Florida CFO brings smack talk to NY

It's not yet a rivalry to match the Tampa Rays vs. the New York Yankees, but a battle of words is bubbling between Sunshine and Empire State officials over economic development.

A highlight: In a July 20 interview with the New York Post, Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, a cabinet level officer, calls New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo a “huckster.”

Atwater's complaints are over New York's $100 million “Start-Up NY” campaign, which recently aired TV and radio commercials in Florida. The ads champion the “new New York,” which includes the opportunity to start a business in the state in a zero-tax zone for up to 10 years.