Monday's Daily Pulse
Thanks to a little-known holiday in Washington, D.C., taxpayers will get an extra three days to file their 2010 federal tax returns this year.
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Brass Tax
You May Not Know Acosta, But You See Its Work Every Day
It's one of Jacksonville's largest companies with $1 billion in annual sales and a payroll of about 17,000 people in the U.S. and Canada.
TIME'S RUNNING OUT to be recognized as one of Florida's best workplaces. |
Even Habitat for Humanity Sometimes Has to Foreclose
Thousands of lenders are filing foreclosure lawsuits all over the country, but this one is a little bit different: Habitat for Humanity. The Habitat organization for East and Central Pasco had never filed a foreclosure lawsuit against a client, but this month filed two. "It hurts inside if you have to serve them with these types of papers," said president and chief executive John Finnerty. "We're in the business of putting people into houses, not taking them out." The Habitat organization in Hillsborough County filed three foreclosure lawsuits in July. The Pinellas organization filed one last month. The "great recession" is hurting homeowners all over the country, so perhaps it's not surprising that even people who receive Habitat's relatively low-cost houses would feel the pinch. But Habitat directors say there are several reasons for their foreclosure lawsuits, and some have nothing to do with the economy. They say they work hard to avoid foreclosures, and file them only as a last resort. "We don't want that on their credit report, they don't want it on their credit report," said Brian Hastings, interim executive director of Hillsborough's Habitat for Humanity. [Source: St. Petersburg Times]
Mr. Gehry's Opus: How New World Center Concert Hall Got Built
The story of how the world's most celebrated living architect came to design an ingenious new music-academy campus and concert hall in Miami Beach goes back almost 60 years, to a rather prosaic circumstance: Frank Gehry, then a young, unknown Los Angeles architect, baby-sat a precocious 8-year-old named Michael Thomas.
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» Arts/Entertainment Newsmakers of the Year: New World Symphony
USF Study: Political Lobbying Boosts the Bottom Line
Businesses that engage in political activity see a boost to their bottom lines, says a study by a University of South Florida researcher.
Seem obvious? Previous evidence has been inconclusive, prompting USF business professor Sean Lux and two University of Tennessee researchers to comb through earlier studies. Their work, published this month in the Journal of Management, demonstrates a clear tie between corporate political activity and improved performance.
Such activity can range from directly giving funds to a candidate's campaign or hiring lobbyists to influence politicians. Think Disney winning a copyright law to lengthen its hold on Mickey Mouse or Lockheed Martin lobbying Congress to keep producing the F-22 Raptor. The researchers' interest was piqued a year ago by the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission that Congress cannot regulate political speech. The decision loosened restraints on a company's ability to contribute money to support or attack politicians. That raised the stakes behind a key question: Do contributions work?
Corporate performance suggests so.
[Source: St. Petersburg Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Column: Industry Clusters Could Raise the Bar on Tampa Bay Jobs [St. Petersburg Times]
A dozen years ago I got a phone call from an ambitious fellow in California weighing a job offer at Clearwater's Tech Data Corp., a major technology distributor and a dynamic public corporation.
Before committing, the caller thought it best to ask a business reporter how much bench strength Tampa Bay boasted in tech companies. Why? To be reassured, should he part ways with Tech Data, that other opportunities existed here that offered quality tech jobs and comparable pay.
His concern then is even more critical now to this region. Talent is a lot easier to recruit from afar or train locally when there are concentrations of businesses — be they tech companies, financial institutions or health care organizations. They can support each other and, together, sustain a substantial pool of skilled workers with similar pay and career expectations.
› Alachua Considers Privatizing Veterans Services [Gainesville Sun]
To privatize or not to privatize: That is the question County Manager Randall Reid expects officials to grapple with more frequently in a time of budget crunches.
Already, the county has contracted out mowing and functions such as the design of road projects. In other areas, privatization has included solid waste, jail operations, building permitting and inspections, and a myriad other government functions.
Now, Alachua County is in the process of reviewing a proposal from the Disabled American Veterans to privatize the county's Office of Veterans Services.
The state DAV headquarters is in Gainesville, and like the county office, the organization assists veterans and their dependents in applying for Veterans Affairs benefits.
In a short written proposal to county government, the organization projected it could increase payments to the local veteran population at half of the county's current $217,000 budget for Veterans Services.
DAV Executive Director Al Linden said the organization took over veterans services for Escambia County in 1991 and has held that contract since.
› Orlando 'Medical City' a Model of Lab's Potential [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Southwest Florida needs look no further than Orlando for an example of what landing Jackson Laboratories' proposed personalized medicine institute could mean for the region's economy. Jackson Laboratory executives use the so-called Medical City at Lake Nona -- a sprawling biomedical hub minutes from Orlando International Airport and anchored by a branch of the California-based Sanford-Burnham Institute -- as the paragon for what their venture could become.
