Scott makes an informal stop in the East County

EAST COUNTY — Florida Gov. Rick Scott came to the East County July 18 for an informal business roundtable, at Mixon Fruit Farms.

In Mixon’s cafeteria, Scott took questions from about 60 area business leaders seated in yellow chairs at picnic tables.

Topics varied from small businesses to education, synthetic drugs and the Florida Stand Your Ground law.

Attendee Sam Mixon said small businesses are struggling.

“We don’t need new regulations and new taxes on us to bring in these people who are getting all these subsidies by coming into the state and bringing in their employees,” Mixon said. “And, a lot of them don’t even stay here. They come here just to get it, and, before you know it, they’re gone. They’re bankrupt, and they can’t pay it back to the state.”

Scott responded by saying the state has cut 2,500 regulations and eliminated the sales tax on machinery and equipment.

Scott also noted an improved permitting process.

It now takes only about one-and-a-half days to get a license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and 50 days to get an environmental permit.

During the economic-related forum, Scott became emotional when asked about Trayvon Martin’s death.

“Look, this thing should not be politicized,” Scott said. “I mean, we lost a 17-year-old young man in our state.”

He also stood behind the Stand Your Ground law, the controversial measure which the case brought to the spotlight.
Scott was scheduled to speak from 3:30 to 5 p.m. but cut his visit an hour short to attend a 9 p.m. meeting with students protesting that very law in Tallahassee.

Before he left, Scott made sure to sample a scoop of Mixon’s famous orange swirl ice cream.

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].