It’s been five years since Gov. Rick Scott came into office. Not long after, Scott and the legislature rolled back several laws dealing with growth. That made it easier for developers to move forward with large-scale projects.
The numbers are dramatic. In 2011- when Scott became governor - roughly 42,000 permits were issued for new homes. Last year, that number came close to 110,000.
The governor has said the boom is a sign of a strong economy. Real estate taxes also helped him fulfill his re-election promise of $1 billion in tax breaks.
Still, environmentalists worry about the state’s accelerated growth, and local governments fear taxpayers will pick up the tab to create the infrastructure around these projects.
We talk with Palm Beach Post Tallahassee reporter John Kennedy. He covered all of this in his May article "How Rick Scott's regulations rollback led to today's building boom."
Guests:
John Kennedy, Palm Beach Post Tallahassee reporter
