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Who Created 85-Thousand Jobs?

August 2nd, 2011 by flanews

Governor Rick Scott won the election promising to create 700-thousand jobs in seven years. The jobs, he promised, would be on top of the ones created by the natural economic rebound of the state’s economy. But what jobs are being created by the economy and what jobs are being created by Scott? As Whitney Ray tells us, even Scott admits, it’s hard to tell.

Governor Rick Scott has lived up to his campaign slogan ever since he took the oath of office. Twelve hour work days and seven day work weeks, spent calling business leaders, eliminating regulations and lowering taxes, all in an effort to create jobs. He promised 700-thousand of them in seven years.

The Scott jobs are supposed to be above and beyond the one million economists predicted will be created naturally as the economy rebounds from the recession.

And we are starting to see signs we are in that rebound. The unemployment rate is down from 12 to 10 percent since Scott took office.

“Florida has had a gain in jobs over the month now for five months,” said Rebecca Rust, Chief Economists for AWI.

Since then Florida has added 85-thousand jobs; but which ones can be credited to Scott? We asked.

Reporter: These 85-thousand jobs that have been created since January 1st, will these jobs count toward your goal of 700-thousand in seven years?

Scott: I hope they count.

But how can you tell the difference between a Scott job and one created by the economy? We asked that too.

Reporter: How do you determine which ones are on top of the natural economic growth?

Scott: you can’t, you can’t.

In the end the 900-thousand unemployed Floridians don’t’ care how a job is created, just as long as they can find one that pays a decent wage. Critics of Scott’s plan say, the governor has actually cost the state more jobs than he’s created. They point to the elimination of 13-hundred state jobs and Scott’s rejection of two billion dollars in federal high speed rail money.

Posted in Economy, Rick Scott, State News | No Comments »

New Threads: for the Gov

August 2nd, 2011 by flanews

Governor Rick Scott is sporting a new look these days and he says it has nothing to do with the recent heat wave.

Scott conducted the state’s business today in khakis and an oxford shirt instead of suit and tie. The shirt is embroidered with the state seal and his name. Scott has five different colors. He says he never liked wearing ties.

“I though that as governor you should wear ties, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I enjoy not wearing ties. It’s also less expensive. I haven’t bought ties in a long time,” said Scott.

Scott began sporting the new look last month. The cloths aren’t the only thing that’s changed. Scott is also spending much more time with reporters and plans to shadow a journalist soon as part of his new work-a-day program. The program launches tomorrow in Tampa when Scott will work at a donut shop.

Posted in Rick Scott, State News | 1 Comment »

He Was Scheduled to Die Today

August 2nd, 2011 by flanews

Had he not received a stay of execution, Manuel Valle would have been killed today.

Valle won a stay of execution while the courts debate whether or not the state’s new lethal injection drug is effective enough to give Valle a humane death. The drug came under suspicion after it was used to kill a Georgia inmate and witnesses said he looked like he was in pain. It’s been used since then with no reports of trouble. Attorney General Pam Bondi has a team of lawyers working on the case in Miami.

“Our lawyers are down there, they are working diligently on it and we feel confident that that execution will take place, it should take place. This man murdered a police officer,” said Bondi.

Valle was sentenced to die for the murder of a Coral Gable’s police officer 33 years ago. If the courts rule the drug meets legal standards, Valle will be executed September 1st.

Posted in Criminal Justice, State News, Supreme Court | No Comments »

Citizens Probably Owed Something

August 2nd, 2011 by flanews

Florida’s Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty says Citizen’s sinkhole insurance is probably too low. Citizens is asking the Office of Insurance Regulation for a 400 percent sinkhole rate hike.

400 percent is an average; the hike would be over 2000 percent in some counties. McCarty says he hasn’t received the rate hike request yet, but since Citizens rates were capped for five years, a hike of some sort is probably warranted.

“Citizens was subject to a rate cap so I think it’s important to note that there is a pent up rate need of some kind,” said McCarty.

If the rate is approved the commissioner has the authority to phase in the increase over a three year period.

Posted in Insurance, State News | No Comments »

Unemployment Goes Online

August 1st, 2011 by flanews

Beginning today, jobless Floridians applying for unemployment benefits must do it online. The new requirement is filling up taxpayer funded career centers with computer labs. But as Whitney Ray tells us, people with internet access can apply for benefits from home without being put on hold.

Laptop in hand, Diego Salinas searches for a wireless internet signal to check the status of his unemployment claim.

Starting Monday, all jobless Floridians trying to claim unemployment benefits must apply online instead of over the phone.

“I think it’s a legit thing. I think what the State of Florida is doing is good for everybody,” said Deigo.

Applying online takes about half an hour. Go to Floridajobs.org, click on the UC services box in the bottom right hand corner. Click on Unemployment Benefits Claim, check a box claiming you are who you say you are, create a pin number and from there enter your employment history.

Be sure to have your social security number, driver’s license and a list of your former employers on hand. Also new Monday, people receiving benefits have to prove they contacted at least five employers. Diego says if you’re really job hunting, providing proof isn’t hard.

“It’s pretty fast because I do all my searches through email, so I just had to provide the email, date of contact and method so that’s pretty much it,” said Diego.

Diego has an internet connection at home so he can file anytime, but for the thousands of other jobseekers without computers, they’ll have to use the labs at the one stop career centers throughout the state. Moving the unemployment claims process online is expected to save the state more than four million dollars.

Posted in State News, Unemployment | 2 Comments »

Governor Talks Over Donuts

August 1st, 2011 by flanews

Governor Rick Scott and the capital press corps shared donuts and coffee for more than an hour this morning. Scott hosted an open house for reporters at his office for the first time since he became governor. Scott talked about everything from growing up poor to buying his first business. A donut shop.

“Once we got out of the donut business we didn’t have donuts for five years, because what we did in the donut business is we gave everybody all the free donuts they wanted, who worked there, because after the second day you won’t want eat them, because you can’t take all that sugar in your body,” said Scott.

Reporters were allowed to ask questions for about an hour, a far cry from the first six months of his administration when reporters found it more difficult to get access to the governor. Political strategists say Scott is changing his communications strategy in an effort to better communicate his message with the public.

Posted in Hurricane Season, Rick Scott, State News | No Comments »

Scott Reaction to Debt Debate

August 1st, 2011 by flanews

Governor Rick Scott told reporters over donuts this morning Washington’s debt deal doesn’t cut spending enough. The deal promises to cut 1.2 trillion dollars over the next decade. Tomorrow is the deadline to reach a deal to keep the US from defaulting on its payments. Scott says he’s glad the country will avoid default, but more needs to be done.

“If we don’t learn how to control our spending at the federal level, there is a day of reckoning at some point,” said Scott.

Scott supports a balanced budget amendment to the US constitution that would require the federal government to balance its budget with its income, not credit, much like states have to.

Posted in Rick Scott, State News | No Comments »

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