Lenny Curry: Rick Scott’s tax cuts continue his record of helping Florida’s economy

Here’s where we are, Florida.

Gov. Rick Scott has cut taxes five times in the last three legislative sessions: property taxes, business income taxes, sales taxes on manufacturing equipment and machinery. Almost 370,000 private-sector jobs have been created. Our unemployment rate has been dramatically reduced to 7 percent, below the national average, surpassing economists’ expectations.

Clearly, it’s working.

Nobody understands this better than me. My company is in the jobs business, specifically executive recruiting and staffing. In the years under Charlie Crist, it was definitely not working. Our economy was floundering, and my company was forced to downsize. Our client’s businesses were also downsizing, making it harder to find jobs for qualified individuals. I spent countless hours talking to prospective candidates who had 20 to 30 years of experience but still couldn’t find work.

Now, thanks to the economic know-how of Governor Scott and our Republican-led Legislature, we’re looking at a significant budget surplus this coming fiscal year. Gov. Scott wants to give some of that money back to Floridians by cutting $500 million in taxes and fees.

What do the Democrats have to say about this goal? Nan Rich, the only announced opponent in the race for governor, asks if we really need tax cuts. Other Democratic legislators say that, instead of cutting taxes, we should fund more things like social welfare programs with this extra money.

This is the same old, failed, liberal drumbeat we’ve heard for ages. They say tax cuts are spending cuts. If we cut taxes, we necessarily have to cut programs. They say our schools will crumble, and claim we need to tax more so that we can generate more revenue for bigger government.

This ideology has failed for a reason.

Conservatives, like Rick Scott, have the right idea – incentivize business and grow the economy. This will create more jobs, which will create more taxpayers to increase revenue. In turn, our robust economy will provide a stable base of funding for our schools, social welfare programs and others. If we continue to tax citizens, they have less to invest in the economy. If we want to provide government safety nets for our most vulnerable, then we need to have taxpayers with good paying jobs providing those safety nets.

Where is the proof that the conservative strategy actually works? It’s in Gov. Scott’s record.

Now that he’s eliminated more than 2,600 regulations, marketed our attractive business climate to other states, and greatly reduced the unemployment rate from the days of Charlie Crist, he’s put Florida in an incredible position of strength. Together with the Legislature, he’s paid down our state debt by $3.6 billion and repaid the federal government $3.5 billion for unemployment insurance. On top of paying off our debt, he’s put away $1.5 billion in a rainy day fund for the Sunshine State. Our schools are also much better off, with record state-based funding in K-12 education and much deserved pay raises for our teachers.

Every Floridian, especially business owners like me, can see that Gov. Scott is good for Florida. Thanks to the economic climate he has created, my company is growing again and clients are hiring. He’s consistent in his push for jobs and consistent in his record of cutting taxes and regulations. When Democrats say that the proposed $500 million in tax cuts is simply just a reelection gimmick, look at the other major tax cuts he’s passed for Florida’s families and job creators. Governor Scott is going to win reelection because he is doing the right thing for our state – trusting the people with their money.