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Readers React: Florida’s pitch to California businesses: Degrade the environment all you want

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To the editor: Apparently, Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s idea of “creating jobs” is to raid them from another state. But why did the industries and jobs that Scott covets come into being in California? Why can’t states like Florida and Texas incubate their own businesses? (“Florida governor pursues California firms despite few interstate moves,” April 13)

Maybe the taxes paid in California provide for some of what’s needed to build a company. Maybe there’s an atmosphere that encourages creativity. Maybe it’s our well-educated, trained workforce.

In Florida, the goal apparently is to remove the tax burden from businesses and place it on individuals, or to do with fewer public services. But I haven’t heard of the Florida equivalent to Silicon Valley (or even to Austin, Texas).

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One thing Florida has going for it is that state employees are reportedly barred from mentioning climate change or sea level rise; such discussion might be a buzz-kill for attracting businesses. In fact, one employee who mentioned climate change publicly was suspended and required to undergo mental screening.

The message from Florida is this: We’re definitely not going to hassle businesses about any environmental side effects from their operations.

Bill Seckler, Corona

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To the editor: I see that the Valley Industry & Commerce Assn. gave Florida’s governor a platform from which he could make his pitch to steal jobs from California. It is hard to understand why an organization whose website says it works “in the interest of improving our business climate and quality of life” would enable Scott.

With leadership like that in the local business community, perhaps our quality of life would be improved if they did move to Florida.

Larry Picus, North Hollywood

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