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Last year, I traveled the state and listened to Floridians. I quickly learned that their number-one concern is the quality of their children’s education. That’s why my proposed budget called for an additional $1billion in education funding.

Today, I would like to thank the Florida House of Representatives for fulfilling my billion-dollar request. Educating our children will give them the skills to compete for higher paying jobs and will make Florida attractive to employers in the years to come. This investment will not pay off immediately, but it is the foundation for long-term prosperity in Florida.

I remain confident that the Senate will also put Florida’s children first when they begin budget negotiations. As I have stated before, I will not sign a budget that does not include a significant increase in funding for education. On this, I cannot budge.

I look forward to another week of session in Tallahassee; I hope you have a great weekend.

“On behalf of Florida’s students, I thank Speaker Cannon and members of the House Appropriations Committee for focusing on my proposal to place an additional $1 billion into K-12 education.

“When I put forward my budget proposal in December, I made it clear that I would not sign any budget that does not significantly increase state funding for education. Today’s vote shows that the House heard this promise loud and clear, and they too are committed to prioritizing education funding.

“The most important thing we can do to ensure Floridians have the job opportunities they deserve is to provide our students with a quality education and prepare them to be competitive in our 21st century workforce.”

This week, I urged the House and the Senate to send me a bill that addresses auto insurance fraud in Florida. PIP fraudsters cause auto insurance premiums to skyrocket, and honest Floridians pay the price.

Floridians are fed up with being cheated by scammers who get a payday, while innocent citizens get stuck with the bill. Our broken no-fault system is a hidden billion-dollar tax on Floridians. It drags on our economy and slows growth, and we must take action to stop this fraud. We must lower the cost of living in our state. I am confident that the legislature will get this done.

Also this week, I joined business, military, veteran and workforce leaders during the annual Florida National Guard Day at the Capitol. Together we launched the Hiring Florida’s Heroes campaign to connect our returning veterans with job opportunities in our state. Hiring Florida’s Heroes is a smart move for businesses and the right thing to do for our veterans and their families.

If you are an employer interested in hiring a hero, please call  1-866-FLA-2345 or visit veterans.employflorida.com.

Governor Rick Scott officially welcomed America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses to Florida during the company’s debut in Miami-Dade County today in Kendall. America’s Best plans to open 20 stores in Florida in 2012 and create more than 200 jobs this year statewide, with similar growth over the next three years with the creation of 200 jobs per year.

“As companies like America’s Best choose to grow and expand in our state, Florida’s position as the No. 1 place for business growth becomes more evident,” said Governor Scott.  “When companies prosper in our state, they create more jobs and give more Floridians the opportunity to get back to work.”

In addition to the new stores in Hollywood and Kendall, America’s Best will be opening multiple locations in Broward and Dade counties over the next few months, in areas including Miami, Margate, Homestead, North Miami, Oakland Park and Davie.

“We are very excited to expand into Florida, particularly the Miami area in Dade and Broward counties. We carefully selected this vibrant location in Kendall to make quality eyewear at low prices accessible for area residents,” said Bruce Steffey, chief operating officer of America’s Best, who attended the grand opening event. “We look forward to serving our new customers and becoming an integral part of the community.”

About America’s Best New Locations

In Kendall, America’s Best, located in The Palms at Town and Country, 8430 Mills Drive, is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Store manager Jorge Sobrino, a Florida Board Certified optician for over 20 years, leads the staff at the Kendall location. Eye exams are available through N. L Elgut, M.D. and Associates L.L.C., owned by Noel Elgut, M.D., who employs optometrist Melody Leon, O.D., at the Kendall location to provide eyecare. She is a native of Miami and 2007 graduate of Nova Southeastern University where she achieved top honors while earning her Doctor of Optometry degree.

America’s Best offers a full range of optical goods including eyeglasses, contact lenses and a selection of more than 1,500 frames. Customers can get two complete pairs of glasses – including single vision plastic lenses – from only $69.95, including a free eye exam (offered by N. L. Elgut, M.D. and Associates L.L.C.). There are over 500 frames included in this offer. For people who want designer frames, various brands are available, all at affordable pricing, including Ray-Ban, Coach, Vogue, Bebe and more. Contact lens wearers may opt for an EyeCare ClubSM membership for $99, which includes contact lens exams for three years – up to two per year – and contacts for as low as $9.95 a box during a grand opening special.

This month, America’s Best opened two locations in the Broward and Dade county area – one in Kendall and one in Hollywood, Fla. in the Sheridan Plaza at 5311 Sheridan Street.

About America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses

America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses is the nation’s fastest growing optical retailer with over 300 stores nationwide and is one of the major brands operated by National Vision Inc. The fourth largest optical retailer in the United States, National Vision Inc. operates nearly 700 optical stores in the nation. It has over 300 employees in Florida and pays over $10 million in wages annually in the state.

America’s Best is a leading provider of contact lenses, prescription glasses and other optical products. For more information, visit the America’s Best Web site at www.twopair.com. To get routed to the store nearest you, call            1-800-TWO-PAIR      .

The American economy is sustained by business owners large and small who invested their money because they saw the potential of our great nation. Companies from around the world should continue flocking here, but instead they are being deterred by a nation facing a trillion dollar deficit and a federal government with an insatiable appetite for more debt and intrusion into the lives of its’ citizens.

What we need in the White House is a leader who understands that the government’s role is to create the conditions that help create private-sector jobs.   We need a President who understands that the government can only give Americans the opportunity to work hard and live their version of the American dream, but government cannot do the work for them.  In my first year in office as Governor, we streamlined government, cut red-tape and created a business and taxpayer-friendly climate in Florida. As a result, our state’s unemployment rate dropped by more than 2.1 percentage points last year, the second biggest drop of any state in the nation, and we created 141,500 private-sector jobs.

