RPOF Newsletter – Chairman Joe Gruter’s Message
Chairman’s Message
Florida job growth soars. Covid cases plummet.
At the same time as Covid cases continue to plunge in Florida, to the lowest in the nation, the state’s job growth soars to the highest in the nation — demonstrating again the wisdom of Governor DeSantis’ freedom-first agenda.
Florida’s Covid case count is down 90 percent from two months ago, and 76 percent since Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo signed new rules about a month ago that empowered parental control over their children’s health, banned quarantining healthy people and kept kids in school mask-free. Florida’s case rate is currently half of California’s, which has the strictest mask and vaccine requirements in the nation and is mandating every child over five be vaccinated to attend school.
“Without mandates or lockdowns, COVID-19 cases in Florida have decreased 90% since August,” Governor DeSantis said. “In addition to cases, hospitalizations have plummeted in our state. This has been accomplished by making monoclonal antibody treatments and vaccines widely available throughout our state while protecting Floridians from government overreach.”
Draconian, freedom-squashing government mandates do not stop Covid and Florida’s path is shown to be the best in dealing with the virus while allowing people to freely make their own health decisions.
These freedoms have fueled Florida’s economy by allowing businesses and consumers to go about creating a thriving marketplace.
Florida’s economy rapidly accelerated in September, growing at three times the rate of the nation’s growth. Florida gained 84,500 total jobs, marking 17 consecutive months of private-sector job growth. Importantly, Florida has also seen 11 consecutive months of labor force increases, adding 50,000 workers in just the past month. Florida’s labor force growth of 5.4% is dramatically higher than the national rate of 0.8%.
In total, Florida has gained more than one million jobs since April 2020, and September’s job creation was almost twice that of California.
“While the entire nation gained 194,000 jobs in September, Florida gained 84,500 jobs in the same month – we are outpacing the nation in job growth and job opportunities because businesses know that Florida will stand up for them,” Governor DeSantis said. “We will continue to work hard to keep Florida open, free and built for opportunity.”
Governor DeSantis was joined this week by representatives of three Florida-based businesses — Tervis, PGT Innovations, and Anna Maria Oyster Bar — to highlight the recent success of Florida’s job market and support Florida-based companies.
“Governor DeSantis has created a business environment that has enabled us to hire 115 people since June that has helped minimize the broader impact that the pandemic created, and Tervis is very fortunate to be in a state with a healthy economy,” said Rogan Donelly, President and CEO, Tervis. “Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, Tervis was able to keep our headquarters open in order to manufacture our products, our employees were able to safely stay at work and provide for their families.”
“The pro-business atmosphere in Florida has been crucial for PGT innovations to prosper; specifically over the last 18 months, our business has benefited from low taxes from forward-thinking policies,” said Rod Hershberger, Chairman, PGT Innovations. “We’re able to stay open and continue working because of Governor DeSantis’ efforts to protect Florida jobs. This is the best place to work from a tax perspective and from the leadership that we have, and we intend to stay here for a long time.”
“Everybody in our industry feels we’ve got a governor that’s got our back, that’s working with us, that’s working to help us,” said John Horne, President & Owner, Anna Maria Oyster Bar.
These three represent the sentiments of thousands of thriving and grateful Florida businesses.
FLORIDA
Governor DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody announced a lawsuit today against the Biden Administration’s order requiring employees of federal contractors to be vaccinated by December 8. The Governor promised to take legal action to stop federal overreach and is keeping that promise, making Florida the first state in the nation to hold the President accountable.
The lawsuit seeks an immediate end to the unlawful requirement that federal contractors ensure that all employees are injected.
“Just months ago Joe Biden was saying that it wouldn’t be appropriate or lawful for the federal government to mandate these COVID shots,” Governor DeSantis said. “But now we have somehow gone from 15 days to slow the spread to 3 jabs to keep your job. The federal government is exceeding their power and it is important for us to take a stand because in Florida we believe these are choices based on individual circumstances.”
“I have never seen such blatant disregard for the Constitution or the laws governing our country,” said Attorney General Moody. “President Biden does not have the authority to force millions of Americans to receive a shot, nor does he have the ability to punish Florida economically for not abiding by his authoritarian, unlawful, and unconstitutional executive order.”
The Governor and Attorney General were joined at the announcement by Floridians who are facing consequences as a result of vaccine mandates.
Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/10/28/governor-ron-desantis-announces-lawsuit-against-biden-administrations-unconstitutional-vaccine-mandates/
And here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-biden-lawsuit-covid-vaccine-mandates-federal-contractors
Watch the full press conference here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=337652531454633
Read the lawsuit here: https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/047123627394.pdf
WASHINGTON, D.C.
With Congress back in session, Val Demings radicalness is impossible to hide. She is in lock-step with the most extremist members of Congress, such as the socialist Squad, and out of touch with Floridians by supporting every penny of the full-fledged $3.5 trillion socialist spending spree.
In joining fellow radicals to push this budget, Demings is supporting 40 separate tax increases that would take $2 trillion out of Americans’ pockets. In addition to tax hikes on Florida families, the socialist spending spree paves the way for the Green New Deal, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and taxpayer-funded abortion.
Demings is trying to unseat Senator Marco Rubio, who released a great ad highlighting how radical his opponent is, voting with the Squad 94 percent of the time.
Watch the Rubio ad here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccc2oKnGBG8
ICYMI
What they’re saying about Governor DeSantis calling for a Special Session
Business owners and industry leaders from around the state applauded Governor DeSantis’ call for a Special Session of the Florida Legislature last week to protect Florida employees from unconstitutional vaccine mandates and vaccine passports.
Here is what they are saying:
Ralph A. Lewis, Co-Owner of Florida’s oldest steakhouse, Okeechobee Steakhouse, said: “Without Governor DeSantis holding his ground and making decisions based on scientific facts, our loss of business would be catastrophic. From the staff of Okeechobee Steakhouse and Okeechobee Prime Meat Market, thank you, Governor DeSantis, for allowing us to keep our jobs.”
Charles Musgrove, Jr., CPA and Founder of CAPSERV360, said: “Thank you to Governor DeSantis for standing in the breach to protect our liberties. I have never been prouder to be a Floridian than over the past 18 months. Your leadership is inspirational for all Americans and an example for all political leaders whether local, state, or federal.”
Nick Sarra, Chief Operations Officer of Saltwater Restaurants, said: “Allowing customers to freely dine without mandated vaccine passports has allowed us to continue to employ hundreds of workers in our nine restaurants across Northwest Florida. Placing our employees on the front line of our customers’ medical decisions is not their responsibility as professionals in the restaurant industry. We are grateful for Governor Ron DeSantis’ strong support of restaurants and our employees.”
Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/10/22/what-they-are-saying-businesses-applaud-governor-desantis-protecting-floridians-jobs-and-livelihoods/
Social Media Highlights
REMEMBER: @FloridaGOP and retweet and share. The Republican message must be spread around the state and you are integral to making that happen.
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