Thursday's Daily Pulse
What small businesses face now
No matter who small-business owners voted for, the election takes away some of the uncertainty that small-business owners have been carrying around. The question now is whether Obama can satisfy those who say he has not done enough to help them expand and create jobs. More from the AP.
Related:
» How Obama's re-election affects Florida
» In wake of presidential election, Tampa Bay businesses seem certain... of uncertainty
Florida Trend Business Portrait
Growth opportunities in Florida agriculture
 Dan Richey, President of Riverfront Packing in Vero Beach, is interviewed in this portrait of Florida agriculture. Go to story. |
Florida growers and ranchers say market conditions are better but still off the peak. Citrus growers across Florida cringed in 2005 when greening, a lethal tree disease carried by an insect, was confirmed. They had reason. Read about the citrus, sugar, cattle and other industries in Florida, plus environmental and international issues and more here.
A push for an overhaul of Florida's elections system
The lines to vote in Florida were so long that President Barack Obama took time at the start of his re-election speech early Wednesday morning to point it out. "By the way, we need to fix that," Obama said. It's not as if we didn't know that. [Source: Times/Herald]
Gov. Scott to universities: No more tuition hikes
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is putting the state's universities on notice: He wants to keep tuition rates down and he plans to tie their money to how well they do on helping students get a job. Scott made that point clear during an hour-long session Wednesday with the panel that oversees the state's 12 public universities. [Source: AP]
Housing swings from glut to scarcity
Miami-Dade's housing inventory, swelled by the convergence of the last construction boom with the economic downturn, has shrunk to scarcity in just four years. "The standing inventory developed during the past boom is substantially gone," said Philip Spiegelman, founder and chair of International Sales Group. [Source: Miami Today]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Some Orange leaders want citrus growers to get free water forever [Orlando Sentinel]
Dozens of citrus growers who use treated wastewater to irrigate crops and fend off freezes already get it for a bargain rate or pay nothing, but now some Orange County commissioners want to make sure they always get it free.
›Weekly food truck event to begin in Wellington tonight [Palm Beach Post]
Truck and gourmet, an incongruous combination. But the trucks that will draw their parking brakes at Wellington’s amphitheater tonight cost as much as a small house to equip.
› Union pleads with Scott to halt use of test scores to judge teachers [Orlando Sentinel]
Florida's push to use student test scores to judge teacher performance should be halted this year, with Gov. Rick Scott using his executive authority to put a stop to a faulty system, the state teachers union says.
› National Association of Realtors conference returns to Orlando [Orlando Sentinel]
A lot has happened in the Orlando market since the National Association of Realtors last convened here in 2008, shortly after existing-home prices began sliding from a July 2007 peak.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Million-dollar residences selling faster [Miami Today]
The resale market of residential properties priced $1 million and over is steadily growing, with prices on the rise due to decreased inventory and an increase in buyers.
› Bloomin' Brands, Outback parent, reports loss due to IPO costs [Tampa Bay Times]
Tampa's Bloomin' Brands Inc, parent of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill and three other restaurant chains, reported improved revenues of just under $953 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30. But the company also posted a nearly $36 million loss in net income.
› How Hispanic American museums stay afloat during hard times [Latin Business Today]
Museums that curate and showcase the cultural and artistic contributions of the Hispanic American community were not impervious to the financial meltdown of 2008, but three museums that specialize in Latino culture have managed to stay afloat thanks to hard work and creative financing.
› Miami-Dade vote totals won’t be tallied until Thursday [Miami Herald]
Don’t expect election results from Miami-Dade County anytime soon. The county’s beleaguered elections supervisor told reporters Wednesday night that her employees, still processing thousands of absentee ballots, won’t finish until Thursday.