JUST IN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Holds A Press Briefing To Announce Workforce Training Funding
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) held a press briefing on Wednesday to discuss funding for workforce training.
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NewsTranscript
00:00:00Board of trustees for St. Pete College. We have the chairman Jason Butts and we have trustees Gibbons Cole and Kidwell
00:00:07So I want to thank you guys for all your hard work and we're excited about what's going on throughout our whole
00:00:14University and college system, but particularly here at St. Pete College now
00:00:18The backdrop for today's announcement is just recently for the second year in a row
00:00:24We were ranked the top economy in the nation by CNBC
00:00:28And believe me media does not like ranking, Florida
00:00:31Hi, they do that begrudgingly, but they do we're number one in new business formation since I took office in 2019
00:00:39We've been number one in net in migration for many many years
00:00:44Particularly since I've been governor. We've added
00:00:47220,000 jobs over the past year and 6,000 of those have been manufacturing jobs
00:00:52And since I've been governor, I think we're now over a hundred thousand
00:00:56Manufacturing jobs that have been added in the state of Florida and we'll talk more about that in a minute
00:01:0144 consecutive months, Florida's unemployment rate has been lower than the national unemployment rate
00:01:08Florida employers have added jobs in 47 of the last 49 months since May 2020 with kovat
00:01:15And over the year private sector job growth has exceeded the nation's for 39
00:01:20Consecutive months and if you look at economic growth since I took office in
00:01:252019 to the present the u.s. Economy has grown 11%
00:01:29The state of Florida's economy has grown 22% So we've doubled the nation in economic growth
00:01:41And we've really been a big engine for the country
00:01:44There's a lot of places that really have not fully even recovered from from Copa to be quite frank in terms of
00:01:50What they're doing now, we're doing this in a way that's much different than what the federal government's doing
00:01:56So we signed the budget in June and it actually reduced spending year over year
00:02:01That's not what's happening. Of course in Washington
00:02:04So we had a reduction in spending yet. We had record funding for K through 12 education
00:02:12Record funding for teacher salary increases, of course our colleges and universities
00:02:17we had record funding for
00:02:20Everglades restoration and other conservation environmental stewardship efforts
00:02:24We had record funding for
00:02:27Highway construction and some of the things we knew need to for the roads to improve and to build new ones
00:02:34We cut taxes by 1.5 billion dollars
00:02:37which is the second most in history the year before that was the most that we've ever done in the state of Florida and
00:02:43We were able to run a massive budget surplus
00:02:48since I took office in 2019 the entire debt of the history of the state of Florida from the
00:02:551800s to now we've paid off 36% of it just in the last five and a half years
00:03:00And so we're continuing to do that in the budget
00:03:03We have an accelerated debt repayment program that we've done to keep doing that and we only do it when it makes sense
00:03:08But sometimes you you you have these bonds and it's cheap, but sometimes you can retire early and save money
00:03:14So we're doing all of those things and doing it really really well
00:03:18and so we're proud of that one of the things that we've done is
00:03:22focus on
00:03:24Workforce development and focus on education and yes higher education in terms of universities that gets a lot of pub
00:03:32We're ranked number one for our public university system yet again
00:03:36I mean that's many years in a row now that that's the case
00:03:39Of course, not only is that good that that is here in Florida
00:03:44But we have not since I've been governor
00:03:48The amount of tuition that has increased since I've been governor is zero not one penny of tuition increase
00:03:56So
00:03:59You know, you're looking at if you're a Floridian and you have kids going through school
00:04:04You could look to see and look it's not easy to get into to these universities
00:04:09I mean, you know when when we were when I was growing up in Pinellas and going to Denny
00:04:13I like, you know a State University was just considered like, you know
00:04:15You had to be a good student, but you did not have to be top of the charts. That's hard now
00:04:20It's hard to get in University of Florida. It's hard to get in some of these places
00:04:24Which is really really good testament and we're happy but you can send
00:04:29your son or daughter to a State University and the tuitions about
00:04:35$6,300 on average for a Florida resident
00:04:38our scholarship program for k-12 is more than
00:04:426,300 per student in terms of like you go to a private
00:04:45Eighth grade or twelfth grade that's more expensive than going to the top public university system in the United States of America
00:04:54And if you are one of those top performing students, we fully funded bright future scholarships
