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Enterprise Florida Inc.

Pete Antonacci: Amazon proposals ‘incentive-bearing’ as possible

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Enterprise Florida CEO Pete Antonacci said Thursday that pursuit of a new east coast headquarters planned by Amazon is his organization’s top priority right now, as the state’s economic development corporation coordinates bids from at least four different Sunshine State cities and encourages them to emphasize tax giveaway incentives. Speaking to the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Future of Florida Forum in Orlando Thursday, Antonacci said packages including financial incentives are being pulled together in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and South Florida…

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Richard Corcoran stresses that incentives package won’t benefit Enterprise Florida

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The House released a summary Friday of the economic incentives package unveiled by Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders. First on the list — and written in red, boldfaced letters — is what the $85 million program will not be: “a part of Enterprise Florida.” What the program will do: pay for public infrastructure and workforce training; prohibit funding for any single business; and allow “critical, rapid” infrastructure investments benefiting the broader public. “The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund will…

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Time growing short for Rick Scott to decide ‘whiskey & Wheaties’ bill’s fate

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A history of alcoholism in Gov. Rick Scott’s family will inform his decision about whether to sign the “whiskey & Wheaties” bill, which would tear down the wall of separation between hard liquor and other goods. “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on that bill,” Scott told reporters. “I’ve had family members who have had the challenge of alcoholism,” he said when asked about that history. “It concerns me. As I review the bill — I think I have to…

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Rick Scott claims $24 million gain from his Argentina trade mission

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Gov. Rick Scott’s trade mission to Argentina has resulted in $24 million in sales to companies that participated, the governor’s office announced Monday. “Enterprise Florida led this mission, and they do important work to connect Florida small business with opportunities in international markets,” Scott said in a written statement, referencing the state’s embattled economic development arm. “We are competing in a global economy, and many of these businesses would not have the resources or opportunities to market themselves across the…

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Jack Latvala gets into it with Jeff Brandes over economics incentives bill

in The Bay and the 'Burg by

The Senate sent the VISIT Florida and Enterprise Florida budget cuts to the Governor Monday on a 29-8 vote, but not before Sen. Jack Latvala, who has supported Gov. Rick Scott on economic incentives, took the opportunity to nitpick. The House approved the measure earlier in the day. Latvala started with HB 5501’s formal name: Displaced Homemakers. Among its many provisions, the bill would fold a jobs program for them into standard programs within the Department of Economic Opportunity. “You…

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House and Senate cement their differences on Visit Florida funding

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House budget writers stuck to the plan Tuesday in rolling out details of their proposed $12.3 billion for transportation and tourism. It would eliminate economic incentives programs including Enterprise Florida, and sharply reduce spending on Visit Florida. “We’re basically following the tenets of (HB) 7005, the policy bill that was passed a couple of weeks ago,” said Clay Ingram, chairman of the Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee. The committee would give $25 million to Visit Florida, rather less than the $76…

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Richard Corcoran says philosophy, facts drive his EFI, VISIT Florida axe

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Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran made it clear Friday he is sticking to his drive to abolish Enterprise Florida Inc. and VISIT Florida saying the moves are right in philosophy and facts. “I’m telling you we’re right. We’re absolutely right,” Corcoran declared in a speech before the Central Florida Urban League. Corcoran described Enterprise Florida as an organization that serves the top 1 percent of companies and most of them did not deliver and  belittled VISIT Florida for paying for Pitbull‘s…

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