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Topical Breezes
Following the Currents that Guide Florida's Future
Can Florida's jobless rate get below the national average?
Joe Saunders
Facilitator
The Sunshine State's unemployment rate has dropped since Gov. Rick Scott took office in January, 2010, but remains higher than the national average. What can be done to get the state's rate below the national average? And what could the jobless picture mean in a state up for grabs in November's presidential election?
Lenny Curry
Republican Party of Florida Chairman

"As a candidate, Rick Scott ran on the promise to get Floridians back to work and now, as governor, he's delivering. Under his leadership, Florida has started to see increases in job creation and economic growth. Thanks to the common sense, pro-growth policies put in place by the governor and Republican leaders in the Legislature, Florida's unemployment rate has continued to decline for 11 straight months as businesses begin to hire again and Floridians get back to work. It now sits at 8.6 percent — the lowest we've seen since December 2008. What Florida needs now is a national partner in the White House who will help fight overregulation, reduce the tax burden on families and small businesses and stop outrageous deficit spending.

"The economy will be the No. 1 issue for Americans this election, and President Obama can't run from his dismal economic record. After three years, Obama's policies have failed to live up to his promises — unemployment has remained too high for too long and our economy is struggling to recover. America needs a president like Mitt Romney who understands that government doesn't create jobs — the free enterprise system does. That system has lifted more people out of poverty than any government program, and that's what will get our nation back on the path to prosperity. It’s working for Florida, and our state could serve as a model for the nation."

Rod Smith
Florida Democratic Party Chairman

A rising national economic tide will lift all boats – but Gov. Rick Scott’s extremist policies seem intent on weighing our ship down.

Thanks to President Obama’s policies, our national economy has added jobs every month for over two years straight. But here in Florida, we have one of the highest unemployment ratings in the country – behind states like Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana.

This failure belongs to Gov. Scott. From voter purges to voter suppression, Scott has prioritized an extreme agenda which has done little to spur job creation and falls far short of the “7-7-7” plan he campaigned on.

Look for Mitt Romney and Rick Scott to continue to disagree about the state of Florida’s economy, as the Governor undercuts one of Romney’s core messages at every turn.

 

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by Dr. Radut.