DEBATE FACT #1: More Than 200,000 Jobs In FL Have Been Lost Since The Obama-Crist Stimulus Passed

What Crist Said…

That he supported the stimulus to create jobs but more than 200,000 jobs have been lost in Florida since it passed.

The Facts About The Crist Record…

The Obama-Crist Stimulus Promise:

·         In March 2009, Crist Said The $814 Billion Stimulus Would Create 206,000 Jobs In Florida. “The Federal Stimulus bill is not perfect; I’ve never seen a bill that is. But, this package will provide much needed tax relief, as well as immediate assistance in education, transportation, unemployment compensation, renewable energy and other aid and is expected to save or create as many as 206,000 jobs that the people of Florida desperately need.” (Charlie Crist, 2009 State Of The State Address, Tallahassee, FL, 3/4/09)

·         Crist Said The Stimulus Was About “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs,” And It Was “Important To Move Forward.” CRIST: “It comes at a time when we need it. People need jobs. It’s about jobs, jobs, jobs. This will help us produce that, and I think it’s important to move forward.” (MSNBC’s, “Hardball,” 2/3/09)

The Obama-Crist Stimulus Results:

·         Florida’s Unemployment Rate Was 11.9 Percent In September 2010 – Up From 9.2% When The Stimulus Was Signed In February 2009. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, www.bls.gov, Accessed 10/22/10)

·         Since The Obama-Crist Stimulus Passed In February 2009, Florida Has Lost More Than 213,874 Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, www.bls.gov, Accessed 10/22/10)

·         In March 2010, Florida’s Unemployment Rate Reached 12.3%, The Highest In The State’s History. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.data.bls.gov, Accessed 8/25/10)

·         Sean Snaith, Director Of The Institute Of Economic Competitiveness At The University Of Central Florida: “We Do Know What Unemployment Is. … The Stimulus Has Not Appeared To Have Made As Much Of A Dent In It.” “Sean Snaith, director of the Institute of Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida, said there is ‘some degree of truth’ in the idea that the stimulus has prevented Florida’s economy from getting worse. But he added that one number that measures the true impact of the stimulus remains the jobless rate. ‘We do know what unemployment is,’ Snaith said. ‘The stimulus has not appeared to have made as much of a dent in it.’” (Gary Fineout, “Floridians Wonder: What’s A ‘Fair Share’?” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 8/7/10)

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