Bills supported by Gov. Charlie Crist and aimed at making Florida's 14 ports more competitive in the expanding global market took broadside hits Wednesday, with members of the House Economic Development Committee cutting away a whopping $420 million from what had been a $500 million ports package.
About the same time the committee was taking an axe to the proposed funding in the legislation, Crist and the bill's sponsors were holding a press conference to draw attention to how many new jobs the legislation would create.
It didn't help.
The ports package was passed out of committee with only $80 million remaining to lure new businesses and create jobs.
Seeking to put a positive spin on the outcome, a spokesperson for the governor later said that the funding is for "shovel-ready projects" and additional funding can be sought in later years.
Crist has been campaigning for the legislation for the past week, appearing in the port city of Jacksonville for a town hall meeting on Friday with one bill sponsor.
Port experts agree Florida needs to improve its ports before the Panama Canal expansion project is completed in 2014 and larger cargo ships begin arriving. Estimates maintain that the expansion project, the largest renovation of the canal since its creation, will double the traffic in the canal.
International trade is an economic driver in Florida, Crist said, adding that Floridas 14 seaports generated $82 billion for the economy and $1.7 billion in revenue for the state.
Every dollar invested in ports leads to a $7 benefit, Crist said. Jobs, jobs, jobs, thats what its all about.
Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, and Rep. Lake Ray, R-Jacksonville, sponsors of the legislation, appeared at the news conference beside Crist Wednesday.
Ray said that commercial trade through the seaports accounted for 550,000 jobs and $66 billion in salaries. The ports also provide jobs to 126,000 Floridians in the cruise industry. The average salary for port jobs is $54,400."
Crist and Ray also talked about the ports issue on Friday during a town hall meeting in Jacksonville and the governor pledged his administration would do all that it can to ensure the passage of the measures.
Florida faces competition for the mega cargo ships that will arrive after the expansion. Other states are targeting the state of Florida for jobs, Ray said, referring to ports in New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Houston, Oakland, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Ray said, Doing nothing will lose jobs.
HB 963 and SB 2000 would streamline the process that allows new companies to use the 14 ports in Florida. HB 1169 and SB 1992 establish and fund the Florida Ports Investment Corporation, which would oversee using tax credits to lure new business to the states ports.
While the Senate legislation passed through the Commerce Committee it still has three other committees to clear.
Interim President of the Florida Ports Council Nancy Leikauf said, We are wholly supportive of the legislation being sponsored by Rep. Ray and Sen. Rinks. Every port in Florida will benefit when the Panama Canal is widened."
Kevin Derby can be reached at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or (850) 727-0859.
