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Senator Shares Bleak Financial Forecast with Bay County
11/02/09 - 05:28 PM
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Elizabeth Cate - bio
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Panama City, Fla:

The demand for state funds is high, but supply is low. At a Chamber of Commerce meeting, Bay County learned about the state’s bleak financial forecast. Over the next five years, Florida economists predict a negative gap between critical needs and available resources.

“That’s the budget picture. Not so good,” said Senator, Don Gaetz.

Despite the bad news, the good news is that state revenue is $100 million higher than expected. That creates hope for growth in the grim economy.

“I think what we have to do as a state and as Northwest Florida, is to build the pie bigger,” said Gaetz.

“I think we have the basis, for that pie to grow,” said Bay County Chamber of Commerce Director, Sean McNeil.

The goal is to create incentives. The Senator believes our area can bank off of the new airport, the military and our most obvious asset, the Gulf.

“Florida is still a place that people want to be, and Northwest Florida is still the best part of our state,” said Gaetz.

The Bay County Chamber of Commerce agrees. With the recent attraction of low-cost airline Southwest, business prospects look promising.

“The future does looks bright for us,” said McNeil.

So while the recession continues to walk all over the state economy our local economy plans pull itself up by the bootstraps.

The senator mentioned several untapped industries for our state to look into. One example, is the movie business. The senator believes if we offered tax incentives, the film industry would come and we could reap the benefits. Regardless, he believes the state’s numbers will start to go back up next year.

User Comments

Another idiot. He thinks the Movie Business will bring money,like they will move here from Hollywood.
Tourists could be the lifeblood with year round air access from Sothwest. The only way to build on tourisim and more jobs and a tax cut for residents is to legalize casino gambling state wide and it will draw International tourists, year round, even in the winter. It will draw other jobs due to the growth. Build a cruise ship port at St.Andrews and make this a first class International tourist destination.
Casinos should be limited to Pensacola,Panama City Beach,Jacksonville,Orlando,Tampa,and Miami, all beach cities. We could use the billions in NEW tax revenues for our state and lower taxes for us. I’m sick of seeing the easy money going to Mississippi,Atlantic City,Vegas, and 24 other states. These guys need to wake up. They run the freakin lottery,cardrooms,dog tracks,bingo,etc. what do they think that is if they are opposed to gambling. A bunch of hippocrites and idiots!

Posted by retired one  on  11/03  at  06:49 AM
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