Get Florida Working Again

The biggest challenge in Florida and the nation today is the failing economy. We need to create jobs and recruit new industry, but we also need to reward existing businesses. Getting our economy moving, creating new jobs and opportunity for all Floridians, making Florida a leader in America’s energy independence and new green technology. It's Time for a better tomorrow.

Darrin McGillis will be a jobs Governor. He understands that each and every Floridian has been impacted by this economic downturn and that people are anxious about what the future holds.

He will make his top priority bringing new jobs and greater opportunity to every corner of Florida. Darrin McGillis has bold ideas and specific proposals to help overcome the challenges Florida is facing and get our economy moving again.

Darrin is focused on growing the state's economy, creating new jobs, re-training our workforce for 21st century jobs, and allowing all citizens of Florida to achieve their ultimate dreams.

Every Floridian will benefit from the vision of a robust private sector, more incentives for businesses that locate in Florida, and a government that lives within its means, thereby allowing citizens to keep more of what they earn to invest and to spend as they see fit.

• Tax relief and tax credits for businesses who create jobs

• Cut red tape and regulation on Florida businesses

• Creation of a Regulatory Reform Task Force to eliminate out dated, redundant and overly burdensome regulations

• Streamline regulations to make Florida the easiest and best place in America to open and operate a small business

• Direct more resources to programs that help create jobs

• Make Florida the nation's leader in energy development

• Build a transportation system for the 21st century

• Restore fiscal integrity to state government

Under a McGillis administration all products manufactured, built, and sold in Florida establishments will be 100% sales tax free. This will increase sales of Florida manufactured products which in turn will create new Florida jobs.

As Governor Darrin McGillis will help Florida’s small businesses lower health insurance costs by allowing the purchase of health insurance policies from out-of-state insurance companies that offer better rates or better coverage. More competition and more consumer choice will lower costs.

McGillis will reduce the corporate business tax rate to give Florida a competitive advantage

• It will be a top priority for the McGillis Administration to reduce corporate business tax rates. Reducing the corporate business tax rate, as part of an overall economic recovery effort, will create a better business climate to attract private sector investment.

Darrin McGillis will create the “Florida Partnership for Jobs” that will serve as a one-stop shop for new businesses to make opening in or relocating to Florida easier. This agency will walk new companies through the regulatory process and assist with tax incentives to make the process more efficient.

• By creating these public-private partnerships to implement economic growth strategies, Florida will more successfully foster private sector job growth.

• CEO’s and business leaders will work hand-in-hand with the McGillis Administration to help attract their fellow CEO’s and “sell” Florida to their business colleagues.

• The Partnership will act as an effective system to help potential investors or prospective business owners obtain their lawful regulatory or other governmental approvals in a timely fashion. The Partnership will ensure regulatory decisions in a reasonable time frame.

• The Chair of the Partnership will be the Lieutenant Governor, restoring a voice for economic development in the Governor’s cabinet. One of the Lieutenant Governor’s principal responsibilities will be to lead this agency and create an effective infrastructure for economic growth.

CUT EXCESSIVE RED TAPE

PROVIDE RELIEF FROM OVERBEARING REGULATION

Create a permanent “Red Tape Committee”

The McGillis Administration will overhaul Florida’s regulations – restoring balance and fairness – by creating a permanent “Red Tape Committee.” The “Red Tape Committee” will bring both elected branches of government together in a bi-partisan fashion to perform a top to- bottom overhaul and review.

The Red Tape Committee will ensure rules meet a series of requirements.

• Sound science or other technical basis

• Consistent with other state policy goals

• Consistent with legislative intent

• Protect and promote the public interest, including the urgent need for economic development and private-sector job creation.

The Review Committee will recommend rescinding rules that do not meet these requirements.

Implement an immediate freeze on proposed new rules and regulations

The McGillis Administration will put an immediate freeze on proposed new rules and regulations, except those deemed necessary for public emergency, until the Red Tape Committee completes its review.

Promote transparency in the process of creating new rules and policy

Proposed rules will not be adopted until all implementing policy procedures and documents (such as technical manuals and forms) are in place and are available for inspection and public comment and input. McGillis will strictly limit agency policy and rule development that often occurs outside the public input.

Eliminate agency funding from fees and fine's

McGillis will remove the incentive for regulatory agencies to charge excessive or unnecessary fees and fines by restoring their funding “on-budget” from the general fund. Agencies will no longer rely on fees and fines for their own funding, removing their built-in incentives to over-regulate and over-charge.

It's Time for a better tomorrow, and to put the people of Florida first:

• In 2007, the unemployment rate in Florida was 3.3 percent - less than a third of what it is today as more than 1 million Floridians can't find work. One in every 705 Florida homes was in foreclosure when Republican Charlie Crist took office. Now the foreclosure rate is 1 of 165, according to Realty Trac data service.