Florida's New Public Service Employees

[Howey]

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How much is a job worth?

Rick Scott, in his quest to "create jobs" for the Florida economy and then take credit for it, has been outed through a mistakenly released chart of throwing the state checkbook to companies to create jobs that we may or may not ever get.

Since January 2011, Florida has pledged nearly $155 million in tax breaks and other incentives to companies promising to create jobs in the state.

Among the biggest corporate winners: Embraer Aircraft Holding, Raymond James Financial, the Boeing Co. and Bi-Lo LLC, the new owner of Winn-Dixie Stores.

The pledges came with promises to create up to 32,570 jobs, according to a database from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Wow...that's quite a lot of money just to secure a "promise" to create jobs. Is there an agreement to get our taxpayer money back if the jobs aren't created? Nah...

Wait. There's more...

The list revealed, for instance, that CBS Corporate Services is the mystery company in line to receive an incentive package worth $1.05 million for creating up to 150 jobs by moving some of its information technology operations to St. Petersburg.

Whoa...is my math wrong or is that almost $10,000 per job?

So we're paying these people's salary? WTF?

But that's still not all...

Officials, for example, had already announced that Embraer will get $6 million in incentives if it brings 200 jobs to a new tech center in Brevard County.

That, my friends, is $30,000 per job.

There's more...

The list, however, indicates the aircraft company stands to reap another $8 million in incentives through a separate deal if it creates another 450 jobs in Brevard.

That's another $17,700 per head.

All this money handed out and we're told there really aren't that many jobs?

Embraer spokesman Bob Stangerone said via email late Friday that no project creating an additional 450 jobs has been announced. The only Brevard County project among Embraer's recent press releases was a March announcement detailing the planned 200 jobs.

I could go on and on...but I have to ask a couple of questions:

1. If our Republicans are so against government employees, aren't we stilll paying these people's salary (or most of it?)

2. Who the hell let Rick Scott hold the checkbook?

3. Why are we paying so-called "job creators" to create jobs when they're flush with money?

For example, Raymond James Financial, awarded over $6 million, recently posted a quarterly profit of $80.9 million dollars!

Here's another example: Embraer Aircraft Holding, another recipient of our money, has an employee benefit plan, that we're now paying for, that makes the retirement benefits of a typical state employee (not Scott and his cronies, their retirement plan is far richer) look like a kid's piggy bank.

Finally...what happened to fiscal responsibility, Mr. Scott?

If history is a guide, many of the jobs detailed in the new list may not materialize.