Print ArticleFrom 2000 to 2006, Florida enjoyed one of the best economies the United States has ever seen. The Gross State Product increased from $471 billion to $713 billion with some periods exceeding an 8% increase in GSP annually. Unemployment dropped to 3.3%, wage growth was very strong, and small business prospered. People from all across the United States and other countries flocked to Florida to become part of the strong economy which made the economy even stronger.
As of March 2008, Florida is mired in a recession caused by the near collapse of the housing market and a virtual halt in commercial projects. While governments will point to external factors that have lead to Florida´s economic woes, this book will detail how politically-based actions created a "government induced recession". Florida fell first and farthest, and most of the economic problems were the result of government actions. As a commercial real estate developer, I am one of the architects of the Florida economy, and as a small business owner I see the structural flaws of our system of taxation and regulation. For three years I have been telling taxpayers and government officials that Florida is the next California, from boom to bust. At the late stages of the boom it was hard to convince anyone that hard times were ahead, but in my job as a developer and owner of commercial property I see firsthand how taxes and regulations affect small business. I saw the bust coming three years in advance, and I knew why it was coming and what caused it.
I have written a book about the negative consequences of our government policies entitled "The Socialist Republic of Florida-How Florida went from a roaring economy to a Government Induced Recession." The book is not intended to blame the government, rather it is an analysis of what went wrong so that we can undo the errors and fix the problem. I am not out to make a political statement, I want to give my experience to our current leaders and the taxpayers so they in turn can elect leaders with the wisdom and common sense to lead Florida back to prosperity.
My book details how Florida went from a free market economy to a progressively socialist economy. That transformation has brought down the once mighty Florida economy to ruin. Without meaninglful tax reform and a movement back to free markets, there is really no end in sight to the recession in Florida. A sobering thought to this problem is a Zogby poll that recently found that 37% of Florida residents, over 5 million people, are considering leaving the State. The main reason they are considering moving is because of high taxes. If only 10% actually move, the economic consequences will be devastating.
Thomas Jefferson stated "the government that governs best governs least" (if Thomas Jefferson were alive today and paying taxes in Florida he might be so mad he would organize an army to overthrow our current form of government). Florida has become so heavily burdened with taxes, regulations, and government that the prosperity of the citizens has been compromised for the benefit of the State (sounds like Socialism to me).
As a small business owner and property owner with over 125 commercial tenants, I have an insider´s view of the effect of government regulations and taxes on small business. I see every dollar of tax revenue being extracted, I hear every complaint from small business about regulations, and I see how taxes and regulations affect not only the small business owner but their employees and our economy as well. The book is not economic theory. The book is economic reality as experienced by a small businessman, written by an owner of shopping centers that house small businesses, based on a firsthand view of the effects of taxes and regulations on small business.
Costs stemming from government come out of your pocket
In growing my small business, I came to realize how much time, energy and resources my small business spent in complying with regulations and rules enacted by our government. The time and resources I devoted to government grew, as did the cost of compliance with government regulation. At the same time, the time and energy I spent on my customers shrank. This is no surprise to small business owners, but what may surprise many private citizens is that the entire cost of government (regulations and taxes) is directly deducted from the wages of private citizens, not from the "deep" pockets of the "rich".
With the explosive growth of government, our standard of living will continue to erode and further repress the people in our State. I wrote this book not for profit, but to start a revolution of taxpayers; a revolution to reverse the growth of government and renew the spirit of the American Dream. This book will put into focus the manner in which excessive taxes and regulation is lowering the wage of the average taxpayer while at the same time taxes and regulations increase the cost of living. It will also detail how every regulation and every tax lowers the standard of living, and will make suggestions on how to correct the situation. This book is not partisan politics, and my goal is an economic revolution, not a political one. The purpose of this book is to show the negative effect of government (and socialism) on the average working Floridian. The book will ask; why should a government civil servant have a higher standard of living than the taxpayer that supports them?
After reading this book you will understand that the laws, regulations, and policies enacted in Florida over the past two decades do not benefit the average taxpayer. The populist (or socialist) trend in Florida has devastated our economy and we must seek meaningful reform if we are going to return Florida to economic prosperity and reduce the suffering of our citizens.
