The Florida Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) have not always seen eye-to-eye when it comes to public policy, but as the 2013 legislative session comes to a close they're certainly agreed on one thing: Gov. Rick Scott "is working" for Florida.
Frankly, it is working, Brad Swanson, the Chamber's vice president of corporate and strategic partnerships, tells Sunshine State News, echoing Scott's signature campaign slogan. If you look at what Governor Scott has done since he's come into office, Florida's unemployment continues to buck the national trend and outperform. New jobs are constantly being created. In general, job creators can see Florida really is a better place to do business.
On Wednesday the Chamber released its quarterly Small Business Index Survey, measuring Florida small-business owners' assessment about the state of the economy and their projections about the future of their businesses. According to the most recent survey, 36 percent of these business owners believe they are better off today than six months ago up 4 percent since December. Hiring is also up: 32 percent of employers plan to hire new workers during the next six months up from 29 percent just five months ago.
Finally, 42 percent are reporting higher sales compared to last year; 55 percent believe the economy will improve over the next year, while 61 percent believe it will improve over the next three years.
This governor has been more engaged in directly soliciting businesses to relocate to Florida than any governor I've worked with for at least the last 20 years, Bill Herrle, NFIB's Florida executive director, tells SSN. [Scott's] told me personally: 'I don't care if it's one job or a hundred jobs, if you know any business owner thinking of coming to Florida, tell me: I'll call him personally.'
We've done that, and he does that. It's been a genuine demonstrable commitment of time he's spent to recruit businesses to Florida, both domestic and international.
But not all is well. A large majority 68 percent of the state's small-business owners are worried or very worried that taxes and regulations will negatively impact their businesses. Asked to explain how that can possibly square with these same owners' optimism, Swanson points to a disconnect between Florida's regulatory policy and that of the Obama administration and U.S. Senate Democrats.
While businesses acknowledge the challenges in permitting, and the challenges to hiring, and issues that are coming down from the regulatory tsunami in Washington, D.C., they see that Florida is not necessarily following the national trend, he explains.
Herrle agrees, pointing to several measures taken by Scott in order to make the state more competitive and to attract business.
He recognizes that the Caribbean is blossoming, it's booming; South America is doing fantastic, the Panama Canal is expanding, he says. And Scott, smartly, got in there and pushed for us to upgrade our ports so we can be in a position to compete for that trade.
Besides merely cheerleading for the state's business community it's not the sophisticated, high-powered hospital executives who he appeals to, it's the kid starting the doughnut shop, said Herrle Swanson and Herrle both praised Scott's advocacy for, and ratification of, legislation that reduces the tax and regulatory burden on businesses.
Both the House and the Senate approved Wednesday a sales tax exemption on manufacturing equipment. The tax break was one of Scott's chief legislative priorities this session.
We've got to have something to put on those ships coming into our ports, Herrle said of the machinery falling under the exemption, just before the House delivered its vote Wednesday evening.
Reach Eric Giunta at egiunta@sunshinestatenews.com or at (954) 235-9116.
