[Stern-Wheeler Arriving at Silver Springs, Florida, after an Overnight Run up the St. Johns, Oklawaha, & Silver Rivers]

Protecting North Florida’s Springs

By Jad Kabbani North Florida's springs are highly valued environmental resources, known for their water quality and recreational appeal. The region, along with Central Florida, is home to the densest concentration of freshwater springs in the world. Consequentially, North Florida's economy heavily depends on this abundant natural resource as visitors and locals take advantage of … Continue reading Protecting North Florida’s Springs

Financing America’s Colleges: The Reality of Pell Grants

By: Shayna Cohen With approximately two out of every three high school graduates enrolled in university or college, higher education is an expectation for adults in the United States. By working hard in college, people hope to increase their social standing, job prospects, and earning potential.  However, affording the high price tag of these aspirations … Continue reading Financing America’s Colleges: The Reality of Pell Grants

Is Open Enrollment Effective Market-Based Education Reform?

By Andrea Medici Since the 1950s school choice has been implemented in many forms to support the education system in the United States. Open enrollment is one such approach that requires school districts to enroll students who reside in other districts. This is a particularly pertinent subject to Florida as the 2017-18 school year marked … Continue reading Is Open Enrollment Effective Market-Based Education Reform?

Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises

By Matt Kelly Government consolidation is an often-touted solution to economic and social problems in American cities. Several initiatives to combine local governments  have resulted in conjoined regional governments, including Indianapolis-Marion County (IN), Athens-Clarke County (GA), and Jacksonville-Duval County (FL). Tallahassee and Leon County have seen six campaigns for consolidation over 50 years, all of … Continue reading Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises

Economic Freedom Key to Cities’ Success

By Matt Kelly Economic freedom is the unrestricted ability of people in a country to associate and transact with one another. Measuring economic freedom has become a growing area of academic research. Probably the best known measure is the index constructed for the “Economic Freedom of the World”  annual report on 159 countries published by … Continue reading Economic Freedom Key to Cities’ Success

Study Explores Local Government Response to Recessions

Recessions can be trying times for city and county governments. They typically experience a fall in revenue from two primary sources:  1) a shrinking property tax base because of falling property values and 2) lower intergovernmental transfers—grants and other payments received from the state and federal governments—because of cutbacks made at these higher levels of … Continue reading Study Explores Local Government Response to Recessions

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Still Vulnerable to Underfunding

By Chad Thomas Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) is a state-run insurer of last resort for commercial and residential property owners unable to afford a policy in the private market. Citizens tends to insure wealthy homeowners along the coast, where property values and the risk of damage are highest. In 2002, the Florida Windstorm … Continue reading Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Still Vulnerable to Underfunding

Defunding Florida’s Film Industry Incentives was Example of Evidence-Based Policy

By Marisa Lupica and Matt Kelly States have been competing fiercely for movie productions with tax incentives since the early 2000s. Such incentives include cash grants, income tax credits, sales tax rebates, or payroll tax credits. Today, 37 states offer tax incentives for film productions. However, recent economic research shows that film tax incentives fail … Continue reading Defunding Florida’s Film Industry Incentives was Example of Evidence-Based Policy

New Policy Brief Critical of Florida’s Economic Development System

By Matt Kelly A new DeVoe L. Moore Center policy brief criticizes Florida's economic development system. Targeted industry incentives have played a prominent role in the economic development strategies of state governments for decades. In the late 1970s and 1980s, enterprise zones and tax incentives were seen as an appealing “market-oriented” alternative to New Deal … Continue reading New Policy Brief Critical of Florida’s Economic Development System

New Study Explores Crony Capitalism in Florida

A new study published by The James Madison Institute by DeVoe L. Moore Center Policy Analyst Matthew Kelly and Center Director Samuel Staley explores two examples of crony capitalism in Florida's government policy: sports stadium subsidies and film tax incentives. The authors urge Floridians to remain vigilant over the spending of their tax dollars by government … Continue reading New Study Explores Crony Capitalism in Florida

