Despite failing to get his agenda through the Legislature, Gov. Rick Scott declared victory on Monday as he crossed the Sunshine State, showcasing his economic record.
The Legislature adjourned Friday without passing Scott’s call for an additional $250 million each year to help Enterprise Florida lure businesses to the state. Scott’s $1 billion tax cut proposal was mostly rejected with only a fraction of his proposed cuts making it into the final budget.
Scott launched his “Million, Billion Jobs Victory Tour” in Jacksonville on Monday morning before heading to Orlando later in the day where he announced there were 36,000 new jobs created in January when the state unemployment rate stood at 5 percent.
“I am excited to announce the creation of 36,000 new jobs over the month of January as we travel the state today on our ‘Million, Billion Jobs Victory Tour,’” Scott said before noting the number of jobs created in the Sunshine State since he took over in January and highlighting $1 billion in tax cuts in the last two years. “These are incredible milestones for Florida’s economic growth, and we will continue our focus on creating even more jobs and cutting even more taxes.”
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Cissy Proctor also showcased Scott‘s economic record on Monday.
“Florida continues to be a beacon of economic success across the nation and globe,” Proctor said. “For five years, Florida’s economy has rapidly grown, and our state’s solid record of job-creation endures in 2016.”
Over the past year, there were 66,300 new jobs in professional and business services, 50,500 new jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector and almost 40,000 new jobs in trade, transportation and utilities.
Despite the victory lap Scott took, members of his administration warned the Legislature that failing to provide the additional funds to Enterprise Florida would cost the state jobs. Bill Johnson, the president and CEO, insisted last month that as many as 50,000 jobs were at stake.
Americans for Prosperity’s (AFP) Florida chapter led the charge against the additional funds for Enterprise Florida. On Friday, Chris Hudson, AFP’s director in Florida, cheered the Legislature for rejecting Scott’s proposal.
“This was an impressive legislative session for those who believe in standing on principle,” Hudson said. “Floridians should be incredibly proud of their legislators that delivered on their promises that they were going to come to Tallahassee and fight back special interests from continuing to line their pockets with taxpayer money.
“This Legislature stuck to their guns and ensured that there would be drastic cuts to a broken public-private program that hasn’t lived up to its end of the bargain, and zero in allocations to yet another new incentive fund designed to give large cash handouts to private companies,” Hudson added.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
