Ring laments the negative message Scott's decision sends to investors

Sen. Jeremy Ring, a Lauderdale Lakes Democrat and one of the founders of Yahoo.com, said Gov. Rick Scott's decision to cancel the high speed rail will send a negative message to venture capitalists considering whether to invest in Florida.

"Rarely do you use Florida and innovation in the same sentence and this had a chance to bring us into a 21st Century economy,'' Ring said. "All it does is take us back to the 20th Century economy which collapsed on us and it's not coming back. We've got 400,000 vacant homes in this state and unless we innovate we're not going to compete on a global scale. We keep using the word jobs. It's not about jobs initially; it's about creating an environment for jobs and wealth and opportunity. This put us on the map to really be an innovative leader nationally and globally. This sets us way back.''

"We're not going to be viewed as economic leader with these kinds of decisions. Who would invest in our state?"

Ring, one of the sponsors of last year's legislation that enabled state development of the current high speed rail initiative, said he doesn't believe the ridership projections used by opponents of the project. "All those people who say they wouldn't ride it, imagine being on I-4 during a high traffic time and see a train running by at 120 mph. You're going to be on it the next day,'' he said. "I do think people will use it and the interconnection of Florida regions will make Florida more powerful and attractive."

He called it a "major, major, major decision -- a wrong decision -- that will change the dynamics of transportation for the next 50 years." He said that the emergence of Yahoo, Google and E-bay in the 1990s created so many jobs and so much wealth that it put money into the community and allowed it to thrive. "That sort of innovation economy is never going to exist in Florida if we continue to make decisions like this decision."

Comments

[George Fuller]

Hey Mr. Ring.......Aren't you the guy that blocked Senator Detert's E-verify bill in 2010 that would have required all Public Agencies to use
e-verify.....and all contractors and sub contractors.....

How many jobs have you prevented from going to legal workers......HMMM Mr. Ring?

[BM]

Yahoo? What is that? Oh it is those fake chocolate drinks. Many I love those. Makes me fat though.

What investors the federal government was going to waste $2.4 billion tax dollars we do not have.

I will tell you what this decision will tell investors. We have a smart governor who is willing to do the right thing even if liberals and those with a vested interest will attack him for it.

[kevin]

How do you tune down 2 BBBillion dollars w/ 12% unemployment and no state economic engines to speak of???? Unbelievable!

[George Fuller]

When the debate in the legislature took place a year ago an amendment was made that required all jobs go to legal workers and it was defeated....

What value are jobs if they are illegal aliens who receive the money and send it out of the country?....

How would that help our economy?