In State of State speech, Gov. Rick Scott's usual jobs focus overlooks communities

Remarkably, Gov. Rick Scott took a reflective tone in the opening remarks of Tuesday's State of the State speech before the Legislature and guests, stating: "I know our work that is eternal is the time we spend investing in other people -- our families, for sure. But we also do work of lasting significance when we invest in the lives of our friends and neighbors."

By neighbors, Scott elaborated by including "all 20 million of them across our great state." He even spoke of the need for a "safety net" to help those in desperate need.

We will hold the governor to those words.

By far, the bulk of his short speech focused on his "jobs, jobs, jobs" mantra, a script he's stuck with all his years. This year, once again, he's pitching priorities he's embraced for years -- this time, $1 billion in tax cuts, mostly for businesses, and another $250 million in corporate welfare to spend on luring employers to Florida.

Last year, Scott wanted $700 million in tax breaks, but the Legislature approved only a little more than half that. The governor's request on incentive money is mystifying considering almost all of the $264 million allocated since 2011 remains unspent or was returned.

In trotting out human props to cement his message, Scott overlooked one critical element: Those young, successful entrepreneurs all built their own enterprises in the current business climate.

Scott talks about job creation strictly from a money perspective, tax dollars. Investing in Floridians would also serve as an economic development tool. The state would be wise to invest more in:

Education. Atop the employer list of essential elements to relocating is a state that can deliver well-educated workers with specific skills that fulfill a company's goals. Florida's university and college systems have been clamoring for more resources for years, and now's the time to deliver.

The environment. While the Legislature is addressing water quality issues, current legislation ignores the will of the voters who approved the Amendment 1 water and land conservation measure. Florida Forever remains embarrassingly underfunded with land preservation around springs and other waterways only an afterthought.

The identical bills in the House and Senate allow two to three decades for achieving water-quality targets. Companies certainly would not want to relocate near estuaries and springs fouled by algae and other pollutants.

Public safety. The state's corrections system is a seething caldron of unrest and danger. Staffing at prisons is at "near-crisis levels," according to a new report. Since Scott took office, the number of corrections officers has plunged by 1,000. One prison in North Florida had to be placed on lockdown last week to prevent a riot and warning shots were fired. Inmates are not prepared for release back into society, and recidivism is high -- leading to more crime. Employers would likely look askance at the state's questionable commitment to public safety.

Public health. Scott's 2016-2017 budget proposal slashes 500 jobs from county health departments, whose mission is to serve the working poor. The governor also did not include $400 million to cover the projected losses to hospitals that treat patients under the low-income pool program.

The Legislature will not address the expansion of Medicaid for more than 500,000 low-income Floridians. Here again, the state shows little concern for the plight of the people. The safety-net for the working poor has too many holes.

Instead of corporate welfare and massive tax cuts, Florida should invest in communities and people -- thus creating more desirable environments that companies want.

Bradenton Republican Sen. Bill Galvano, the Senate majority leader, indicated after Scott's speech that the $1 billion in tax cuts is "a tough number," signaling the likelihood that once again the governor will not get all of the money. Economic development can be achieved via policies and programs that strengthen the state of the state -- by investing "in the lives of our friends and neighbors."

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "In State of State speech, Gov. Rick Scott's usual jobs focus overlooks communities ."