Message From Governor Bush, Volume 5, Issue 39

Volume 5, Issue 39
Friday, October 3, 2003
Tallahassee, Florida

MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR BUSH

This week, the Small Business Survival Committee named Florida the best business climate in the nation. The Committee compared how state governments treat small businesses and entrepreneurs. Small business is the backbone of the American economy, and during the past five years we've worked hard to improve their ability to thrive in Florida. The results of this study, combined with last week's news that Florida's continued its job growth streak for the 17th straight month, show our efforts are paying off for Floridians and the businesses that drive our state and national economy. If small business is the backbone of our state and country, then family is certainly the heart. The success of our families will determine how other successes in this state are measured.

Friday I spent the day with more than 850 community leaders from across the state during my Second Annual Faith and Community-Based Summit in Ft. Lauderdale. A component of my Strengthening Families Initiative, this summit encourages state agencies and faith and community-based organizations to share ideas about how we can work together to improve the lives of Floridians. When our families, community and faith-based programs, and government work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve for Floridians. Nothing is more devastating to a family than an act of domestic violence. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a special opportunity to raise awareness of the programs that aid and support victims, and educate Floridians about this crime.

We are committed to ending domestic violence in Florida. Over the past four years we have allocated more than $153 million to state and community-based domestic violence intervention programs, including $32.4 million this year. Columba and I encourage all Floridians to join our campaign against domestic violence. To find out how you can get involved, please visit the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence's website at www.fcadv.org Thank you for your continued support.