00:05:01You get zero tuition and if you're a great student, but maybe just one step below you get 75% reduction
00:05:09With with the bright futures and so we've done very very well with higher education the quality
00:05:16Making sure it's focused on the core mission of education
00:05:20Not not devolving into things like Columbia University where you have this this this crazed
00:05:28Atmosphere, you know, we basically said you're gonna try to take over our student lawns. You're gone. We're not gonna put up with it
00:05:34It's just not happening. And so I think having the right frame of mind has been very important
00:05:38I think that's what parents want and I think we're gonna continue to do that. So so that's been really really good
00:05:44And and we're proud of all that and I think the the sky's the limit to what we're gonna be able to do
00:05:50I just tell some of these, you know, you know University of Florida Wall Street Journal ranked at number one for all public universities in America
00:05:58Can you imagine that that's pretty impressive when you're going up against University of Virginia and some of these other ones
00:06:05We just need them to be number one in football again, and maybe Florida State who knows right? We got to get some of them
00:06:11You know, we've had a pretty you know, this was a pretty good run we had some good
00:06:16College sports. I mean both UF and FSU made to College World Series in baseball in Omaha
00:06:20We went up for the first weekend, you know, they didn't they made it to the top four
00:06:24They didn't make it to the finals Florida State had a good run with
00:06:29With football, you know Gators are in a very tough conference. I mean like there is no margin for error the SEC
00:06:36I'm very happy that Nick Saban is enjoying retirement because he was tough to beat when he was at Alabama
00:06:43So hopefully we'll start to see some some things there and and we do need to get this
00:06:49name image and likeness and transfer portal straightened out because like look I'm a
00:06:54Signed one of the first NIL bills
00:06:56I mean my view was if they're selling your jersey with your name on it
00:07:00They're making money off you you have a right to do this as America
00:07:03How come someone could be in like the band and they could do a YouTube channel make money
00:07:07But just because you're an athlete you can't so there so so that was the right direction to go
00:07:11But now I think what's happened with this transfer portal
00:07:14It's like it's almost like yearly free agency, you know, you play for one team and you can say well
00:07:19I can make more money here that so so I think there needs to be a framework in place and you know
00:07:23Well, you know, I've talked to some other governors about maybe we can kind of come together on on some things
00:07:28I don't think Congress is ever gonna address this. They can't address anything
00:07:31So, but I think that will really be important because you know, the college sports is important
00:07:36It's something that and you grew up in Florida in my generation
00:07:39I mean, man, we were so fortunate to have really really strong programs, particularly in football
00:07:45So we want to do that. So all that being said is we're proud of our public university system
00:07:51But as much as we've we've put emphasis on that, you know
00:07:56There is way more ways to be successful than to just go to one four-year brick and ivy
00:08:02University and get it get a degree that that's one way you could be successful
00:08:07It's also one ways that people have gone deep into debt in other parts of the country, you know, obviously
00:08:13$6,300. I mean how much does it cost to go to a mid-tier private university most places are I bet you 50
00:08:19I mean is tuition anywhere under 50,000 in some of those places. It's nuts
00:08:24And so what happened was and I think my generation I remember being told you got to go to four-year college
00:08:29You got to go to university
00:08:30There's a lot of students that went down that road went deep into debt
00:08:34Some of them didn't even graduate and don't have a degree
00:08:37Others have a degree and things that aren't exactly lighting the world on fire
00:08:41And so now they're in a situation where it's been very very difficult and you know this whole student loan stuff
00:08:48First of all Biden doesn't have the authority to do what he's doing
00:08:52I mean, you can't just put that burden on the taxpayer through executive fiat
00:08:57And if you have somebody that decided not to go take out loans and go to college
00:09:01Maybe they're driving a truck or they're doing something else what they're gonna be on the hook
00:09:05You know for someone that got a degree and like, you know British art. I mean, it just doesn't make sense
00:09:11But you know a lot of these loans
00:09:15These big universities made a lot of money off these loans. And so I think the university should be on the hook
00:09:21For people that can't pay back their loans you have a responsibility if you're taking all that loan money
00:09:26You got to produce students that are gonna be able to make their way in the world
00:09:29And if you can't do it, then you shouldn't be getting this loan money. So so so that's been a
00:09:34Negative, I think a big negative on higher education in the last generation