On what was once scrubby cattle land in a relatively remote part of Orange County, Medical City already is home to the University of Central Florida School of Medicine and UCF's Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. In the works are the $400 million Nemours Children's Hospital and the $600 million Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Perhaps more important, Medical City has also attracted two commercial pharmaceutical ventures that have latched on to Sanford-Burnham, the operator of one of only four National Institute of Health-approved computer centers for screening small molecules -- a cutting-edge tool for identifying new potential medicines.
» Related: The Makings of a Medical City
› Holocaust Center Seeks Plan to Stay in Hollywood [Miami Herald]
Officials at The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center, at home in downtown Hollywood since 2007, want to strike a deal that could have the center operate virtually mortgage free.
The 30-year nonprofit center’s permanent home, an art deco building at 2031 Harrison St., was purchased in August 2004 from the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency for $1.2 million payable over 15 years. In the past, it had been housed at Florida International University and other Miami-Dade locations.
Now, after spending $3.5 million in renovations and repairs and facing $17,000 in mortgage payments per month, the center’s board is asking the CRA to retake ownership of the building then lease it back to the center for $1 a year for 99 years.
› Hillsborough Schools Chief Treads Carefully in National Spotlight [St. Petersburg Times]
She led a superintendents' revolt against Tallahassee over questionable test scores, and spoke up for teachers in Washington amid anti-union talk.
Last week she was back in Tampa, teaching school leaders from across the state how to surf the waves of education change.
"We need to be adults," Hillsborough school superintendent MaryEllen Elia said, urging them to resolve their differences. "That means working hand-in-hand with our teachers and teachers' unions to make this a productive reform effort in Florida."
Lately it seems like Elia is everywhere — and arguably more in the national news than Florida's own education commissioner, with appearances on The Early Show on CBS and upper-crust media outlets like Newsweek and the Economist. Her name has been floated as a possible state or even national education leader.
How has she done it?
With a little sugar and a little salt. Call it forceful collaboration.
› Business Leaders Dig into Economic Gardening [Daytona Beach News-Journal]
Agriculture is not the only business where it's important to cultivate opportunities for growth. Business owners of all kinds can benefit from that perspective through the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida.
Flagler County business leaders got a first-hand look at how the program works and the kinds of assistance available during Enterprise Flagler's quarterly luncheon Thursday.
Keynote speaker Keith Engh outlined the programs and benefits of the economic "gardening" program.
Engh said if nothing else he wanted those in attendance to understand that the program -- and GrowFL, a companion program -- provide "second-stage" businesses with technical and executive assistance at no charge. Second stage businesses are defined as those that are not start-up companies and have a track record of growth and profitability. To qualify for the economic gardening program, which is funded by the state, companies must employ at least 10 but no more than 100 employees, have gross revenues between $1 million and $50 million, and meet certain business sector requirements.
Engh said the central idea behind the program is to help Florida companies grow.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Editorial: Time for Vision on High-Speed Rail, Not Penny-Pinching [SOURCE]
Florida's Republican political leaders are fond of saying they want to run government like a business. They have a strange way of showing it. Gov. Rick Scott, Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker Dean Cannon seem to be more concerned about the politics of high-speed rail in Florida than the impact the system could have on the state's economy and future. There is nothing wrong with protecting the state against unforeseen financial losses. But this is a time for vision, not for politicians to score points by pinching pennies at the expense of long-term investment. The federal government has committed $2.4 billion toward the $2.6 billion estimated cost of a high-speed line between Tampa and Orlando. Scott wants to wait on a new study examining ridership and costs before moving ahead. He sent mixed messages during last year's campaign, first suggesting the state would forgo the line unless it was fully funded by the federal government, and later softening to insist that the line show an unexplained "return" to taxpayers. The governor needs to keep an open mind and not stall the project. Floridians and the business community see a tremendous opportunity that should not be short-circuited by political posturing.
› Prepaid College Plans: Yes or No? [Gainesville Sun]
For families interested in paying this year's prices for a prepaid plan, there's a little more than a week left to do so. The current enrollment period ends on Jan. 31, before starting back in October under new and higher rates.
Since the prepaid program's inception in 1987, more than 1.4 million plans have been bought for nearly 957,000 children.
With Florida tuition being near the lowest in the country for years, the program has offered an even more affordable way to start paying those costs early. But fewer parents are buying prepaid plans, with some looking to options that are riskier but potentially a better investment, such as 529 savings plans.
› Jacksonville Churches Fight for Right to Feed Homeless [Florida Times-Union]
The chili and corn bread the church ladies brought were getting cold. The homeless people were eyeing the police suspiciously, and getting hungry.
It was meant to be a regular service project, an extension of an Eastside church's mission to minister to the homeless at least once a month. Members of In the Word International cooked enough food for 200 people and hauled it to Hemming Plaza on Saturday morning because they know that's where the homeless are. They popped open their trunks to start distributing clothes, blankets and meals.