Local Government Revenue Indicates Sluggish Recovery for Florida’s Businesses

By Benjamin Petersen and Matthew Laird Revenue collected by Florida’s local governments has grown dramatically in the last few decades, raising the importance that Floridians have an accurate understanding of how our governments raise and spend taxdollars. Revenue collected by local governments from permits, fees, and licenses is of particular importance for Florida’s business and … Continue reading Local Government Revenue Indicates Sluggish Recovery for Florida’s Businesses

Despite Problems, Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is Best Performing Incentive

By Marisa Lupica The Qualified Target Industry (QTI) tax refund is offered to attract high wage jobs in target industries to Florida. The program is administered by the Department of Economic Opportunity, Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI), and the Department of Revenue. Among Florida’s tax incentive programs, QTI is the largest and has the highest return … Continue reading Despite Problems, Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is Best Performing Incentive

Tax Increment Financing Has Unclear Effects

By Casey Barr Originally used in California in 1952, TIF is the most widely utilized type of economic development program in the nation, with 49 states and the District of Columbia currently authorize its use. Arizona is the only state that does not allow its use. In 2012, California limited the use of TIF after evidence … Continue reading Tax Increment Financing Has Unclear Effects

Targeted Industry Tax Incentives in Florida

By Marisa Lupica Tax incentives are a significant but ineffective part of states’ economic development policy. As of 2012 states spent an estimated $80.4 billion annually on tax incentives for businesses. Yet, most economic research on the subject finds that targeted tax incentives are ineffective at attracting businesses, creating jobs, or improving a state’s economic … Continue reading Targeted Industry Tax Incentives in Florida

The Per Business Regulatory Burden: Ranking Florida’s Local Governments

By Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington The dramatic increase in federal government regulation has been well documented by economists and journalists, as has its detrimental effects on economic growth. The DeVoe Moore Center has constructed assorted measures of state and local regulatory restrictiveness. This article focused on revenues collected per business on the local level … Continue reading The Per Business Regulatory Burden: Ranking Florida’s Local Governments

Decision-making in a Community Redevelopment Agency

By Casey Barr As discussed in a previous blog post, Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) are a form of special district government that funds local redevelopment projects with taxpayer subsidies. But how are spending and organizational decisions made in a CRA? (Source: City of Tallahassee. Available at: https://www.talgov.com/cra/CRAHome.aspx) CRAs can only be established when two governmental units, such … Continue reading Decision-making in a Community Redevelopment Agency

Community Redevelopment Agencies

By Casey Barr Local governments face the perennial dilemma of obtaining money to fund community redevelopment projects. Requesting state or federal funds can be an arduous bureaucratic process, and these funds are often awarded to larger, more prominent cities, ignoring smaller towns where need is arguably greater. Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) allow local governments to … Continue reading Community Redevelopment Agencies

Special District Spending Priorities and Political Entrepreneurship

By Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington Special districts are small local governments created by state statute or local ordinance to fulfill a particular purpose in a specified geographic area. Some special districts control the mosquito population in an area, while others are in charge of things like fire protection, library administration, or utility services. Unlike … Continue reading Special District Spending Priorities and Political Entrepreneurship

Special Districts in Florida

By: Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tip O’Neil once said, “all politics is local,” meaning that politicians must appeal to local constituents to succeed. Yet political economy is arguably most opaque and complex at local levels. Local governments have grown as numerous as they are multifaceted. Over … Continue reading Special Districts in Florida

Microfinancing: Good for the Poor?

By Logan Shewmaker Many businesses start on loans. Traditionally, the loan process works by allowing a business owner or individual to approach a bank, receive the money upfront, and then pay back the amount loaned out over a period of time. Bank loans range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to millions. Eligibility criteria usually … Continue reading Microfinancing: Good for the Poor?

