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Florida Leaders Applaud Governor Scott’s Fight to Protect Florida’s Coastline

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

Following Governor Rick Scott’s meeting yesterday with United States Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, the Department of the Interior announced that Florida’s coastline has been removed from consideration for future oil drilling. Last week, Governor Scott requested to immediately meet with Secretary Zinke to discuss his concerns with the federal oil drilling plan and the crucial need to remove Florida from consideration. Here’s what Florida leaders are saying:
Congressman Gus Bilirakis said, “I am proud of the success of the intense and coordinated efforts by leaders of Florida’s state and federal delegations, spearheaded by Governor Scott. By working together as a unified, bipartisan team committed to the protection of Florida’s environment and economy, we were able to reverse plans that called for oil drilling off our coast. I applaud the Administration for listening to the voices of those most informed about the unique needs of our state and deferring to our judgment.”
Congressman Vern Buchanan said, “The administration’s decision to cancel expanded drilling off our coasts is great news for Florida’s environment and economy. Kudos to Governor Scott and the congressional delegation for standing against this misguided policy.”
Congressman Carlos Curbelo said, “The people of Florida and elected officials at the local, state and federal levels spoke loud and clear on the Administration’s oil drilling plan: We don’t want drilling near our shores, and we don’t want to put our ecological treasures and state economy at risk. I’m grateful to all those who made this a priority, including Governor Scott, and to Secretary Zinke and the Department of Interior for listening to Florida and its leaders and removing Florida from consideration.”
Congressman Ron DeSantis said, “I applaud Secretary Ryan Zinke for heeding the calls of Governor Rick Scott and our Florida congressional delegation and taking Florida off the table for offshore oil drilling. Thank you for listening!”
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart said, “I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary Zinke for removing Florida from the list of potential offshore drilling sites. This once again demonstrates Governor Scott’s absolute leadership, as he worked tirelessly with the Administration to protect Florida’s pristine beaches and the ecosystem our shores rely on. I also want to commend the Florida congressional delegation for always coming together on issues important to our state.”
Congressman Neal Dunn said, “President Trump and Secretary Zinke made the right call, and protecting the eastern Gulf for the military’s test and training range is critical for our national security. It is a unique national treasure that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the country. I am grateful to Governor Scott for his leadership, as well as the work of the Florida congressional delegation in coming to this outcome.”
Congressman Matt Gaetz said, “I am deeply pleased that Secretary Zinke will no longer pursue oil drilling off the Florida coast, which would have been disastrous to Florida’s economy, the environment, and, most importantly, to the readiness of America’s armed forces. Governor Scott’s strong leadership on this issue and President Trump’s swift response were commendable, and I am proud that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle could unite to protect the Sunshine State. In my one-on-one talks with President Trump, I brought up the dire risk that coastal oil drilling would pose to national security, and he was greatly receptive to my concerns. The guarantee that drilling off the Florida coast will not happen during President Trump’s tenure is a tremendous victory for Florida and for its people.”
Congressman Brian Mast said, “Oil drilling off the coast of Florida would put our economy, environment and marine life at risk. That’s why our state’s representatives, across the political spectrum, have been working hard together to prevent drilling. Over the last several days, Secretary Zinke heard a bipartisan chorus from Florida – from my conversation with him to meeting with Governor Scott and hearing directly from the millions of Floridians opposed to drilling. We spoke with a united voice and delivered results!”
Congressman Francis Rooney said, “I applaud the decision of President Trump and Secretary Zinke, along with the hard work of Governor Scott, to remove our state from the administration’s offshore drilling plan – my ultimate goal is still a permanent ban on offshore drilling and seismic testing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and I firmly believe that Florida’s Congressional delegation will be successful in achieving this goal.”
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said, “I’m glad that Secretary Zinke has decided to exclude Florida from any oil drilling exploration and applaud Governor Scott’s efforts. I hope that the Secretary will follow up shortly with an announcement that seismic testing is also off the table. Our Florida Congressional delegation stands firmly against oil drilling because, as a tourist-friendly and ecologically sensitive state, we know the damage any spill can cause to our state economy in addition to its national impact. As we saw from the devastating impacts of Deepwater Horizon, Florida cannot afford a spill of any size.”
Congressman John Rutherford said, “I commend Governor Scott and Secretary Zinke for recognizing the importance of protecting Florida’s coasts from drilling. The administration’s agreement to leave Florida out of the new five-year drilling plan is a promising development and good step forward in protecting Florida’s pristine shores. I look forward to continuing to work with the administration and Governor Scott to establish long-term protections for Florida against drilling and seismic testing off of our Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.”
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said, “Florida’s coastline not only supports our tourism industry, but also supports our military and research industries. I’m proud of Governor Scott’s leadership on this issue and applaud our federal leaders for listening to his insight.”
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said, “I stand with Governor Scott in protecting Florida’s shores and am grateful for his leadership in working with Secretary Zinke to protect what makes Florida Florida.”