But the group was told it was violating city ordinances and shut down - despite the existence of another ordinance that explicitly gives churches permission to feed the homeless.
Karmen Williams, called Lady K by her church members, had two carloads of food and plenty of hungry mouths in sight. The preacher's wife argued that her group was doing nothing wrong, but the officers didn't leave. Neither did the church members. A standoff began.
› Brevard Economy's Opportunities, Threats [Florida Today]
Know thyself.
To the ancient Greeks, following
this aphorism was key to a successful life.
What applies to people also can apply to groups of people. Companies, sports teams even geographic regions can all benefit from the self-analysis of their strengths and weaknesses and identifying opportunities and threats based on those.
In that spirit, FLORIDA TODAY asked nearly two dozen businesses leaders to perform a SWOT analysis of Brevard County's economy. For those not familiar with the term, that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. A SWOT analysis, first conceived by Stanford University professor Albert Humphrey in the 1960s, is a key tool in strategic planning.
› Casselberry May Spend $1M on Restaurant to Stimulate Growth [Orlando Sentinel]
Casselberry officials are considering spending almost $1 million to help develop a restaurant that they hope will kick-start economic growth.
The move is an attempt to bring the chef who originally proposed the project, Keith Keogh, back to the bargaining table. Keogh told commissioners recently that he didn't think the project could work, in part because of the high cost of drainage work and other site preparation.
The topic is up for discussion on Monday's City Commission agenda.
After learning that the chef had reservations about the project, the city's Community Redevelopment Agency proposed an outright investment of $920,000 in place of an earlier deal, which was a grant-and-loan combination of the same amount. City Manager Barbara Lipscomb said that should the restaurant not pan out, the city would still own the land and could welcome other projects for the site, which is in a rundown section of U.S. Highway 17-92.
Keogh told the Orlando Sentinel that he had heard about the new offer but wants to wait and see what happens Monday before he makes any decisions.
› Key West Fishes for Workers [Miami Herald]
Down the tourist drag of Duval Street, the pretty Argentine hostess at Hard Rock Café is on a student visa and the frail man who sells cigars he rolls himself came from Cuba on a “bad boat.”
And inside a tacky T-shirt shop, the Romanian who operates the cash register is working under the table.
International workers have long been a necessity — dating to the 19th century when Bahamians filled jobs as wreckers and spongers — to supplement the limited local labor pool.
What may be surprising is that remains the case today, despite an unemployment rate of 7.9 percent in Monroe County in December — lower than most of Florida but an incredibly high number for the island located 130 miles from the mainland.
Just three years ago jobs were so plentiful in Key West that landing one often required simply filling out an application and showing up sober.
› USF Poly Hire Spurs Question of Nepotism [Lakeland Ledger]
Did family connections lead to a $50,000-per-year job for the son of University of South Florida Polytechnic chief Marshall Goodman? USF Poly officials say they were careful to avoid official nepotism violations when the university hired Goodman's son, Robert, as a full-time partnership liaison in late August.
But hiring documents provided by USF show that Robert Goodman, 26, was hired to the liaison post in a "temporary assignment" less than a year before the university interviewed candidates for the full-time position. The documents indicate Goodman's status as the "incumbent" in the position gave him an advantage over other candidates vying for the full-time job.
"It is not uncommon for someone who is on temporary assignment to apply for regular positions at the university," Judith Ponticell, senior associate vice president for USF Poly, told The Ledger. Ponticell says USF Poly Campus Executive Officer Marshall Goodman was not involved in the candidate search for the full-time liaison job, and notes that Robert Goodman works for USF's Blue Sky business incubators, not at the main campus with his father.
"In terms of nepotism, one of the things we are usually careful of is the person who is employed is not directly supervised by the person they are related to," Ponticell said.
› The Miami City Club Has Succumbed to Dwindling Membership
[Miami Herald]
One of the last vestiges of the old Downtown Miami social scene is coming to an end.
The Miami City Club in the Wachovia Financial Center closed Friday and will be converted into office space. Real estate firm Optima Ventures has signed a lease to move into the space on the 55th floor of the iconic building that is the tallest office tower in Florida.
It's not a huge shock. Membership at the Miami City Club had dwindled to about 280 members from nearly 900 in its heyday. Most days lunchtime crowds were thin. An experiment as a private cigar club failed and the club went back to its roots in 2009. Recently, they were offering monthly memberships with no initiation fee to lure members.
Most learned of the closing in an e-mail sent Friday. ``We are writing to inform you that effective today, January 21, 2011, we will be shutting down the operations of the Miami City Club,'' the letter said.
``In spite of every effort made by our management team and the continued support of the building's ownership, we are no longer in a financial position to maintain operation of the Club.''
The only other private club remaining in the downtown area is The Bankers Club of Miami in One Biscayne Tower. At one time there were about a half dozen of these private clubs in Downtown Miami. Their lunchtime buffets were the hot gathering spot for downtown professionals to network or take a business client.
But the world has changed.