A Penny Seized is a Penny Earned: Asset Forfeiture in Florida

By Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington Asset forfeiture is a tool used by federal and local law enforcement to seize property from people they believe may have been involved in a crime. In some cases, property has been seized and not returned to the accused even if charges were not filed or dropped. Local governments … Continue reading A Penny Seized is a Penny Earned: Asset Forfeiture in Florida

Tourism tax may soon be used for public services

  By Erick Winterkamp Officials in Okaloosa County recently diverted $2.5 million of Tourism Development Tax (TDT) revenues to pay for beach patrol and lifeguards, a move that Florida’s powerful tourism lobby contested. Tourism industry interest groups like the Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association claimed this was … Continue reading Tourism tax may soon be used for public services

Top  2% of state employees see faster rise in income than bottom 98% since the Great Recession

By: Igor Lukashevich In 2014, the world was abuzz with talk of Thomas Piketty’s treatise on global economic inequality, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. The rising global disparity of income, the author argued, will inevitably result in social and economic instability across the world. It is interesting to note that income inequality also exists, and … Continue reading Top  2% of state employees see faster rise in income than bottom 98% since the Great Recession

Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget

By: Nick Hyder and Tian Ma With 2015 behind us, it’s worthwhile to take stock of last year’s spending by state government. A state’s spending says a lot about its priorities, and accountability to taxpayers is an important component of a democracy. The Agency for Health Care Administration tops the list of spending by state … Continue reading Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget

The Top 10 Highest Earning Counties in Florida

By: Igor Lukashevich and Nadia James The top six Florida counties for revenue intake per capita are as follows: Duval, Monroe, Miami-Dade, Franklin, Charlotte, and Collier. Total revenues for counties follow very closely with total expenditures, as the same six counties also topped the list for expenditures per capita. This relationship makes sense because the … Continue reading The Top 10 Highest Earning Counties in Florida

Florida’s Frugal Government

By Randall G. Holcombe, Ph.D. Living in Tallahassee, I often hear people complain about Florida’s frugal state government.  It is true that Florida is among the most frugal states. According to this article Florida is second from the bottom among states in per capita state government expenditures, and this article says Florida is also second … Continue reading Florida’s Frugal Government

Duval county tops spending per person, followed by some of Florida’s smallest counties

By: Nick Hyder, Tian Ma, Igor Lukashevich, and Nadia James Out of the 67 counties in the state of Florida, Duval County spends the most per capita. Duval County is home to Florida’s most populous city, Jacksonville, which has a population over twice as large as Miami, Florida’s second most populous city. In 2014, Duval … Continue reading Duval county tops spending per person, followed by some of Florida’s smallest counties

Florida’s Tourism Development Tax

By Erick Winterkamp   Policymakers experience conflicting pressure concerning taxation. Corporations want taxation on competing products and industries, government officials often need more taxation to cover rising expenses, and the public would rather taxes be levied on anyone but themselves. Balancing these opposing factors, along with elected officials’ desire for reelection, results in a myriad … Continue reading Florida’s Tourism Development Tax

Fix the FRS Before It Breaks

By Randall G. Holcombe, Ph.D. In a recent blog post I argued in favor of shifting the Florida Retirement System (FRS) that provides pensions for retired state workers to a defined contribution system, and privatizing the system. Governor Scott and many legislators favor the shift to a defined contribution system, and because many private companies … Continue reading Fix the FRS Before It Breaks

Thaw in Cuban Economic Sanctions May Heat Up Florida’s Economy

By: Roberto Cordovez* Pope Francis’ trip to Havana has put Cuba back in the spotlight as America continues journey toward normalizing relations between the two nations. While most believe normalization will be a boon for Cuba’s economy, few have explored the implications for Florida’s economy. A 2014 poll conducted by Florida International University professors Guillermo … Continue reading Thaw in Cuban Economic Sanctions May Heat Up Florida’s Economy

Privatize the Florida Retirement System

By Randall G. Holcombe, Ph.D. Over the past few years both Governor Scott and several members of the Florida legislature have been pushing the idea of transforming the Florida Retirement System (FRS), which pays pensions to retired state workers, from a defined benefit system into a defined contribution system.  A defined benefit system, which covers … Continue reading Privatize the Florida Retirement System

