Wednesday's Afternoon Update
Pill mills flee Florida for Georgia
Beginning in 2010, Florida created strike forces that closed down irresponsible clinics which prescribed pills to addicts. Since then, the number of pain clinics operating in the Sunshine State has been cut in half. Georgia, by contrast, has been slow to adopt reforms and the pain clinic business has boomed in the state. More at the South Florida Business Journal and the Wall Street Journal.
South Florida tourism poised for record in 2013
South Florida is poised for another record year in tourism in 2013, fueled by gains in international visitors, travel executives predict. But challenges also loom, including a potential drag on U.S. travel if Washington goes off the fiscal cliff and possible cutback in tourism spending by U.S. northeast residents hit by Superstorm Sandy. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Employment, construction better in third quarter
Florida’s economy in the third quarter of 2012 was better than the same period a year ago, based on a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. analysis of leading economic indicators released Dec. 20. Statewide employment was up 1 percent, and Florida’s unemployment rate averaged 8.8 percent in the third quarter. More at the Orlando Business Journal.
Luxury sales shine in holiday season
Jewelry, cars, high-end clothing, trendy electronics and other expensive merchandise showed heightened demand from consumers again this holiday shopping season, as luxury items continued to outpace the rest of the retail sector. More at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Is Scott's plan to create jobs working? Record proves mixed
It was a simple campaign mantra and the yardstick by which Gov. Rick Scott will be judged when he goes back before voters: 700,000 jobs in seven years. At the midpoint of his first term, the Republican political neophyte hasn't shied from the campaign pledge he made to voters in 2010. But the numbers tell a complex story. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.