The Brian Mudd Show

The Brian Mudd Show

There are two sides to stories and one side to facts. That's Brian's mantra and what drives him to get beyond the headlines.Full Bio

 

Cheat Sheet Q&A: The Enterprise Florida Debate:

Cheat Sheet Q&A: The Enterprise Florida Debate:

Today's entry: What do you think of this Enterprise Debate? I feel institutions like this and Palm Beach Tourist Bureau are a waste of tax dollars and a dumping ground for patronage jobs dolled out by politicians

Thanks Keep up the good work

Bottom Line: Enterprise Florida is one of those issues & debates that I reject on principal but don't hate. I'll explain starting with the easy part. Principal. 

The principled argument is an easy one. I'm a limited government libertarian leaning conservative. From my worldview it's very easy to see taxpayer money being used to advertise our state, businesses, economy, etc. and think that it's not the role of government to do those things. It's certainty not consistent with limited government principals. On the other hand...here's the economic argument. 

Here are key data points for consideration:

According to the state senate budget committee, "Visit Florida" produces a positive ROI of $3.20 of revenue for every dollar spent on the program

According to Enterprise Florida 19,000 jobs were added in 2016 as a result of the program

So I'd image for the 19,000 people employed last year as a result of Enterprise Florida, they'd likely think that it's money well spent. Here's something else for consideration. If my understanding is correct, Enterprise Florida spent approximately $85 million in 2016. If $85 million were used to net 19,000 new jobs that equals $4,473 in tax payer dollars per job. Is that good? That's where it becomes subjective once again.

I've worked with CareerSource Florida - the main mechanism in the cross-hairs of execution in communities around the state and I've found that they generally do good work. But back to my limited government roots. It's not in my nature to support the use of government programs for economic engineering - even if the engineering has a respectable track record. So to answer your question - I'd vote no on it if I had a vote but I wouldn't be upset if it passed. Hopefully that makes sense.

If you have a topic or question you'd like me to address email me: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com


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