The steps we are taking in Florida are working. The time is now to elect a leader who will make the right choices in order to grow jobs and get Americans back to work.

The American economy is sustained by business owners large and small who invested their money because they saw the potential of our great nation. Companies from around the world should continue flocking here, but instead they are being deterred by a nation facing a trillion dollar deficit and a federal government with an insatiable appetite for more debt and intrusion into the lives of its’ citizens.

What we need in the White House is a leader who understands that the government’s role is to create the conditions that help create private-sector jobs.   We need a President who understands that the government can only give Americans the opportunity to work hard and live their version of the American dream, but government cannot do the work for them.  In my first year in office as Governor, we streamlined government, cut red-tape and created a business and taxpayer-friendly climate in Florida. As a result, our state’s unemployment rate dropped by more than 2.1 percentage points last year, the second biggest drop of any state in the nation, and we created 141,500 private-sector jobs.

The steps we are taking in Florida are working. The time is now to elect a leader who will make the right choices in order to grow jobs and get Americans back to work.

Governor Rick Scott today joined business, military, veteran and workforce leaders during the annual Florida National Guard Day at the Capitol to launch a year-long effort aimed at connecting returning National Guardsmen and other veterans with job openings as Florida’s economy continues to improve.

“These courageous men and women have served us with honor, and it is our turn to ensure veterans who are returning to civilian life have jobs when they come home,” said Governor Scott. “We are calling on Florida’s employers to give veterans strong consideration for available positions. With their proven leadership, skills and discipline, hiring Florida’s heroes is a smart move for businesses and the right thing to do for our veterans and their families.”

While the unemployment rate for Florida’s overall veteran population is slightly lower than that of the population at large, the Florida National Guard estimates approximately 17 percent of returning soldiers and airmen are looking for work. In partnership with Florida’s leading business organizations, the Hiring Florida’s Heroes campaign aims to promote the availability of these returning veterans to Florida’s employers and connect employers with a variety of resources to assist in the hiring process.

Employers interested in hiring veterans are encouraged to call the Employ Florida Marketplace hotline at (866) 352-2345 to connect with a workforce specialist in their area. The specialists can assist employers by posting job listings, assembling lists of qualified candidates and answering questions about available training options among other services. Employers also can visit the Employ Florida Vets web portal at veterans.employflorida.com to post job listings and view resumes.

“Florida’s returning soldiers and airmen possess strong leadership skills, work with integrity and are solid private-sector job candidates,” said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “The Florida Chamber encourages private-sector businesses to honor these talented veterans by hiring our heroes.”

Additionally, the state’s workforce system — consisting of Workforce Florida Inc., the Department of Economic Opportunity, the state’s 24 Regional Workforce Boards and nearly 100 One-Stop Career Centers — is working closely with the Florida National Guard, the state Department of Military Affairs and the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide employment services to veterans who are looking for work and help employers access this exceptional talent pool. Since January 2011, workforce system partners have assisted 12,776 veterans with finding jobs, including 1,237 in the first three weeks of the new year.

“In my travels around the state, I have heard from many employers who appreciate the value veterans bring as employees. They want to do their part to support Florida’s military men and women,” said Sen. Don Gaetz, (R – Ft. Walton Beach). “With our economy improving, businesses growing and veterans returning from service overseas, now is the ideal time to ensure our state and business leaders are working together to get these men and women back to work here at home.”

Senator Gaetz has been a champion for efforts to assist Florida’s veterans and their families. Current legislation includes SB 922/HB 977, sponsored by Sen. Mike Bennett (R – Bradenton) and co-sponsored by Sen. Gaetz and others, which passed the Senate today. SB 922 creates a $10,000 tax credit for employers who hire eligible Florida National Guardsmen, assists veterans’ employment efforts by expanding preferences given in state contracting to veteran-owned businesses, and requires that qualified veterans be admitted to any Florida College System institution of their choosing.

Business leaders attending the campaign kickoff — including the Florida Chamber, the Florida Retail Federation, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida United Businesses Association, the National Association of Independent Business, the Florida Council of 100, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, the Florida Bankers Association and the Manufacturers Association of Florida ­— have committed to sharing the Hiring Florida’s Heroes message with members and promoting the value of veterans as employees through social media and other outreach efforts during the year-long campaign. The campaign also will help raise awareness of recently expanded federal tax credits of up to $9,600 per veteran hired through the Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

For more information, please visit veterans.employflorida.com or call the Employ Florida Marketplace hotline toll-free at (866) 352-2345.

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Tallahassee, Fla. – Governor Rick Scott announced today that Florida’s unemployment rate went down again in the last month of 2011 to 9.9 percent. A total of 5,100 new private-sector jobs were also added in December, solidifying Florida’s status as one of the nation’s leaders in job creation last year.

Since Governor Scott took office, the state’s unemployment rate has dropped 2.1 percentage points, from a high of 12 percent in December 2010, to the first single-digit unemployment rate in more than two-and-a-half years in December 2011.

“A good way to judge the direction of Florida’s economy is to look at the percentage of people who were unemployed one year ago and now have jobs,” said Governor’s Scott.  “Today that number is 2.1 percentage points lower than it was in 2010, meaning more of Florida’s families are finding jobs. It is my goal to give every Floridian who wants a job the opportunity to get to work.”

Since January 2011, more than 12 private sector jobs have been created for every public-sector job lost, and Florida businesses have created 141,500 private-sector jobs with an average of 12,800 jobs per month.

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