Senate President Joe Negron said, “I have opposed offshore drilling from Day One and appreciate Governor Scott’s quick action in working with the Department of Interior to make sure Florida’s voice is heard. Time and time again from working with the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure we successfully implement Senate Bill 10, to renovations of the Herbert Hoover Dike, to LIP funding, to securing federal resources needed for recovery from recent hurricanes, Governor Scott has demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness when working with our federal partners in Washington.”
Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran said, “Without Rick Scott, Florida’s pristine coast lines and natural beauty would be in jeopardy. His tireless effort to protect our future, as well as his standing with the President, is an unmatched asset for Floridians. From Pensacola to Punta Gorda, Floridians across the board are united behind our Governor in opposing offshore drilling.”
Senator Rob Bradley said, “Florida’s world class beaches help bring in millions of tourists every year. I’m proud of the work that Governor Scott did to secure Florida’s pristine environment by preventing offshore drilling from happening in Florida.”
Representative Holly Raschein said, “I want to thank Governor Scott for his effort to keep offshore drilling from coming to Florida. Our coral reefs and gorgeous beaches are what attract tourists to our state and we have to protect them.”
Chair of VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors Maryann Ferenc said, “Our beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world, helping us attract millions of visitors each year. We now have peace of mind as we market our state that those beaches will be beautiful and safe. I appreciate the Governor taking a lead on this important issue.”
President & CEO of VISIT FLORIDA Ken Lawson, said “Exempting Florida from any offshore drilling is a huge win for tourism in our state. Florida’s beaches are a global icon, attracting millions of visitors to the Sunshine State every year. By keeping offshore drilling away from Florida, we’re ensuring our world-class beaches will remain beautiful for generations to come. Governor Scott has been a champion for tourism in Florida, and I want to thank him for his strong leadership on this important issue.”
Chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Bo Rivard said, “Florida is the fishing capital of the world which helps bring tourists to our state every year. I’m proud of the work that Governor Scott did to secure Florida’s pristine environment by preventing offshore drilling from happening in Florida.”
Vice Chair of Triumph Gulf Coast Allan Bense said, “Florida is home to some of the most beautiful natural resources in the world and I’m proud that Governor Scott got Florida off the table for offshore oil drilling. We must continue to do everything we can to protect our beaches.”
President of Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association Deborah Flack said, “FSBPA applauds Governor Scott for his concern and commitment to the preservation of Florida’s beaches. His opposition to offshore drilling is further evidence of his support, as recently demonstrated by his unprecedented budget recommendation of $100 million to maintain our beaches and to sustain the economic health of our coastal communities.”
President and CEO of Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Carol Dover said, “Last week, FRLA stood in solidarity with Governor Scott who expressed his opposition and concerns with the federal oil drilling plan and the crucial need to remove Florida from consideration. With the recent Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010, our hotels and restaurants already know all too well the devastating impacts an oil spill can wreak on a tourist destination. FRLA expresses its sincere gratitude for Governor Scott’s leadership on this issue and applauds Secretary Zinke’s decision to preserve Florida’s coastal communities whose economies are heavily reliant on tourism. Florida’s 825 miles of sandy coastline is one of the state’s most valuable resources and FRLA is proud to support any effort that restores our beaches and maintains, protects, and preserves them for the future.”
Interim Executive Director of Audubon Florida Julie Wraithmell said, “Florida is home to some of the most important habitats for birds and wildlife. Audubon Florida is grateful for Governor Scott’s clear message that Florida’s Atlantic Coast and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico are no place for dangerous offshore drilling.”

What They Are Saying: Florida Economic Development and Tourism Leaders Fight to Save Florida Jobs

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Florida economic development and tourism leaders, small business owners, and concerned Floridians from across the state traveled to Tallahassee today to speak or stand in opposition to Legislation in the Florida House that would kill Florida jobs by eliminating Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA.
Donna McBride, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa: “This bill could cost the state of Florida tax revenue and jobs. Just a five percent drop in visitors means a loss of $5.5 billion in revenue for the state, $563 million in taxes and 70,00 jobs. We understand the need to cut costs and to take a close look at reduce invectives, but first and foremost we need to be looking at jobs.”
Lisa Barnes, Eastern Ship Building: “We just secured a contract with the U.S. Coast Guard to build their next generation of off-shore patrol cutters. This contract has a potential value of $10.5 billion and at full ramp up we will have six vessels under construction with 800-1,000 people who are dedicated to those vessels. We won this through our superior design and leadership but the primary driver was affordability. That’s all we heard- every time we went to a meeting. After the first five vessels, we are going to have to recomplete this project. One of our nearest competitors is Chouest Shipbuilding in Mississippi. Chouest Shipbuilding got $35 million in infrastructure from the State of Mississippi and $1 million in workforce training. We’re talking about a level playing field- it’s hard for us to be a level playing field when other states are helping their businesses.”