00:09:38So there are ways where you don't go down that pathway
00:09:42In state colleges or and I know they do have four-year degrees now
00:09:47But you have so many programs where you can go in at low cost and get equipped with skills
00:09:53Where you can really apply that in a very meaningful way
00:09:57We even do that in high school in the state of Florida. You can get a credit you can get a certificates for welding
00:10:04for
00:10:05Aircraft. I mean Elon Musk has hired kids out of high school over on the Space Course of Florida to go to SpaceX
00:10:12You have people graduating in the Tampa Bay Area
00:10:15Who have job offers to work at the Port of Tampa because they have these skills
00:10:20so we really believe in doing what we can to provide opportunities for our young people and honestly people who may be
00:10:27Transitioning in life and wanting to go back and get skills that maybe they didn't get when they were younger
00:10:31We want to be able to provide those pathways for folks
00:10:34So when I became governor, I made all the points I just made and I said
00:10:39We're in the bottom half of states for workforce education and our goal is to be number one by 2030 and I can proudly report
00:10:48We are not only well on our way. We are ahead of schedule on achieving that goal and we're going to continue to do it. So
00:11:00So what type of skill and there's a whole there's different I mean you have folks who you talk about these manufacturing jobs
00:11:06When we're producing high school students that have skills in
00:11:10Welding when they were producing skill skills and electrical
00:11:14When we're producing high school students in HVAC in a state like, Florida all that is going to be in demand
00:11:20You are going to be employed
00:11:22There's no question about that and I think the good thing about that type of education is you get those skills you work?
00:11:29You have opportunities to start your own business in those fields
00:11:34I mean our state is not getting less populated. We have more and more people coming
00:11:39I am NOT recruiting anybody because I mean we've got a lot of people and there's positives, but then there's other things
00:11:45But it's like it's a free country and people are voting with their feet. So they're doing it
00:11:49Well, guess what? You know, we need more people to have
00:11:53We need more electricians out there. We need more people that can fix your AC. We need all this other stuff
00:11:58So those are going to be great opportunities then you also have other fields that are in high demand like nursing
00:12:05So we've put huge amounts of money into various nursing firms
00:12:09In fact, I think you know, it's funny how this works with the budget
00:12:12You know, I started talking about nursing especially during like when kovat hit you saw all these problems
00:12:19Nurses were like hired guns basically sending around the country. The hospitals were paying huge amounts
00:12:25I mean like ungodly sums of money. You literally could be working at a hospital making a certain amount of money
00:12:32Go to work for a private nursing firm end up doing the same job
00:12:36You were doing anyways it like two to three times as much so clearly, you know
00:12:40That's gonna be something that's attractive them, but it put a crunch on the system because people are fighting
00:12:45So it's like, you know, we need to provide more. So we've done all this stuff
00:12:48I mean, we've done 100 150 million
00:12:50But I think word got out that like that's something that I thought was good for the state
00:12:54So in this year's budget, it's like if you just put the word nurse in it
00:12:57They thought that somehow like nurse nurse nurse all this other stuff. No, I mean, you know, we want to channel that in ways
00:13:03They're gonna be productive
00:13:04But but nevertheless we've had huge huge amounts of investment in that and we're and we're proud of that and I think that's gonna start
00:13:11Bearing fruit so you have that then you also have things and I think st
00:13:15Pete College is doing this in a variety of different ways. We have other state colleges that are doing anything
00:13:21Where we're talking about skills that you know, maybe you couldn't do in like a high school program more advanced things that will really be
00:13:29Meaningful to to the economy to to also our overall state interest and even even our national interest
00:13:35And so that's why we're here today because I think that st. Pete College has an opportunity to not only
00:13:41build off what Florida is doing with workforce education, but to take this in a direction that is going to be
00:13:49Very good for the people that go through the programs good to attract businesses
00:13:53But important for not just the state of Florida's in best interest, but even our nation's best interest
00:13:59And so today I'm pleased to award
00:14:027.2 million dollars here to st. Pete College to help us. You don't even know what it's for yet
00:14:07It
00:14:15Gets better seven seven point two million of st. Petersburg College to establish the
00:14:21semiconductor artificial intelligence and machine learning training for technicians
00:14:26Smart tech four point zero lab
