Gov. Rick Scott holds up Boston Whaler as proof of Enterprise Florida’s worth
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Casmira Harrison
April 4, 2017
For the second time in two years, Gov. Rick Scott dropped into Southeast Volusia to do some cheerleading for boat manufacturer Boston Whaler.
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The first visit came in May 2015 when the boat-building company underwent an expansion that added more than 120 jobs, leading Scott to tout the plant’s 600-strong workforce. By Tuesday’s visit, the company had increased its numbers to around 750 employees with plans to add a whopping 350 workers over a two-year run.
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AN ENTERPRISING VISIT: Enterprise Florida is at the center of a prolonged legislative fight. Scott has been promoting business incentive programs like the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program Boston Whaler took advantage of in its 2015 expansion, and is pushing to keep both Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida intact.
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Scott has proposed $85 million for incentives offered through Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic development agency, according to a News Service of Florida report last week. The House voted to abolish the organization on March 10 and House Speaker Richard Corcoran has engaged in a battle with Scott over its value.
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Amid the scent of laminate resin and surrounded by Boston Whaler’s massive warehouse facility, Enterprise Florida got several plugs, including from Volusia County Councilwoman Deb Denys.
“They’re doubling our efforts,” said Denys of the state tax incentive program.
Boston Whaler President Nick Stickler touted the partnership he said the company has with Enterprise Florida.
“They can help introduce us to the right people,” Stickler said. “They can help move projects forward and those things allow us to do what we’re good at.”
Daytona Beach News Journal
ICYMI: Daytona Beach News-Journal: Gov. Scott champions an affordable education
Another Viewpoint: Gov. Scott champions an affordable education
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Editorial
February 3, 2017
Compared to other states, Florida already offers a bargain in higher education. Gov. Rick Scott wants to make college even more affordable.
Scott last month unveiled proposals to freeze tuition at state colleges (it’s already frozen at state universities), cap fees at colleges and universities, expand Bright Futures scholarships to cover summer classes and eliminate sales taxes on required textbooks.
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Average in-state tuition at Florida universities runs about $6,000 a year, below the national average of $9,650. When you add the costs of attendance, which include room and board, technology and books, Florida’s total swells to $21,000 annually.
That’s over $80,000 to earn a four-year degree – and only 44 percent of undergraduate students at the state’s universities graduate within four years. Of course, additional years cost additional money. The sooner a student graduates, the cheaper his college bill will be.
Thus would Scott’s proposal to have Bright Futures cover the cost of summer school help students graduate either on time or earlier.
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Scott’s latest plans reflect his ongoing commitment to make college affordability a priority. Last year he signed into law legislation that requires the Board of Governors to come up with ways to promote college affordability, such as making the costs of textbooks and other course materials publicly available to students before they register for a class, so they can factor that information in when they’re selecting courses. It also requires colleges and universities to adopt policies that will make textbooks more affordable. Previously, he has challenged schools to offer $10,000 degrees, and one year vetoed appropriations at colleges that had raised tuition.
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Regardless of the details, what’s most important and encouraging is that Tallahassee is trying to control costs by holding the line on prices and by ensuring that students don’t buy more than they absolutely have to.
