Governor Rick Scott’s trickle-down economic strategy isn’t trickling down far enough. Now a Democratic legislator is pushing his own tax-cutting plan for creating jobs.
Senator Dwight Bullard of Miami says a $1,000 tax break for local businesses willing to hire ex-felons would help poor neighborhoods more than multi-million-dollar incentives for corporations. And the tax breaks, Bullard says, could make prison training programs pay off.
“So here are these folks that, you know, for the better part of their incarceration, have been practicing a skill set but then when they come out are generally denied an opportunity to continue along the same path.”
Bullard’s bill draws the line at felons who are sexual predators, violent criminals or repeat offenders.
James Miller, a spokesman for the Florida Retail Federation, says the group would much rather have the carrot instead of the stick. Some lawmakers want to ban employers from asking initial job applicants if they have a criminal history.
“Retail is one of the best opportunities for people to have that second chance. To be able to start at maybe a smaller job or smaller opportunity.”
And with unemployment among ex-felons running as high as 80 percent, Bullard says opportunity is sorely needed.
