February 3, 2010

“The comprehensive ‘Jobs for Florida’ legislative package laid out today by Sen. Don Gaetz and his committee is exactly the kind of action we need from our leaders right now.  With nearly 12 out of every 100 Floridians unemployed, our state’s focus needs to be on finding a way to getting a paycheck back in these folks’ hands and doing all we can to help the employers that will put them back work.  That’s the priority of Associated Industries of Florida and one on which we will be focused during this upcoming session,” said Barney T. Bishop III, President and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida.  “We are pleased to support Sen. Gaetz’s draft bill, especially his proposals to increase access to loans for small businesses and freeing up encumbered funding for Space Florida to invest in critical infrastructure necessary to preserve our threatened space industry, both of which were key recommendations AIF recently made at the Job Summit in Orlando. The recession may not be over, but we can bring about its end through smart investments and immediate actions.”