Eric Fletcher, Allegiant Air: “In 2005 Allegiant started flying to the State of Florida. We flew 50,000 passengers that year, last year we flew 3.1 million passengers, this year we’re forecasting to fly 3.7 million. We got to those numbers, that quick growth, with the help of VISIT FLORIDA. They helped us negotiate discounted media buys, they helped us by giving demographic area. We now have 37 of our 85 planes based in Florida- that means pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, etc. We have more planes coming on in the next two years and we’re looking for places to place them. VISIT FLORIDA and the State has helped us base them here so we now have approximately 2,000 jobs bringing in 3 million tourists a year, and we’d love to continue that.”
Keith Overton, TradeWinds Island Grand Resort: “We own and operate the largest resort on the west coast of Florida. We have about 1,100 employees, 35 acres on the Gulf of Mexico, it’s a small business, but a big business. We choose to not have representation through a Marriott or a Hilton because Florida has such a strong brand and presence; we can get away with not having that reach. I fear that if you eliminate VISIT FLORIDA, our voice, the independent hotelier voice, will be lost. We parley our money into their $75 million, the CVB’s parley their money into it, it’s a big spend, it’s tremendously important.”
Ed Henderson, Shenandoah Dairy, Live Oak: “I’m a small business owner [in Live Oak]. We currently milk about 134 hundred cows, employing over 90 people. One of the challenges that we run into is it’s just not a level playing field out there. I’m a capitalist guy –I believe in the capitalist system– but we’re not dealing with a level set of playing rules out there. There are other states out there that are trying to attract daires, trying to attack businesses. And we are trying to complete with that and trying to maintain a viable agricultural business in the State of Florida. I think of the challenges that we run into in our small communities is that we are just one little economic disaster away from losing a big business and having economic devastation in Suwanee County.”
Roger Dow, U.S. Travel Association: “…I see every one of the states, I see 400 and 500 destinations, and let me tell you, this is not a zero-sum game. You heard about Pennsylvania- they cut their little budget by $20 million and lost $600 million in tax revenue over five years. You heard about Colorado- they eliminated their small department and the state lost, over five years, $134 million. It was said by a representative that Florida is different. Yes, Florida is different. It is a tourism economy. If you take this economy on, I can guarantee you the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars. California is thrilled that you’re having this bill because they have raised their budge to $110 million when it used to be $50 [million]. I moved here because it is a no income tax state, but the bottom line is you have no choice- if you pass this bill, you are going to go to either an income tax state or increase sales taxes or cut services, and that’s not acceptable.”
Amy Lukasik, Flagler County Board of County Commissioners: “Following Hurricane Matthew, within days, VISIT FLORIDA and the FRLA made it a priority to visit with us. They viewed our damage and they had conversations on how they could help us overcome the national attention we received saying our destination was closed for business. At VISIT FLORIDA’s expense, they hired a video production company and through assistance of our office produced four videos with two more committed- in rapid fire they were posted by paid advertisement on the Google network display and all of their social media platforms. Collectively, over 3.2 million people viewed the video within one month’s span and it’s growing. On our behalf and also on their expense, VISIT FLORIDA pitched a culinary trail feature of our destination with a focus on Flagler County and provided us with additional co-op programs at a rate that we could never afford on our own. The effort has shown dividends to our small business owners. In just one month, our collections rose 16 percent over the previous years. This would have never happened without the support of VISIT FLORIDA.”
Carol Dover, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA): “If you had been here when VISIT Florida was designed by the Legislature in ’95-’96… we spent about a decade where the Legislature earmark $28 million, $32 million, but always ranged between the $25-35 million range. We could not break the ceiling of the 80, 82, 85 million visitors. We couldn’t do it. And ultimately, we got the additional funding, we broke the ceiling, and today we sit at 106 million visitors and climbing.”
Scarlett Phaneuf, The Bay Economic Development Alliance: “Because we are a local economic development organization, everything we do involves Enterprise Florida. We work together in ways that transcend brokering incentives. We prove a whole host of services.”
Mike Meidel, Pinellas County Economic Development: “The fundamental presuppositions to this bill are wrong. Economic development is all about creating opportunity for every business and every citizen in the State of Florida. What we try to do is create more money in the local economy. We don’t target winners ans losers, we create winner for everybody. We do that by identifying companies that sell their product or service outside of the State of Florida, they bring that new money into our economy, they distribute it into the economy through the payrolls of their high wage employees who have strong discretionary income to buy locally from the retailers establishments from dry cleaners, from personal services, from lawyers, from realtors, from everyone in the local economy that does that secondary transactional type economy. But without having that original money, we cannot even go any further.”
Paul Carlilse, Glades County: “We rely on Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA. We’re a rural community of economic opportunity. Most people think Florida on the west coast stops at I-75, and on the east coast they think it stops at the Turnpike and north they think it stops at I-4. We have no other way to get our message out other than through the economic incentives through Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA… We need to take a que from our corporate partners, we don’t want to stop advertising now. Coca Cola, one of the most noticeable brands in the country, spends billions of dollars on advertising. They don’t stop advertising because they lead- they keep advertising because they want to maintain that.”