Senate Bill sb3092
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Florida Senate - 2004 (NP) SR 3092
By Senator Miller
18-2335-04
1 Senate Resolution No. ____
2 A resolution in support of the federal
3 initiative to establish a regional approach to
4 economic development in the Southeast.
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6 WHEREAS, several academic studies, including the
7 December 2001 Southeast Crescent Authority: A Proposal for
8 Economic Growth in the Southeastern United States conducted by
9 East Carolina University, and the January 2003 Study on
10 Persistent Poverty by the University of Georgia and the
11 Georgia Rural Development Council, among others, have shown
12 that there is a region in the Southeast that has been
13 persistently poor for decades, and
14 WHEREAS, this region is the poorest region of the
15 country, and
16 WHEREAS, past policies for breaking the cycle of
17 poverty in the region have failed, and different approaches
18 are needed, and
19 WHEREAS, all of the people of the 7-state region,
20 including Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North
21 Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia bear a tremendous
22 burden from the continuous cycle of poverty, and
23 WHEREAS, the region is economically disadvantaged as
24 compared with other regions in industry sectors when measured
25 by the production of goods and services per person, and
26 WHEREAS, the most highly distressed areas of the region
27 have a lower output of goods and services than either the
28 Appalachian Regional Commission or the Delta Regional
29 Authority counties, and
30 WHEREAS, these areas have an average household income
31 that is $2,000 less per person than the counties in the
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Florida Senate - 2004 (NP) SR 3092
18-2335-04
1 Appalachian Regional Commission or Delta Regional Authority,
2 and a per capita income $5,000 less than the national average,
3 and
4 WHEREAS, the economy of the rural areas and components
5 of the urbanized South are at risk because they lack an able
6 workforce and the tools with which to build wealth, and
7 WHEREAS, the economic situation in the region will
8 continue to worsen unless the region gains the innate ability
9 to produce and sustain wealth through the creation of goods
10 and services in manufacturing, service, and agriculture, and
11 WHEREAS, critical gaps exist in education, health,
12 housing, transportation, technology, and sewer and water
13 infrastructure in the region, and
14 WHEREAS, despite its poverty, this region is not
15 presently served by a federally supported initiative similar
16 to the Appalachian Regional Commission, which has shown much
17 success in reducing economic distress through support for
18 local job-creation strategies and projects, and
19 WHEREAS, there is clear evidence of the need for a new
20 partnership between the states and the Federal Government to
21 break the cycle of poverty through targeted, strategic support
22 for local job-creation activities, NOW, THEREFORE,
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24 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
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26 That the Senate supports the creation of the SouthEast
27 Crescent Authority, or a similar regional entity, as reflected
28 in pending Congressional legislation.
29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this body pledges to work
30 to strengthen efforts in sharing information and to ensure
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Florida Senate - 2004 (NP) SR 3092
18-2335-04
1 that the full participation of all residents of this region in
2 the workforce remains a priority.
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