On Offense

Well into the 1990s, anti-business groups owned the agenda in Tallahassee. Business organizations stumbled around on defense and each session was a cross-fingered hope that nothing too awful would get passed.

The anti-growth and environmental agendas progressed every year, making the state more unfriendly for business and more expensive for residents. More aggressive laws were passed at the urging of trial lawyers and their allies that made the courts unfriendly territory for businesses.

It all added up to a deflated business community at the political level and an economy unable to diversify, forced to depend upon tourism, new residents and construction — basically, warm weather.