Fresh off winning a second term in November, Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., turned his eyes to the future on Tuesday as he offered his fifth State of the State address, insisting Florida is an exceptional place" as he showcased the Sunshine State and called for more tax cuts and less government intervention in the economy.
Praising legislators for sharing a love for our great state," Scott outlined his take on what makes Florida unique.
We all have our own ideas, and we debate with vigor, Scott said. But I do believe it is important to acknowledge that we all have common goals for the families that live in our great state. We want every person in Florida to have the opportunity to live the dream of America. I believe we are the best place in the country and the world to make dreams come true. I call this Florida exceptionalism.
Scott highlighted the economic strides Florida made during his first term in Tallahassee.
In the last four years, the unemployment rate in Florida has dropped in half from 11.1 percent to 5.6 percent the second biggest drop in unemployment in the United States, Scott said. We have added over 728,000 new private-sector jobs. We have 279,000 job openings right now in our state. In the last year, around 250,000 people moved to our state and we are now the third biggest state in the nation -- bigger than New York. From 1992-2011, Florida inherited $100 billion in adjusted gross income from other states. This is more than one-eighth of our annual GDP.
Scott also showcased record-high tourism helping spur the Sunshine States economy and continued growth in ports, logistics, international trade and bringing new companies to Florida.
Our investments in ports are working, with over 150,000 trade jobs added in the last four years, Scott said. We have also made significant investments in our airports, which has helped bring record numbers of tourists to Florida. Enterprise Florida has won over 400 competitive projects for new jobs, projects like Hertz and Navy Federal Credit Union. We are a right-to-work state. We are the gateway to Latin America. We are the No. 2 state for trade infrastructure. We are also No. 2 for aerospace and aviation establishments in the U.S. We are the second best state for business by CEO Magazine, and we will soon be No. 1.
Scott pointed toward reduced crime across Florida and many factors leading to a strong business climate.
We are home to over 250 languages, Scott said. We are at a 43-year-low in our crime rate. We are clearly the best melting pot in the world. Housing prices are up. Taxes are down. We have cut taxes more than 40 times in four years. We have no personal income tax. The average person pays about $1,800 in state taxes in Florida the lowest in the nation. Lowest number of state workers per capita in the country and we are going to continue to look for productivity gains. Our LLCs and Subchapter S corporations don't pay a business tax. Over 80 percebt of our C corporations dont pay the business tax. We have reduced taxes for our small businesses.
Scott also noted his administrations efforts to reduce state debt and to progress in education.
Our fourth-graders are No. 2 in the world in reading, Scott said. The National Council on Teacher Quality says we have the best equipped teachers in the nation for two surveys in a row. Our state colleges offer $10,000 degrees in areas where our students can get a job. When we held the line on tuition last year, the price of a Florida Prepaid Plan dropped in half.
Reviewing the efforts of father of air conditioning John Gorrie, Gilded Age railroad developer Henry Flagler, Publix founder George Jenkins and Walt Disneys efforts to build Walt Disney World, Scott said Florida is an exceptional place that has welcomed dreamers seeking greater opportunities.
Florida has long been a place where dreams come true, Scott said. But, this is not just our past it is our future. We have to ask ourselves who has the next big dream for Florida? Who are the inventors? The builders? The trailblazers? We want more people to chase their dreams in Florida.
Noting he was now a grandfather, Scott said he wanted to ensure Florida remains the place where our childrens and grandchildrens dreams come true but insisted the only way to do that was for the Sunshine State to out-compete the rest of the world.
Scott said one way of doing that was by slashing taxes, including highlighting his proposal to cut cellphone and TV services taxes by $470 million, his call to eliminate the manufacturing sales tax and his plan to eliminate the sales tax on college textbooks.
Businesses can spend their money and create jobs better than government can. Scott said. Students can spend their money better than government can. It should not require a federal loan and decades of debt for students to get a college degree. Price limits access plain and simple.
Remaining focused on higher education, Scott pointed to his efforts to hold graduate tuition in place.
I want to work with you this year to pass a college affordability bill that will hold the line on graduate school tuition and bring transparency to university costs, Scott said. Just like any business, we should expect education to become more affordable each year, not more expensive. Let us never again say that we have to raise tuition because tuition in other states is higher than ours. We dont raise taxes when other states have taxes higher than ours, and we shouldnt raise tuition when other states have higher tuition.
Scott also called for more investment in workforce training including promoting tech centers and expanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by offering more promotions and ensuring Florida College System schools offer degrees in those areas with costs of $10,000 or less.
The governor also called for more money in K-12 schools to make Florida more competitive.
We must invest in K-12 education, Scott said. This year, we are recommending an increase in K-12 funding to $50 above the historic level to $7,176 per student. Four years ago, I stood before you and said we would have to make some hard decisions. And we did. We made reductions that dipped into education, knowing that when the economy improved we could invest again. Many of these decisions were unpopular, but by living within our means it created an environment for success. Few thought we could add 728,000 jobs, have the highest funding for education, and invest in our environment just four years later. But, we did it together and we have more work to do.
Now that our economy is thriving, it is time to make major investments in education, Scott added. Lets not squander our budget surplus on special interests. Our budget should reflect the principles we campaigned on, or in other words we should do exactly what we told voters we would do.
Scott called for more investment in preserving the environment.
Our recommended budget includes more than $3 billion for environmental and agriculture programs which includes a total of $150 million in funding to protect the Everglades and another $150 million that will help protect land for the Florida panther, Scott said. It is important to point out that our recommended environmental investments in land and water programs will be $82 million above what is required by Amendment 1.
Scott admitted his goals were bold but called on legislators to back his agenda since we share the exact same vision."
We want Florida to be the best place in the world for our children and grandchildren to live their dreams, Scott said. We agree on more than we disagree on. We want to give families back more of the money they earn, and reduce the burden of government. In the weeks ahead, I expect some people will try to divide us. They will try to distract us. But ...I believe we can come together with our shared desire to improve this great state.
I commit to all of you that I will be a tireless partner in your fight to make Florida the best place in the world for all of our children and grandchildren to get a great job and live their dreams, Scott added.
Everything is possible in Florida, Scott concluded. We are now in the lead; and its ours to lose. We have to avoid any temptation to stand down or rest on our laurels. And of course, even with our tremendous progress, there are still some Floridians who have not yet found their opportunity. Having grown up in a family that was at times down on our luck, I know the importance of each and every family having an opportunity. Remembering those tough times drives me every day to do all I can to give each and every one of our citizens the chance to realize their dreams. Government cannot guarantee outcomes for everyone, but we should all be united in our desire to guarantee opportunities for everyone who is willing to work hard. I am looking forward to working side by side with you during session to achieve our shared goals, inspire future generations to dream, and keep Florida working.
Scott was more self-deprecating than usual, mocking his own world-renowned oratorical skills.
Its OK, you can laugh, it was meant to be a joke, Scott said with a smile.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
