State reviewing cash incentives to businesses
The head of Florida's new economic development agency said he is reviewing millions of dollars in cash incentives the state has given out in recent years and will recommend taking action against businesses not fulfilling their contracts. "Some of them are egregious," said Doug Darling, director of the Department of Economic Opportunity. Before the department opened Monday, it released a report showing just 71 percent of the 729 tax-incentive contracts the state had signed in the past decade were fulfilled. [Source: Times/Herald]
Florida small business owners ratchet up pessimism
Small business owners in Florida are increasingly sour about the economy, and it even shows in their own paychecks. Only 39 percent of small business owners in the state are paying themselves a salary, based on an American Express OPEN's semi-annual survey. That compares to 50 percent among entrepreneurs throughout the South and 44 percent nationally. [Source: St. Petersburg Times]
Aeropost International makes a package deal
Consumers love shopping online with Amazon and Zappos, but it's not always easy or even possible to have packages shipped to locations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Aeropost International Services offers shoppers in countries outside the U.S. a way to place orders that are then delivered to the company's Miami facility. Aeropost forwards the packages to their ultimate destination, handling the entire customs process for some 500,000 customers in 44 countries. Read more from Florida Trend.
 Aeropost International receives and ships packages ordered by overseas customers of Amazon and other U.S. businesses. |
Homes for sale declining across South Florida
The number of homes and condominiums for sale has steadily declined across South Florida in 2011, frustrating buyers and leading to bidding wars in some cases, real estate agents say. An October update from Chip Rowand of the Keyes Co. in Weston shows that Broward County has 13,480 single-family homes and condos for sale. In Palm Beach County, there are 15,782 homes and condos on the market. Those figures are less than half of what they were a few years ago, Rowand said. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Scott plans to run again in 2014
With his political account remaining open for contributions, Gov. Rick Scott made it clear Tuesday that he plans to run for re-election in 2014. "I like this job," Scott said "I enjoy being governor. I like people. I'm doing my best to try to keep the cost of living as low as I can in the state and make sure that people can get an education and can get a job. So I plan on running for re-election." Scott has kept his "Let's Get to Work" political fund active, with the Associated Press reporting Scott took in $100,000 from a group related to the Florida Optometric Association in July. [Source: Gainesville Sun
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Southwest Florida businesses post sales growth of 7.3 percent
Florida businesses posted their lowest sales gains in 17 months, further evidence that a once robust recovery in the state might be losing steam.
There were, though, pockets of robust growth in the state -- including in Sarasota and Manatee counties, where businesses logged a 7.3 percent increase in sales in July.
Statewide, businesses recorded a 3 percent increase in sales in July, to $64.7 billion, marking the lowest gain since February 2010, during the early days of the economic recovery.
› Bondi going after fraudulent timeshare resale companies
Attorney General Pam Bondi unveiled her first legislative priority ahead of the January session: cracking down on fraudulent timeshare resale companies. "Everyone's dream is to own a retirement home in Florida," she said. "And unfortunately many of our retirees who have succeeded in that dream and have purchased a timeshare are being defrauded by scam artists. And that has got to stop."
› Jacksonville legal giants join forces
Two prominent Jacksonville law firms have merged. Gunster, one of the city's largest business law firms, has combined with Pappas Metcalf Jenks & Miller, which focuses exclusively on commercial real estate and land use law.
› Tickets for NBA stars in Miami sell out in 2 hours
For the past year, Angel Rosado cheered for what LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were doing with the Miami Heat.
On Monday, the roles shifted. When James and Wade tweeted their appreciation just past midnight Monday to fans who were camping out at Florida International with hopes of getting the best tickets to Saturday's South Florida All-Star Classic, it was Rosado they were talking about.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Sarasota works to limit casinos
As talks to bring Las Vegas-style gambling to South Florida intensify, local officials leery of the noise and traffic major resort-style casinos could bring are moving to make Sarasota less attractive to investors.
The City Commission took the first steps Monday to use zoning changes similar to those that keep strip clubs on the city's fringe to also restrict gaming downtown and near the bayfront, its most affluent areas.
› Saving Jackson will require bold moves, consultant says
A Philadelphia hospital consultant who's been studying the Jackson Health System closely for two years says it's "basically bankrupt" and can only survive by making bold moves, including squeezing not-for-profit Baptist Health South Florida to use some of its $1.7 billion in reserves to help Jackson care for the uninsured.
"If they were not a county division... they would be insolvent," says Joshua Nemzoff, who once worked in Miami as a hospital consultant for Ernst & Young and had neck surgery at Jackson Memorial. "It is going to take two years to fix this problem and they are going to have to take bold and decisive steps to accomplish this task."
› COLUMN: Businesses are real losers of NBA lockout
This weekend will bring the first local casualties of the NBA lockout, and it has nothing to do with Dwight Howard's salary or Rich DeVos' profits.
Amway Center will sit dark Sunday instead of hosting the Orlando Magic's first pre-season game. Without an NBA season, the arena will be empty on all but just seven days between now and the end of the year.
Forget the players' union and the team owners, the real losers of the lockout are the businesses that feed off the crowds on game days.
› Lakeland Removing 271 Flower Pots From Downtown Streets
The flower pot-pocalypse began Tuesday morning in downtown Lakeland.
City workers started removing 271 of the 371 large flower pots decorating downtown streets — a move spurred by a budget crunch in a bad economy.
Officials have said maintaining the pots could cost more than $90,000 for the 2012 fiscal year, but ultimately the city came up with just $50,000 for the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority's flower pot budget.
So 100 pots will stay, and the rest will go — for now.
› Senator wants more independence for nursing-home watchdog
A senator who oversees Florida's seniors wants to see the state's nursing home watchdog given more independence following Gov. Rick Scott's decision to fire the long-term care ombudsman and complaints that he was "muzzling" the office.
Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Chairwoman Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, grilled Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Charles Corley on Tuesday over what she called the "big fracas" that stemmed from the firing and a subsequent highly critical federal report that determined Florida was violating the law by unduly influencing the watchdog program.
› Las Vegas Sands Looking Into Possibility of Rival Casino in Miami
Las Vegas Sands, a casino resort company that counts Las Vegas' giant Venetian resort as its crown jewel, has been trying to butter up the Florida legislature to allow gambling for years. Suffice it to say, they were none too pleased when arch-rivals Genting came into downtown Miami and announced a massive $3 billion plan for a mega-resort and casino on the site of The Miami Herald.