00:14:29So this is three point two million through the job growth grant fund four million through the Department of Education's workforce
00:14:37development
00:14:38Capitalization grant program. This will be enough money to purchase equipment hire personnel build facilities and produce training materials now
00:14:47semiconductors
00:14:48Have become the lifeblood of the modern economy for good and for ill
00:14:53I mean look, I think these kids on these phones has gotten way too much
00:14:57I think it's been great that we when we did the teachers Bill of Rights last year
00:15:02We said teachers have a right to teach in a cell phone free classroom for kids are actually at least
00:15:08Trying to pay attention or at least having to fake it rather than be buried in their phones the whole time. It's not good. So
00:15:15But this technology is everywhere. The semiconductors are a lifeblood of this
00:15:20So much of it comes from overseas. I know that they tried to do something in the federal government with this chips
00:15:27I think it's been a bus so far
00:15:29I think there's all these ridiculous requirements that companies are saying that they don't want to be a part of it
00:15:35So we're trying to do this in a way that is providing
00:15:38Trained workforce and I think that'll be a good incentive to bring some capital to Florida to do this
00:15:44but this is
00:15:46Very high skill very high tech industry for our state
00:15:51We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into growing these various sectors
00:15:57In our state and some of it is through workforce programs. Some of it is for things
00:16:01I mean we have the the biggest supercomputer at University of Florida
00:16:06We got it from one of the founders of NVIDIA came and donated that
00:16:11And that was a couple years ago NVIDIA stocks gone up a lot since then so he probably has more he could give
00:16:17But but you see that so so we want we want to do that. This is a national security issue
00:16:23If you look at the the geopolitics particularly of the Far East you look at the US posture
00:16:30I would say inadequate posture in the Far East vis-a-vis, China
00:16:36Taiwan is the the number one producer of that in terms of supplying our economy
00:16:42I think you could deter China from eventually attacking Taiwan
00:16:46I don't know whether that's gonna happen on this trajectory, but the bottom line is there there's a lot of
00:16:52Uncertainty with respect to this and this has the opportunity if those chips aren't being produced to really crash the economy
00:17:00So so this is something that yes, the jobs will be good
00:17:02Yes, we have opportunity for business development, but we need to do this stuff here in the United States
00:17:08It's very very important that we do so we're proud to have leaned in on this
00:17:12I think we've done smart investments throughout the the state in ways that other states just simply have not now
00:17:19We do part of this is the job growth grant fund the 3.2 million
00:17:23That's a fund that the legislature appropriates for the governor
00:17:27And basically we solicit people that have proposals and it's either workforce development or infrastructure
00:17:33Of course all leading to economic development and job growth
00:17:38So we've been able to do this across a wide variety of areas. We've done things like
00:17:44Beef up the the commercial drivers licenses opportunities produce truck drivers
00:17:49We were doing I think 600 truck drivers a year when I became governor now, we're doing I think it's like
00:17:553,500 a year that we're doing it. I mean that's supply chain logistics things that are really important
00:18:00Those are also six-figure jobs usually
00:18:02Right out of training in many many instances
00:18:05So we've done that we've done things like there may be an industrial park somewhere and they don't have connectivity to to the main
00:18:12Highways and we'll build a road or we'll do some to expand an airport and these things have been very very beneficial
00:18:19So so that's part of it the four million through the Department of Education's workforce development capitalization grant program
00:18:26This is a really really significant program
00:18:29So this program gives grants to school districts and to state colleges
00:18:34To create or expand career and technical education programs. And so we did it started last year
00:18:40We've awarded over a hundred million dollars to support the creation or expansion of
00:18:46266 CTE programs in industry including semiconductors
00:18:51manufacturing agriculture and
00:18:54Cybersecurity and of the hundred million that we've done since the program's inception more than 49 million have funded
00:19:02semiconductor and advanced manufacturing training programs
00:19:05So we're focusing I think where we need to be focused on the things that are going to provide the most return on the investment
00:19:13And you know the funds awarded through this grant program must be used for CTE programs that also support
00:19:19secondary
00:19:21education CTE programs so that means
00:19:24Here and here in st. Pete College
00:19:26That getting these funds means they're going to expand dual enrollment opportunities for our high school students
00:19:32So you're going to st. Pete high you could have had like Kidwell back in the day could be you go to st.
