Thursday, January 12, 2012

Casino Debates in Florida: Will it Help Or Hurt Unemployment?


Even in a still-recovering national economy, 2012 begins with good news on Florida's economic horizon. Unemployment is at its lowest rate in nearly 30 months, foreclosures are down, and we are seeing positive population growth. And most impressively, Florida was one of the top three states for private-sector job growth in 2011.

When it comes to securing Florida's future, we're on the right track — and that is not by accident. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has been working diligently with state and regional leaders on a framework to attract and create solid jobs for Floridians, with a focus on diversifying Florida's economy with high-wage, high-skill STEM-related jobs.


As we mark our progress and continue to embrace a positive agenda for significant and substantive economic growth, there is a serious threat facing our state. Masquerading as job creators, out-of-state and foreign casino operators are pushing a misguided plan to open our state to Las Vegas-style mega-casinos. In true Las Vegas fashion, they're spending millions of dollars pushing pie-in-the-sky promises of hitting a large jackpot in an effort to entice our leaders to risk Florida's overall economic development strategy, including our worldwide reputation as both a family-friendly destination and our increasingly innovation-related industries.

The destination casino gambling scheme is simply a bad bet for Florida unemployment.




Such a massive gambling expansion will cannibalize existing businesses and harm Florida employers, and it will cost — rather than create — good jobs. When mega-casinos were introduced to Atlantic City, 40 percent of restaurants and approximately 30 percent of retail shut down. Nevada — with all of its casinos — has led the nation in unemployment, foreclosures, violent crime and personal bankruptcy.

We believe what happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas.

When these out-of-state gambling promoters brought their proposal to the Sunshine State, the Florida Chamber was the first statewide organization to oppose them. We since have been joined by a growing coalition of key leaders and organizations, including the Florida Retail Federation, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Our growing coalition is increasingly concerned that this is a bad bet for Florida.


Debate surrounding gambling regulatory reforms should not be used as a Trojan horse to establish one of the world's largest Las Vegas-style casinos in our state.

Instead of betting on expanded gambling, Florida should continue on the path toward offering a world-class education, diversifying our economy, streamlining government systems and lowering the cost of business for Florida's job creators.

That's why we have worked through the Florida Chamber Foundation, in collaboration with the state business leaders, to identify the Six Pillars of Florida's Future — areas identified as critical to securing a solid and bright economic outlook. Data show, unequivocally, that these efforts are bearing fruit, and we must not let up. With the beginning of our annual legislative session, we will bolster these gains by pushing an aggressive jobs growth agenda.

This seriously flawed plan being pushed by out-of-state and foreign gambling giants is nothing but a huge distraction that takes Florida's focus off more meaningful economic options and actions that need to be pursued. Now is not the time to lose focus on the importance of improving education, diversifying our economy and growing private-sector jobs that will help secure Florida's future. We can't do that if Florida is detoured by gambling's house of cards.

As Florida's economy recovers and our population continues to grow, let's not lose sight that out-of-state casinos need Florida — Florida doesn't need casinos.

You can help protect a better future for Florida. Contact your state legislators and urge them to reject Las Vegas-style mega-casinos in Florida and to build our economy the right way.

#Florida #Unemployment


Written By: Mark Quinones, Editorial Columnist

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