Rosy roundtable follows stormy ceremony

Officials have high hopes for the $13 million Port Manatee expansion that is getting under way — enough so to have a groundbreaking ceremony with Gov. Rick Scott and a whole passel of politicians and bureaucrats.

But when it came time for Scott to speak, he took one look at the black thunderheads rolling across Tampa Bay toward the Port Manatee ceremony and pocketed his prepared remarks.

“Let's do the photo,” he said and walked away from the podium and over to where the shovels were planted for the obligatory guys-in-suits-and-hardhats dirt toss.

It ended up being a good call. The storm thundered in and winds blew decorations everywhere as politicians, businessmen and the media beat a hasty exit to their vehicles.

But there was nothing stormy about the economic roundtable that followed, where business leaders and government officials from all levels discussed what could be done to improve economic conditions. Most of them said everything is moving in the right direction, from fewer costly regulations to faster permitting to more jobs.

The port expansion is part of that right direction with a broader push by Scott to expand Florida's seaports. “They're a significant driver of jobs,” he said. The state is increasing spending from about $150 million annually on the ports to $560 million next year to coincided with the Panama Canal widening.

“We should be the global center for trade,” Scott said. “No other state has 15 seaports. No one.”

But like a good CEO, Scott pushed responsibility downward -- it is not all the state's job.

When one Manatee County commissioner in the audience asked for the governor's support in getting more businesses to locate at the port, Scott put it right back on local officials.

“Port Manatee is unbelievable well situated,” he said, ticking off the port's strengths. “It comes down to good leadership. If you have good leadership, you have every chance.”

Scott sets the example on this point, making calls every day to businesses to pitch Florida as a place to do business and going on six trade delegations in his first 18 months.