Florida
governor tells residents of other states: 'Move here!'
Send a link to a friend
[January 06, 2015]
By Bill Cotterell
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) - Florida
Governor Rick Scott will kick off his second term on Tuesday with a
blunt warning that he intends to poach people and jobs from other large
states that have relatively higher taxes.
|
“I have a message today to the people of New York, Illinois,
California, Pennsylvania and others: Move to Florida!” Scott said in
prepared remarks released by his office on Monday.
“Over the next four years, I will be traveling to your states
personally to recruit you here,” he said.
After decades of growth, Florida recently surpassed New York to
become the third most populous U.S. state, behind California and
Texas.
For Scott, a Republican, the trend reflects the state's appeal as a
lower-tax destination. Florida does not levy a personal income tax,
instead relying heavily on sales taxes.
With population growth among its major economic drivers, Florida was
among the hardest-hit states during the national housing bust.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Jan/06/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png) A political newcomer in 2010, Scott spent his first term
aggressively cutting business taxes and regulations, while reducing
the size of government. He won a bitterly contested re-election
fight in November against former Governor Charlie Crist.
His inaugural showcases the political influence of Florida, the
nation's largest electoral swing state.
Republican Governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Rick Perry of
Texas are among dignitaries expected at Tuesday's noon inaugural
ceremony on the steps of Florida’s Capitol.
[to top of second column] |
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Jan/06/images/ads/current/castlemanor_lda_032414.png)
They are potential rivals for the Republican presidential nomination
in 2016. State party officials did not know if former Florida
Governor Jeb Bush, another Republican considering a White House bid,
would attend.
In excerpts of his prepared remarks, Scott focused on states that
voted Democratic in the 2012 presidential election as the key
targets of his business-recruitment efforts.
“The people that left New York and Illinois had one thing in
common,” Scott said in his inaugural address text. “Their number-one
destination was Florida.”
(Editing by Letitia Stein and Peter Cooney)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Jan/06/images/ads/current/iga_sda032409.png) |