Issue Position: Economy - Jobs
Issue Position
Minimum Wage
Nan Rich is fully committed to raising the minimum wage from $7.93 an hour to $10.10 an hour. Two thirds of the people who earn the minimum wage are women and more than 871,000 children live in households that would be affected by an increase in the minimum wage. Nan believes raising the minimum wage is an important measure to support working families and lift people out of poverty. Unlike her primary opponent, Charlie Crist, Nan Rich announced her support of the bill that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 on the same day it was introduced in the state legislature. And unlike Governor Scott, who said the idea of raising the minimum wage made him "cringe," Nan Rich believes raising the minimum wage is an essential step on the path to ensuring a living wage for all Florida workers.
Job Creation
Nan believes that the way to create jobs and stimulate economic growth in Florida is by investing in education. A better-educated work force would encourage existing companies to grow in our state and new companies to relocate here.
Colleges and universities are major economic engines in Florida. They cultivate start-up companies, provide large research and development expenditures, partner with businesses and industry for enhanced economic development, and provide educational and professional opportunities for students.
Florida's health care industry also provides high paying jobs and stimulates economic development. As Governor, Nan would provide strong leadership and call for legislative acceptance of the federal funding for Medicaid expansion that, according to a University of Florida study, will create 122,000 permanent jobs in health care and related industries.
Nan would have accepted the $2.4 billion to build a high-speed rail system rejected by Governor Scott, again sending our tax dollars to other states. The high-speed rail system would have created critical new transportation infrastructure in Florida as well as produced tens of thousands of new jobs.
As Governor, Nan would have provided leadership to maximize federal funds and make these critical investments for Florida.
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