Our Health Policy Matters

The next time Florida’s Governor tells you that the only way to create private sector jobs is to cut public sector health spending, don’t believe him.   According to news reports , the Governor’s Office is already warning state health agencies to expect more budget cuts in 2012.   He wants the dollars to implement his 7-7-7 plan to create 700,000 jobs in 7 years. source: US DOL data, 2011 How’s the plan working out for Florida so far? Dismally, by two different measures.   The first is the 2011 state unemployment claims data.   The second is the story of why Florida just lost another 7,500 jobs in health research. The 2011 unemployment data show that Florida’s Governor has been more effective at killing jobs than creating them.   The week before Governor Scott took office, 14,139 Floridians lost their jobs and filed new unemployment claims.   In 36 of the 37 weeks since then, the number has been higher than that.   Another 15,713 Florid...

The next time Florida’s Governor tells you that the only way to create private sector jobs is to cut public sector health spending, don’t believe him.   According to news reports , the Governor’s Office is already warning state health agencies to expect more budget cuts in 2012.   He wants the dollars to implement his 7-7-7 plan to create 700,000 jobs in 7 years. source: US DOL data, 2011 How’s the plan working out for Florida so far? Dismally, by two different measures.   The first is the 2011 state unemployment claims data.   The second is the story of why Florida just lost another 7,500 jobs in health research. The 2011 unemployment data show that Florida’s Governor has been more effective at killing jobs than creating them.   The week before Governor Scott took office, 14,139 Floridians lost their jobs and filed new unemployment claims.   In 36 of the 37 weeks since then, the number has been higher than that.   Another 15,713 Florid...