Florida, like many states across the nation, has a poverty problem. One in four Florida children live in poverty. Five million Floridians are on food stamps, and more than half of all Florida students are eligible for free and reduced lunches and more than 3.3 million Floridians don’t know where their next meal will come from. There will always be poverty, the kind that results from temporary setbacks such as job loss, sudden illness, foreclosures, or unexpected challenges, and the Florida Chamber believes social safety nets are needed and necessary to help bridge the crises. The goal of these programs should be to get Americans who have fallen on hard times back on their feet. Florida’s business community can help break this cycle and create greater opportunities for the next generation. By incorporating greater educational opportunities and allowing free enterprise to create more private-sector jobs, we can make generational poverty a thing of the past and the American Dream of economic freedom a reality.
The Florida Chamber Foundation today released its Less Poverty, More Prosperity: Florida’s Fiscal Cliffs Report as part of its Florida 2030 research. The report shows… Learn More
By 2030, Florida is expected to grow to 26 million residents and will welcome more than 150 million visitors per year. With this, comes… Learn More
Originally Published in the Sun Sentinel by the Editorial Page Editor, April 12, 2017 If you like to paint by the numbers, paint… Learn More
Janelle O’Dea, Bradenton Herald, February 17, 2017 On Wednesday, Florida Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Wilson delivered a somewhat unexpected message to a room… Learn More
TheFloridaScorcard.org indicates Florida’s poverty rate for those under 18 is at 23.4 percent, which means 944,415 children are living in poverty. More than… Learn More
Bradenton Herald, February 17, 2017 By Mark Wilson As the 16th-largest economy in the world, creating one out of every 10 jobs in America,… Learn More
This weekend, Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, discussed the importance of economic opportunity for all Floridians during a… Learn More
How do we ensure that Florida’s children are prepared to succeed in education and in life? It starts with early learning, which sets the… Learn More
“The battle of this generation is between economic equality and economic opportunity – between those who believe that everyone is entitled to prosperity and those… Learn More
“The battle of this generation is between economic equality and economic opportunity – between those who believe that everyone is entitled to prosperity and… Learn More
Florida’s homeless population ranks third largest in the nation. The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report estimated that nearly 36,000 adults in Florida were homeless and Florida public… Learn More
Almost half of all children born in poverty remain in poor economic conditions into adulthood, and in Florida, 1 in 4 Florida children are… Learn More
As the new school year begins, more than 50 percent of Florida families with school-aged children will qualify for free and reduced school lunch. Adequate food and… Learn More
Without question, the American Dream is under attack. Unions and big government advocates want to mandate wages, while George Soros and his cronies argue… Learn More
Do Politicians understand your business? Join the Florida Chamber.
Florida Chamber of Commerce
136 S. Bronough Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
(850) 521-1200
