Staff Reports
The LIBRE Initiative is calling on the Florida Legislature to put an end to corporate welfare.
In a new Spanish-language digital ad, the organization calls on Floridians to contact their lawmakers and tell them “the game’s over; end this corporate welfare.” The 60-second spot is similar to one released earlier this month by Americans for Prosperity-Florida, which compared economic incentives to gambling and said the incentives “haven’t paid out.”
Both the LIBRE Initiative and Americans for Prosperity-Florida are aligned with the Koch brothers.
“Hispanic families and small business owners across Florida deserve a fair, competitive free market where the government does not pick winners and losers. This is why the Florida Senate should pass a responsible budget that doesn’t fund corporate welfare and special interests,” said Cesar Grajales, the coalitions director of the LIBRE Initiative, in a statement. “Ending these wasteful, unfair programs is an important step toward breaking down barriers to economic growth and opportunity. Stopping this broken system will lead to economic progress and increasing prosperity that benefits everyone – not just well-connected corporations.”
The House budget does not include funding for Enterprise Florida and associated economic incentive programs. The Senate, however, has approved a 2017-18 budget that includes funding for Enterprise Florida.
The LIBRE ad comes as state lawmakers are working to resolve a budget stalemate.
See the ad in Spanish:
Here’s the ad in English:
