporations coming here in some ridiculous fairy tale future.

At the rate we are going, we are looking at an entire state that rivals Detroit's situation.

[tewas]

Originally Posted by 58robbo

this is a very one sided economic view, one put forward by keynes. i know that it is intuitive to follow keynes, especially because it was drummed into your head at school, but there are other economic theories. govt jobs and stimulus are not the way forward and i applaud scott for having the courage to stand up.

You mean stand up and cut jobs, continuing to destroy middle class and gutting the education of the kids so they will have no chance in competing for high paid jobs against better educated people in US and around the world?

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by Maggi07

Sure.... the employment outlook is looking grand under Scott. Let's see.... so far we have refused money that would have created many thousands of jobs, next we are going to lay off several thousand state workers, and after that teachers will be losing their jobs.

Please, PLEASE tell me where the job creation is? I have heard NOTHING that points toward that, only a bunch of blah blah blah about corporations coming here in some ridiculous fairy tale future.

At the rate we are going, we are looking at an entire state that rivals Detroit's situation.

but detroit is the poster child for unions, huge education expenditure and govt bridges to nowhere. you are suggesting that rick scott do everything which was tried and which failed in detroit.

under your understanding of economics, the govt should employ 10 million people to dig a hole and when the've finished digging, to fill that hole up again. that is your solution to unemployment!

the job creation can only come from people moving their business here or starting new business here. rick scott is cutting taxes and regulation to make our state more attractive for people to invest and easier for people to start operating. he also has started a huge drive to increase tourism to the state

[Maggi07]

Florida already has some of the lowest taxes on corporations in the country. So, if it hasn't worked before, why would it work now?

So are *you* suggesting that we should just continue to do more and more of what we already know doesn't work?

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by tewas

You mean stand up and cut jobs, continuing to destroy middle class and gutting the education of the kids so they will have no chance in competing for high paid jobs against better educated people in US and around the world?

if govt jobs were the solution to economic problems then why did the soviet union fail? why is cuba battling to feed itself? why did so many starve under mao?

rick scott didn't cut education spending. under the stimulus, obama provided the states with a one time federal boost in education spending which is no longer there. the state will be spending the same amount that it did before that stimulus

[Crane's Rooster]

Originally Posted by Maggi07

Florida already has some of the lowest taxes on corporations in the country. So, if it hasn't worked before, why would it work now?

So are *you* suggesting that we should just continue to do more and more of what we already know doesn't work?

Absolutely agree. We already have a low corporate tax structure and little to no law regulating employer conduct. As a right to work state, the employees here have almost no protection other than they can not be fired for racial/gender/age reasons. Other than that, anything goes. With that type of corporate environment already present why would business who haven't already relocated here done so earlier? Is taking a few tax percentages off an already low tax rate really going to encourage fortune 500 corps to relocate to FL? The simple truth is taxes and regulations are not keeping major corps out of FL, they are almost non consequential as it is. Lack of skilled workers and amenities keep them out. Places like Minneapolis, Dallas, San Francisco Bay area attract major corps because they have great education system that offer easy access to talent and a higher quality of life for their citizens. What are those amenities? Well among those most cited are cultural activities, good schools, and public transit. But according to our new Gov there is no need for that tried and tested formula, we'll lower taxes and regulations...if that's even possible. C'mon people, the rest of the country is moving forward and we're getting left behind.

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by Maggi07

Florida already has some of the lowest taxes on corporations in the country. So, if it hasn't worked before, why would it work now?

So are *you* suggesting that we should just continue to do more and more of what we already know doesn't work?

while i always look at lowering taxes in a positive light, i think you are right in saying that the tax cuts might not have a significant effect. cutting regulations however will especially for small business who are always fighting an uphill battle with state bureaucrats.

i will concede though that there is more to the problem than cutting taxes and regulation. i have actually written to the gov on that point. florida needs an image overhaul. many view florida as the geriatric redneck state. before we can get the innovators to move here to found the next google or facebook, apple, or ms, we have to change peoples perceptions about our state. now i understand how many in the country like florida the way it is. in the big cities however the image must change. i think one of the avenues might be to follow california on medical marijuana and eventually to get decriminalisation on the ballot. just a thought

[58robbo]

Originally Posted by Crane's Rooster

Absolutely agree. We already have a low corporate tax structure and little to no law regulating employer conduct. As a right to work state, the employees here have almost no protection other than they can not be fired for racial/gender/age reasons. Other than that, anything goes. .

florida is heavily over regulated, maybe not in a labor sense but there are stupid rules for just about everything else. while that might not be a problem for huge conglomerates, for a small business trying to start, these regulations present a huge and often fatal impediment to small business

[Maggi07]

Originally Posted by 58robbo

while i always look at lowering taxes in a positive light, i think you are right in saying that the tax cuts might not have a significant effect. cutting regulations however will especially for small business who are always fighting an uphill battle with state bureaucrats.

i will concede though that there is more to the problem than cutting taxes and regulation. i have actually written to the gov on that point. florida needs an image overhaul. many view florida as the geriatric redneck state. before we can get the innovators to move here to found the next google or facebook, apple, or ms, we have to change peoples perceptions about our state. now i understand how many in the country like florida the way it is. in the big cities however the image must change. i think one of the avenues might be to follow california on medical marijuana and eventually to get decriminalisation on the ballot. just a thought

I agree with you. We do need an image makeover. And I bet if we got legalized marijuana on the ballot it would pass. I'm not sure that would be considered by our current legislature, but I guess I don't really know.

I applaud you for writing the governor about what you believe in. I've been writing and calling legislative members myself. It's one of the only tools we have. However, Scott really is not open to hearing anything from anyone that isn't fully on board with what he thinks, which is very concerning.