Florida Chamber looks ahead to 2010 election - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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“It was a tough said Marty Fiorentino, the president of the priotr tothe meeting. “It was tougn because the budget dominated According to the president and CEO of the Floridaa Chamber of Commerce Mark the current state budgetis $66.45 billion, compared to the $73.3 billion the previous In addition, the budget includes $5.3 billion of federal stimulus moneyy that will disappear in two “That’s the lowest it’s been in a decade,” he said. “Thias is why it’s important to developp of strategic planfor Florida, and maybe the business community needsw to put the plan into place.
” Thirtuy years ago, Florida was the fifth cheapest states to live in, and now it is the 14th most as 7 million more people are expected to live in state by the year Wilson said during the presentation in Jacksonville. In orde to deal with economic the Florida Chamber encouraged the Legislature durinyg the 2009 sessionto “do no harm” by refrainin g from imposing taxes on businesses saying they will come out of the crisies on their own.
And they said the business communityy needs to unite and elect people bases on the direction Florida needs to be For the2010 election, 140 of the 160 Florida legislativew seats will be up for Fiorentino said, and the election will pick a new governor. Even thougnh the next election is still more than ayear off, the Floridsa Chamber of Commerce is preparing for Presidenft Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillar y Clinton to come to persuade Floridz voters to elect Democratic officials for the statd government, especially because Florida turne d from red to blue in the last presidentia election. “We are already full-blown in the next Wilson said.
They are especially concerned about the HometownDemocracy amendment, already in place on next year’s ballot, that will requird all land use changes to meet voter approval. The Chambere will be campaigning very hard in hopew the amendment will not saidSteve Halverson, the president and CEO of Haskell and the upcominh chair for the Florida Chamber in 2010. Other bills that were on the Chamber’sz agenda during the 2009 Legislative includedlower workers’ comp costs, property tax growth leadership, higher education and property insurance All of those initiatives passed duringg the session, and Halverson said he’ss excited to see how they will affect “These times are important,” he “We’ve seen our state suffer through this economy, and it’as time businesses started to pave the road.
Jacksonville has a powerfulk democracy todo that.”