Rick Scott, promoting tax cut package, urges Jacksonville residents to pressure legislators

When Governor Rick Scott comes to Jacksonville, he typically is flanked by the mayor and members of City Council. Veterans Day found those august personages downtown at the parade; however, Governor Scott was on Jacksonville’s Southside, at MAC Papers‘ envelope plant, promoting his proposal of a billion dollars in tax cuts to benefit the manufacturing sector and small business.

Leading off the event, Scott posed a seemingly rhetorical question: “who likes taxes reduced?”

The answer to that is an obvious one.

Scott, a Navy veteran, specifically addressed Veterans Day, desiring to “thank every veteran” for “the freedoms we have.”

Freedoms which extend into the entrepreneurial space, of course.

MAC Papers, the orientation of which has been politically conservative for decades, has been around for 50 years. As Governor Scott noted, the company went from one shop to twenty-two locations across nine states.

That kind of bootstrap story jibes with Scott’s own personal narrative; a childhood in public housing, followed by a stint in the Navy, then, post-retirement, opening a donut shop before launching into other enterprises.

Much of what Scott said wasn’t new. He mentioned that he’s still calling former Texas Governor Rick Perry to brag about Florida’s job creation performance, though “he does remind me that he’s no longer governor.”

Of course, Scott wants to continue the momentum that has created 941,000 jobs during his tenure, and integral to that are tax cuts for manufacturers and small businesses, including permanent elimination of income tax for manufacturing and retail businesses, and on manufacturing machinery and equipment.

As well, Scott seeks to cut the tax on commercial leases, a tax which is unique to Florida.

All told, Scott proposes a “billion dollar investment,” which will “diversify the economy.”

To that end, a call to action: “let your House and Senate members know you care,” when it comes to tax cuts.

The call to action is purposeful; Scott can anticipate resistance in both chambers of the legislative branch.