We are closing in on the finish line of the 2017 Legislative Session. We have worked this session to better our state and its residents, and to protect faith, family, freedom, and opportunity.
This session, The Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 10, authorizing a significant increase in southern water storage to further the goal of reducing, and eventually eliminating, harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee. This bill dramatically expands southern storage by leveraging existing water infrastructure, and utilizing a combination of state, local, and private land, in a manner that respects the interests of the agricultural community and private landowners.
We also passed Senate Bill 374, the College Competitiveness Act of 2017. This legislation will further elevate Florida’s nationally ranked community colleges through a renewed focus on their core mission, which is promoting on-time completion of vital associate degrees and workforce credentials that prepare students for jobs in communities across our state. Continue reading
Thank you Ocala/Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership for helping Ocala Business Leaders, Inc. celebrate 20 years of connecting Ocala Business Leaders with everyone we meet.
There are so many incredible things happening in our community. The coming months will see the announcement of new primary employers and major expansions by existing primary employers. The Power Plant Business Incubator continues to help innovative and scalable startups primarily in the areas of technology, health care, and communications. The downtown area continues to generate enthusiasm with the new midtown plan, an ever-growing line up of restaurants and stores, and the long awaited hotel project set to break ground by the end of summer. All of this excitement and growth is in large part the result of our partners. Thank you for your engagement and investment in moving Ocala and Marion County forward.
Leadership Ocala Marion
Spring brings warmer weather, high school proms and graduations, and the beginning of planning for the CEP’s amazing leadership programs. For 30 years, Leadership Ocala Marion (LOM) has been training and providing opportunities to train new generations of leaders on the needs of this community and how they can engage. Continue reading
OCALA METRO POSTS THIRD FASTEST JOB GROWTH RATE IN FLORIDA
OCALA, Fla. (April 21, 2017) – If not yet in full bloom, the economy is certainly growing stronger in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region.
According to today’s employment summary by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the unemployment rate in March for the CareerSource CLM region was 5.2 percent, down 0.7 percentage point since February and 0.6 percentage point lower than the area’s rate a year ago of 5.8 percent.
Out of an expanded labor force of 201,238, there were 10,556 unemployed, a drop of 1,281 over the month and 915 less than a year ago. Significantly, there were 190,682 people with jobs throughout the three counties, an increase of 1,893 over the month and 5,882 more than in March 2016.
Additionally, the DEO reports that the Ocala metropolitan statistical area (MSA) posted 103,700 nonfarm jobs in March, an increase of 4,000 new jobs for a 4.0 percent growth rate over the year. That’s the third fastest rate among all Florida’s metro areas.
For the third consecutive month, the Ocala MSA continued to hold the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all metros in Florida in professional and business services, at 11.0 percent. The Ocala MSA had the third fastest job growth rate in mining, logging and construction at 10.4 percent.
Kathleen Woodring, CareerSource CLM’s executive vice president, said that the region is gaining momentum when it comes to positive economic indicators.
“This is exactly what we like to see: expansion of the labor force fueled by strong job growth,” she said. Continue reading
Pictured are some of the attendees at the Magnolia Family Urgent Care Open House. Not pictured were hosts Dr. Miguel Cruz MD and Stacy Edmondson Cruz, ARNP. The event was well attended by the Ocala Business Leaders and the CEP/Ocala Chamber of Commerce. They are located at 1490 SE Magnolia Extension Ocala Fl 34471 Phone 352-512-9703
2017 Kids Fest was a great success. They had Camel Rides, Tigers, Bounce Houses, Slides, Train Rides, Free Ice Cream, a Gymnastic Show, Easter Egg Hunt, Free pictures with the Easter Bunny. It was sponsored by Toomey Tools, Belleview Florida. This is Charity for local cancer fighting family with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Florida’s “stand your ground” law, could soon provide even more protection to people who invoke it. Senate Bill 128 protects the right of self-defense for all Floridians by correcting a misinterpretation of the “Stand Your Ground” law in the 2015 Bretherick vs. State Florida Supreme Court decision.
Florida has been a leader in giving citizens immunity in cases of self-defense. While at least 22 states have similar laws that say, people can use force — even deadly force — to defend themselves from threats, Florida could soon be alone shifting the burden of proof to prosecutors.
This bill is not a novel concept. We have a tradition in our criminal justice system that the burden of proof is with the government from the beginning of the case to the end. Continue reading
BRADENTON, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida businesses created 53,800 private-sector jobs in the first two months of 2017, bringing the total number of new jobs added since December 2010 to 1,346,200. Governor Scott made the announcement at Bealls, Inc. in Bradenton. The retailer, which is headquartered in Florida, has created more than 300 jobs across the state over the past two years and employs more than 8,500 Floridians.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Florida’s private-sector businesses have created nearly 54,000 new jobs in 2017. Over the past six years, we have been relentless in our efforts to make Florida the most business-friendly state in the nation because a job is the most important thing to a family. It is incredibly disheartening that politicians in the Florida House have voted to jeopardize programs that create opportunities for our families, visitors, military members and job creators. However, we will continue to fight for important economic development tools like Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA and the critical impact they have on supporting our growing economy.” Continue reading
Here’s a few (mis)quotes on ‘HYPOCRISY’
-“There are three types of people who deserve no mercy, hypocrites, fraudsters, and tyrants.(Williams)
“A hypocrite is a politician who cuts down a tree, and then make a speech for conservation from the tree stump”.(Lincoln)
“The only thing worse than a liar is a liar who’s also a hypocrite!”
-Regardless of your politics, Democrat, Republican or ‘other’, when it comes to Health Care Insurance, our elected leaders and their minions, without exception, are ‘all of the above’ – Liars, fraudsters and hypocrites.
You don’t have to be that smart to figure out that, for insurance, ‘more-is-better’. Continue reading
This month I would like to again discuss a very important community/law enforcement partnership, CRIMELINE. CRIMELINE is a non-profit organization led by citizens against crime that offers cash rewards of up to $1000 to persons providing anonymous information that leads to the felony arrest of criminals and fugitives. Anonymous CRIMELINE tips are received through a secure tips line or through a secure web connection manned by a professional program coordinator. Each caller is assigned a code number for the purpose of ensuring anonymity. CRIMELINE is based on the principal that someone other than the criminal has information that can solve a crime and was created to combat the three major problems faced by law enforcement in generating that information:
- Fear of REPRISAL
- An attitude of APATHY
- Reluctance to get INVOLVED