Measuring Success and Failure in Public Transportation: The Case of Sunrail

  By Santiago Arango In May, SunRail, Orlando’s commuter rail system, celebrated its first year of operation and was awarded a $93 million federal grant. Phase II of SunRail’s construction will add four more stations and 17.2 miles of rail into neighboring Osceola County within two years. Orlando is the 4th fastest growing city in … Continue reading Measuring Success and Failure in Public Transportation: The Case of Sunrail

Measuring Liberty: The Economic Freedom of the World Index

By Matt Kelly Defining freedom can be a difficult endeavor, yet the ability to compare relative economic and social liberties among countries is of significant importance for economic research. With that aim in mind, Florida State University professor and DeVoe Moore scholar James Gwartney and Robert Lawson of Southern Methodist University, have compiled the Economic … Continue reading Measuring Liberty: The Economic Freedom of the World Index

Transit and Tourism in Tampa’s Heritage Streetcar’s

By Santiago Arango Heritage streetcars are built both to provide transportation services and to preserve the history of rail transit, a history that dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. As of late 2012, seven U.S cities have running heritage streetcars. The Tampa Electric Company (TECO) Line Streetcar System is one example. The Florida Department … Continue reading Transit and Tourism in Tampa’s Heritage Streetcar’s

Solar Farm Proposed In Tallahassee

By Logan Shewmaker City of Tallahassee Utilities officials recently received proposals from solar contractors to build a solar farm, which could produce up to 10 megawatts of electricity (1% of Tallahassee’s energy needs). The project is expected to occupy 100 acres of land, and cost roughly $30 million. David Byrne, manager of electric system integrated … Continue reading Solar Farm Proposed In Tallahassee

Florida Risks Government Shutdown

Florida’s legislature failed to pass a budget in this years legislative session. The House and Senate are opposed on major issues related to health care policy and medicaid expansion. Interested readers will want to visit the Beacon, the blog at The Independent Institute’s website, where DeVoe Moore Scholar Dr. Randall Holcombe posted a blog on … Continue reading Florida Risks Government Shutdown

Depopulation of Citizens Property Insurance Should Continue

By Matt Kelly On February 17th, 2015, Florida state Senator Anitere Flores filed SB 1006, which would place restrictions on shifting insurance policies from state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to private sector insurers. Citizens’ policyholders would be notified before being transferred to private insurers, who would be barred from increasing premiums more than 10% annually … Continue reading Depopulation of Citizens Property Insurance Should Continue

Florida’s Pensions Could Be Reformed Locally

By Matt Kelly On January 27th, the managers of 19 Florida pension funds received a “call to action” letter from the Florida Department of Management Services informing them that reforms are needed to address their unfunded liabilities. A previous blog pointed out that while Florida’s state’s employee pension fund is 86% funded (better provisioned than … Continue reading Florida’s Pensions Could Be Reformed Locally

New Book Documents Tourist’s Adventures in Cuba

By Matt Kelly A new book by Jason R. Old, professor of Spanish and Latin American Culture at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, sheds light on the people of Cuba, a timely topic given recent decisions to open up trade with this island nation. “I invite you to enjoy my anthrotouristic journey through Cuba, as … Continue reading New Book Documents Tourist’s Adventures in Cuba

Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment

By Logan Shewmaker U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) is pushing to expand into Florida. Between 2008 and 2013, the average MLS franchise’s market capitaliztion grew 175 percent. The average attendance for MLS games exceeds 18,000, higher than the NBA. “The beautiful game” is growing in the United States, but does MLS growth justify public subsidies? … Continue reading Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment

Florida’s Dysfunctional Property Insurance System

By Matt Kelly Many readers will remember the hurricane season of 2004 as a chaotic time to be a Florida resident. The Sunshine State received four torrential storms that year, causing $45 billion in losses. School was cancelled, streets were covered with debris, and 37 lives were lost. Since 2005, Florida has experienced a nine-year … Continue reading Florida’s Dysfunctional Property Insurance System

The Foundations of Political Capitalism

By Matt Kelly Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century raised quite a stir last year among economists. Piketty identifies rising wealth inequality as inherent in capitalism, and recommends a worldwide wealth tax to temper its effects. Many have taken issue with Piketty’s data and analysis, and the idea that inequality is rising at all … Continue reading The Foundations of Political Capitalism