Each week I will upload one chapter of the book. I encourage readers to give me their thoughts but mostly to get involved.
As of March 2008, Florida is mired in a recession caused by the near collapse of the housing market and a virtual halt in commercial projects. While governments will point to external factors that have lead to Florida´s economic woes, this book will detail how politically-based actions created a "government induced recession". Florida fell first and farthest, and most of the economic problems were the result of government actions. As a commercial real estate developer, I am one of the architects of the Florida economy, and as a small business owner I see the structural flaws of our system of taxation and regulation. For three years I have been telling taxpayers and government officials that Florida is the next California, from boom to bust. At the late stages of the boom it was hard to convince anyone that hard times were ahead, but in my job as a developer and owner of commercial property I see firsthand how taxes and regulations affect small business. I saw the bust coming three years in advance, and I knew why it was coming and what caused it.
I have written a book about the negative consequences of our government policies entitled "The Socialist Republic of Florida-How Florida went from a roaring economy to a Government Induced Recession." The book is not intended to blame the government, rather it is an analysis of what went wrong so that we can undo the errors and fix the problem. I am not out to make a political statement, I want to give my experience to our current leaders and the taxpayers so they in turn can elect leaders with the wisdom and common sense to lead Florida back to prosperity.
My book details how Florida went from a free market economy to a progressively socialist economy. That transformation has brought down the once mighty Florida economy to ruin. Without meaninglful tax reform and a movement back to free markets, there is really no end in sight to the recession in Florida. A sobering thought to this problem is a Zogby poll that recently found that 37% of Florida residents, over 5 million people, are considering leaving the State. The main reason they are considering moving is because of high taxes. If only 10% actually move, the economic consequences will be devastating.
Thomas Jefferson stated "the government that governs best governs least" (if Thomas Jefferson were alive today and paying taxes in Florida he might be so mad he would organize an army to overthrow our current form of government). Florida has become so heavily burdened with taxes, regulations, and government that the prosperity of the citizens has been compromised for the benefit of the State (sounds like Socialism to me).
As a small business owner and property owner with over 125 commercial tenants, I have an insider´s view of the effect of government regulations and taxes on small business. I see every dollar of tax revenue being extracted, I hear every complaint from small business about regulations, and I see how taxes and regulations affect not only the small business owner but their employees and our economy as well. The book is not economic theory. The book is economic reality as experienced by a small businessman, written by an owner of shopping centers that house small businesses, based on a firsthand view of the effects of taxes and regulations on small business.
Costs stemming from government come out of your pocket
In growing my small business, I came to realize how much time, energy and resources my small business spent in complying with regulations and rules enacted by our government. The time and resources I devoted to government grew, as did the cost of compliance with government regulation. At the same time, the time and energy I spent on my customers shrank. This is no surprise to small business owners, but what may surprise many private citizens is that the entire cost of government (regulations and taxes) is directly deducted from the wages of private citizens, not from the "deep" pockets of the "rich".
With the explosive growth of government, our standard of living will continue to erode and further repress the people in our State. I wrote this book not for profit, but to start a revolution of taxpayers; a revolution to reverse the growth of government and renew the spirit of the American Dream. This book will put into focus the manner in which excessive taxes and regulation is lowering the wage of the average taxpayer while at the same time taxes and regulations increase the cost of living. It will also detail how every regulation and every tax lowers the standard of living, and will make suggestions on how to correct the situation. This book is not partisan politics, and my goal is an economic revolution, not a political one. The purpose of this book is to show the negative effect of government (and socialism) on the average working Floridian. The book will ask; why should a government civil servant have a higher standard of living than the taxpayer that supports them?
After reading this book you will understand that the laws, regulations, and policies enacted in Florida over the past two decades do not benefit the average taxpayer. The populist (or socialist) trend in Florida has devastated our economy and we must seek meaningful reform if we are going to return Florida to economic prosperity and reduce the suffering of our citizens.
Each week I will upload one chapter of the book. I encourage readers to give me their thoughts but mostly to get involved.
view author's RSS feed
