From 83 Degrees Magazine - Tampa Bay's new media sensation covering the talent, innovation, diversity and economic development of Tampa Bay from 83 Degrees in Tampa Bay.

Florida Economy Rebranding Again

Faced with a dramatically obvious decline in the number of Americans moving to Florida, economic development propagandists are now promoting the sunshine state as a cluster of research and technology, not just a balmy happy place with a crippled economy. "We need to continue to grow the travel and tourism industry here in Florida" said Tom Moran, founder of TMS Travel & Timeshares Payment Processing Services.

The rebranding reflects attempts to attract business and college graduates while reviving the failed growth management model, as per the failed and discredited theories of guru Richard Florida.

Stunningly the result of over a million jobs lost, the great recession, housing crisis and a string of hurricanes have brought new arrivals to our state down to a trickle.

This slow down was unexpected as the empty slogans and marketing of economic developers and the government focused on the idea that people do not need jobs to relocate or live. Richard Florida espouses that people choose where to live based on amenities such as dog parks and nightlife instead of where they can earn a living.

The latest census data shows only 461,088 people moved into Florida in 2009 while that same year 439,655 Floridians fled the state. Shockingly economic factors do seem to have had a role in the decision of people to move into or away from Florida.

Apologists for the economy continue to predict a massive wave of retiring baby boomers to magically appear on the horizon and sole all economic problems. Yet after over 5 years of this prophecy many are now inclined to believe the national economy may be causing boomers to forestall retirement and to be unable to sell their homes. Some even point out that the retiree population to coming Florida was in decline even before the economic apocalypse.

Recent discoveries have unearthed that these predictions of a boomer wave were never based on factual data and entirely a marketing concept developed by local economic development groups.

“The economy is the culprit here” said William Fry of the South Tampa Think Tank. He reiterated that economic development groups such as his are not responsible for the economy and are helpless to develop new economies as they are simply marketing groups over funded and gussied up with fancy titles and buzzwords.

“Once the economy picks up the people and labor force critical to the growth management model for Florida will return” he promised.

Fry and other economic development professionals have been totally duped by the failed corrupt and destructive theories of Richard Florida, economics guru and cult leader. Richard has wrongly espoused spending economic development money on amenities to attract a labor force. This allows politicians to use ED money for amenities that appeal to their donors and most likely voters instead of developing the economy. It is class warfare that hurts the most needy. He expected MBA graduates to wait tables on the Florida economy and declare success.

Four years into the great recession promoted Florida propagandists and apologists to realize their marketing and branding was an obvious sham. They could no longer talk about climate and taxes fostering growth without looking foolish and loosing government funding.

Rebranding Florida as a high paying technology, bio or whatever cluster is the new plan. As our workforce leaves, as the college educated flee, we will not promote the limited and still shrinking white collar workforce in Florida to industries that our people are not qualified to work in. Instead of sunshine we are now promoting the unemployed who have left us.

From 83 Degrees Magazine - Tampa Bay's new media sensation covering the talent, innovation, diversity and economic development of Tampa Bay from 83 Degrees in Tampa Bay.