Sports Stadiums Not Worth Public Subsidies

By Logan Shewmaker Next time you attend a ballgame, consider for a moment the monumental effort necessary to build a sports stadium. Surely, stadiums are among the most impressive structures ever built. Tourists continue to marvel at the architectural wonder of Rome’s Coliseum. But does that justify public subsidies? Three-fourths of stadiums in the U.S. … Continue reading Sports Stadiums Not Worth Public Subsidies

Taxes, Inequality, and Business Climate

Original post date: September 19, 2014 Article by: Dan Davy Today, states are left with a difficult choice between maintaining revenue growth and providing a competitive business climate. Taxes that promote the most competitive business climates tend to be less progressive and have lower growth rates. Standard and Poor’s (S&P)  released a new report finding that states … Continue reading Taxes, Inequality, and Business Climate

The Two Kinds of Capitalism

Original post date: February 12, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas 6/7/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. The term “capitalism” is often thrown around in American political discourse without a specified or coherent meaning. Frequently in a debate, opposing parties will attack or defend their own perceived ideas of what … Continue reading The Two Kinds of Capitalism

San Diego’s Pension Reform Bodes Well for Carl Demaio

Original post date: October 10, 2013 Article by: Anonymous 5/10/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. Carl DeMaio is one controversial congressional candidate. He served from 2008 to 2012 as city councilman of San Diego, where his ideas for pension reform became popularized, and he is also a policy analyst … Continue reading San Diego’s Pension Reform Bodes Well for Carl Demaio

Wealth Migration Pays Florida

State. It is also worth noting that you can track individual counties. For Florida, the biggest winners were a strip along the Gulf coast (from Citrus County to Collier) and most of the Atlantic coast. Of course, there are other factors at play. The elderly (who are more likely to be wealthy) have been retiring … Continue reading Wealth Migration Pays Florida

Public Debt: How Does Florida Stack Up?

Original post date: June 20, 2013 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. Over at the Tax Foundation, a recent Monday Map highlights the debt per capita of each state. The good news is that Florida ranks fairly low on the list, coming in at #40; I’ll … Continue reading Public Debt: How Does Florida Stack Up?

Florida Does Not Need More Corporate Welfare

Original post date: March 27, 2013 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. Even amongst fiscal conservatives, the argument is often made that the public funding of sports stadiums is justified because of the economic benefits they bring to their communities.  According to TBO, the state senate … Continue reading Florida Does Not Need More Corporate Welfare

Buildings Don’t Create Permanent Jobs

Original post date: March 22, 2013 Article by: Sam Staley 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer compatible have been fixed. Gaines Street is the "it" place for Tallahassee's economic redevelopment initiatives, skirting the northern edge of the southern border of the Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment Area. With large new projects going up along the … Continue reading Buildings Don’t Create Permanent Jobs

Florida’s Public Pension Funding #1

Original post date: November 29, 2012 Article by: Anonymous Despite all of the controversy surrounding the soundness of Florida’s public pension programs, a report by Jagadeesh Gokhale at the Cato Institute recognizes Florida as the number one state in terms of public pension plan health. This may be surprising due to all of the scrutiny Florida’s … Continue reading Florida’s Public Pension Funding #1

Controversy Over Pension Liabilities May Leave Taxpayers in the Hole

Post date: November 13, 2012 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. A recent report published by the Leroy Collins Institute at Florida State University regarding Florida’s increasingly unfunded public pension plans received some controversial feedback, largely in response to the accounting methods used. Critiques of the … Continue reading Controversy Over Pension Liabilities May Leave Taxpayers in the Hole

Municipal Pension Forcing Florida Over a Fiscal Cliff

Original post date: October 05, 2012 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer compatible have been fixed. Florida public pension programs have become a cause for concern in recent years, and the debate just ramped up with the publication of a new report by Florida State University’s Leroy Collins Institute. Florida … Continue reading Municipal Pension Forcing Florida Over a Fiscal Cliff