Rick Scott made an issue Thursday on Port funding asking the Federal Government to reimburse Florida taxpayers $75 million for the Port of Miami dredging project. Governor Scott is correct on this issue as he was regarding his January request for upwards of $36 million in state funding for Jacksonville port improvements. Building Florida’s port infrastructure will ensure the long term viability as the state’s role as a commercial hub and fuel job growth in the emerging international economy.
Florida can emerge as a transport and commercial hub for the Americas, particularly with the current Panama Canal project underway. Improvements in Jacksonville will continue to grow the port as the destination for commercial goods arriving from Europe, including cars and farm equipment. The Governor is correct to want some reimbursement to Florida taxpayers for this investment, but wrong when he implies that the Feds have not taken any interest financially in this effort.
One thing the Governor does fail to acknowledge is the amount of stimulus money spent on the Port of Miami tunnel project, perhaps an expensive boondoggle (which I as a proponent of Port Everglades have an issue with since access to that Port, a busier cargo port will now be more difficult than to the Port of Miami) but one which has put many people to work in addition to fulfilling the Governor’s purported vision of Miami as a major commercial hub for the Americas.
So the Federal Government specifically the Obama Administration has made some effort, albeit not a strong enough effort to fund these improvements. Considering both the state of Florida and the nation’s international trade will benefit from the improvements to Florida’s ports, it is important that Scott and President Obama come together on this issue and put partisanship and political posturing (which the Governor is becoming increasingly good at given his sagging reelection hopes) aside to accomplish this common goal.
The Florida Squeeze 
It just is always interesting to note that these Hard Line Tea Party and Republicans continually want the federal Government to turn over every thing to their States for control be it Primaries, Equality issues like Gay Rights, Abortion controls, redcuing funding to FEMA, PBS etc – on and on .
BUT as soon as they get into financial trouble such as Floods, Hurricanes, EPA, on and on THEY THEN WANT ALL THE TAXPAYERS IN THE USA TO BAIL THEIR BUTTS OUT!
Sounds like a real conundrum to us – we are those Independent and No Party Affiliation (NPA) that cannot even vote in their DUOPOLY PRIMARIES! Oh But we pay our taxes for their DUOPOLY events like Primaries!
Florida Independent Voting.Org
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E Tu Kartik? Scott is NEVER right and is to blame for this!
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I don’t like Scott either but in this case he is standing up for our state and advocating something that could potentially be a huge economic driver for our state.
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This is a good posting other than your constant anti Miami shots. The reference to Port Everglades is extraneous and just another example of your bias. Your analysis is generally sound except when Dade v. Broward/Palm Beach topics come up. You need to eliminate this to maintain the credibility your other work has earned you.
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Yes I am parochial but less so than many from Miami-Dade County. With Port Everglades doing so well, my fear is the $ committed to Port of Miami improvements may actually hinder PE’s ability to compete internationally. Florida may be competing with Florida.
Jacksonville a completely different matter. There we compete with the deepwater ports of mid-Atlantic states.
Still I support Miami improvements but would like to see a similar effort and promotion into Port Everglades.
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Scott is correct on this but I am sure most Democrats are going to say it is Bush’s fault. The Republicans are wrong on equality, gay rights, women’s health, gun laws etc…but wake up. Your candidate is Crist. lol….I think you got some orange juice squirt in your eye.
Maybe they should read more. Ramba ramba ramba……..
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It would be nice to see some effort from either party put into the ports in Pensacola or Apalachicola.
The bias against north Florida is sickening.
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keep dreaming…
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Besides isn’t Jacksonville technically North Florida, maybe not culturally but geographically?
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We need to work on becoming a trade hub considering our location.
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Where else is Obama going in Miami.
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A really reasoned analysis here. We need to increase commerce and trade here in Florida.
Our location means we should be focused on these issues. Scott is smart in doing this.
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What about the Gulf ports particularly Tampa.
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Infrastructure improvements a must. Both parties must work together on this.
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