By Donald Sizemore College Town currently serves as the epicenter of Florida State University’s social life in Tallahassee. Yet, this vibrant mixed-use commercial and residential area--skirting the southern border of FSU, three blocks from Florida A&M University, and just a quarter mile from FSU’s football stadium--did not exist in 2010. Instead, the area was a … Continue reading Infrastructure critical to urban redevelopment
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?
Is the Gas Tax a Sustainable Revenue Source for Roads?
By Giovanna da Silva Millions of Americans depend on roads in their everyday lives. US roads handle 8 billion miles of traffic per day. For most of America’s contemporary history, federal, state, and local governments have maintained and funded roads. Currently, there are 4 million miles of public road in the country. Gas taxes and … Continue reading Is the Gas Tax a Sustainable Revenue Source for Roads?
Private Toll Roads: A Case Study of Tallahassee’s Orchard Pond Parkway
By Giovanna da Silva Florida boasts the highest number of toll roads in the country. Until last April, state and local governments owned and operated all of Florida toll roads. Tallahassee’s Orchard Pond Parkway challenged this precedent, however, opening to the general public in 2017 and becoming the first privately constructed and operated toll road … Continue reading Private Toll Roads: A Case Study of Tallahassee’s Orchard Pond Parkway
The Jones Act is Sinking the Growth of American Industries
By Giovanna DaSilva The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly referred to as the Jones Act, is a law enacted to protect the United States’ maritime industry, regulate commerce, and bolster national defense. While well-intentioned, the act fails to reflect the current needs of the United States. Repealing the Jones Act would prove beneficial to … Continue reading The Jones Act is Sinking the Growth of American Industries
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
Tourism Vital to Florida’s Economy
By Erick Winterkamp Florida is known around the world for its white sandy beaches, diverse wildlife and theme parks. These environmental and manmade attractions make it a hotspot for domestic and international tourism. State and local taxes and spending have impacted the tourism industry, but Florida would likely be a tourism destination with or without … Continue reading Tourism Vital to Florida’s Economy
Florida Facing the Wrong Direction on Immigration Reform
By Selene Capparelli The US immigration system has been badly broken for many decades. Mass deportation, enhanced border security, and keeping undocumented workers in perpetual illegal status have been proven to be very costly and ineffective methods to handle the constant influx of new immigrants.These policies result in hundreds of border-crossing deaths each year, abject … Continue reading Florida Facing the Wrong Direction on Immigration Reform
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
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
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
Price Regulations Complicate Net Metering and Solar Energy
By Logan Shewmaker As in four other states, all electricity for residential use in Florida must be purchased from franchised utility companies. However, solar energy advocates are trying to change this by allowing private purchase agreements between residents and solar companies in order to expand rooftop solar power production in the Sunshine State. Crucial to … Continue reading Price Regulations Complicate Net Metering and Solar Energy
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
Off The Grid: The Future of Solar Power
By Logan Shewmaker According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Florida ranks 3rd in the United States for rooftop solar energy potential. But Florida only ranks 13th in “cumulative solar capacity installed.” Some experts think that this lack of solar energy installation stems from poor policy. James Fenton, director of the Solar Energy Center … Continue reading Off The Grid: The Future of Solar Power
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 Study Sheds Light on Property Taxes in Florida
By Matt Kelly A new study by DeVoe Moore Eminent Scholar Keith Ihlanfeldt and economist Kevin Willardsen explores property taxes in Florida. The authors challenge the conventional wisdom that governments only consider the “public interest” when writing their budgets and setting tax rates. With property taxes accounting for 31% of Florida’s total revenues, understanding how … Continue reading New Study Sheds Light on Property Taxes in Florida
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
Why Illegal Drug Money Doesn’t Promote Economic Development
Original post date: August 21, 2013 Article by: Sam Staley 5/10/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. Sandra Avila Beltran, the woman he reached the pinnacle of the Colombian-Mexican drug cartel as the "Queen of the Pacific," has been extradited back to Mexico. Her tale is a complicated one, and … Continue reading Why Illegal Drug Money Doesn’t Promote Economic Development
Ohio Pedicab Operator Regulatory Goal? Limit Competition
Original post date: June 04, 2013 Article by: Sam Staley 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. At least pedicab operators in Columbus, Ohio are honest about what they expect out of the city's licensing process: Purging the city of competition. The city is about to adopt regulations that, among … Continue reading Ohio Pedicab Operator Regulatory Goal? Limit Competition
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
For Whom the Road Rolls (Me or Thee?)
Original post date: September 05, 2012 Article by: Sam Staley A catchy little tune is making its way around the Internet, lambasting the tolls levied by the Dulles Greenway. The Greenway is a privately developed, owned, and financed extension of the Dulles Tollroad (which is publicly owned and operated). The song, “Highway Robbery,” laments the … Continue reading For Whom the Road Rolls (Me or Thee?)