Jim Rosica
Gov. Rick Scott announced Tuesday he will be “leading an economic development mission to Chicago this week to share why businesses in Chicago should consider moving their operations to Florida.”
In a news release, Scott said: “Over the past seven years, we have cut taxes more than 75 times in Florida, saving our taxpayers more than $7 billion, and leading to the creation of more than 1.3 million private sector jobs.
“Florida’s success story is in stark contrast to the anti-business policies that have overburdened Chicago families and companies for far too long,” he added. “That is why I will be leading an economic development mission to Chicago to meet with site selectors and job creators and encourage them to move to and invest in Florida.”
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is a Republican; Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is a Democrat.
“While Gov. Rauner has tried to grow Illinois’ economy, Chicago leaders and state legislators have for years been passing shortsighted policies and overwhelming increases of taxes and fees,” Scott went on.
“In fact, the average Chicago family today pays nearly $1,700 more in taxes and fees every year than they paid only seven years ago,” he said. “While Florida has been able to pay down $7.6 billion in state debt and increase general revenues by more than 30 percent without raising taxes, Chicago Mayor Emanuel and city leaders announced yet another proposed round of burdensome tax and fee increases just last week.
“This follows the state legislature passing an increase to the state income tax earlier this summer, overriding Gov. Rauner’s veto and strict opposition to such a burdensome tax increase. The entire nation needs to follow Florida’s lead, but until then, we will keep calling on businesses to move to Florida.”
The governor has long targeted states or regions with Democratic leadership for “domestic business development missions.”
For example, this summer he set his aim on Connecticut, led by Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy.
And in 2015, he targeted Pennsylvania, whose governor is Democrat Tom Wolf. That trip resulted in news that the Pennsylvania-based Wawa convenience-store chain was expanding into the Fort Myers market, as well as Broward and Palm Beach counties.