00:19:38Pete he could be going here to st. Pete College and
00:19:42participating in an AI
00:19:44Training. So this is also really really good for for high school students to be able to participate in this
00:19:50And I think that that's going to make a big difference and we have more
00:19:54opportunities for high school students to earn college credit and other types of
00:20:00Post-secondary credit than any state in the country. I mean we obviously have
00:20:05IB programs we have the Cambridge that's brought in we have we have advanced placement
00:20:12But then the dual enrollment to me look if you're going to go and pursue education
00:20:16Beyond high school in one of our Florida institutions the dual enrollment is really really where it's at because you earn the credit
00:20:24It's not based on kind of one national test that you know your teacher may have may or not have taught to it
00:20:30I mean, I know most of them do a good job with it, but this is just you're there
00:20:34You're graded and you go so I'm a big believer in the dual enrollment
00:20:38Particularly as more and more students want to stay in Florida for education. So this is going to be a big deal
00:20:46This new lab is going to help fortify our standing as the number one state for talent development in the nation
00:20:51We're currently number one for talent development, and that was not true 20 years ago. So we're proud of that
00:20:57It's also going to be able to teach students really
00:21:02significant and applicable skills that they will immediately be able to use upon graduation and
00:21:08You know, it's interesting with them with the economy
00:21:11Florida's obviously outperformed the nation, you know by by leaps and bounds
00:21:16you have this situation we're kind of like
00:21:19The prices on everything have been really really
00:21:22Difficult Congress has spent they've borrowed president all this stuff has driven this. Well, how do you get out of inflation?
00:21:29Well one stop spending so much. I would not bet Congress will ever stop doing that
00:21:34I just think their incentives are what's another way that you can do increase productivity
00:21:40You talk to economists if productivity increases it can bring prices down or at least put a downward pressure on that
00:21:46All this stuff is really you're talking about very productive endeavors that are happening
00:21:52And it's gonna make our businesses stronger. So so we're proud of this
00:21:56We're proud of the job growth grant fund and I think the sky's the limit with what we're doing here in st
00:22:03Pete College, so I want to thank everybody that's been involved in this
00:22:05I think that this could be something that you see replicated and other parts of the state
00:22:11As we start to see the fruits from this investment
00:22:14So so congratulations to st. Pete College for for the seven point three million, and I know you'll put it to good work
00:22:20And before we get moving on that actually, I will present the check right now to dr. Williams
00:22:297.2 million
00:22:44All right, Manny Diaz, come on up
00:22:50Good morning. It's great to be with you here on this great campus and at st
00:22:55Petersburg College and I want to thank President Tanya Williams for her commitment and for hosting us
00:23:00I want to thank the governor for his commitment
00:23:04to career technical education and to our workforce because as he often says
00:23:09Education is not one size fits all and we are going to provide a choice in Florida regardless of what level whether you're in first
00:23:16grade or you're going to try to go into the workforce a
00:23:20Traditional four-year degree doesn't always lead to a high-paying job and the skills the students can learn in career technical education
00:23:27Can pay off without having to be saddled with debt industries like manufacturing
00:23:32Semiconductors
00:23:33Cybersecurity and construction all have high demand and high wage jobs available that don't require a four-year degree
00:23:41This is why our governor has set a goal for Florida be number one
00:23:45in
00:23:46workforce by 2030 a goal that I fully expect us to meet and surpass and I know and I'm thankful that
00:23:54President Tonjua Williams and her colleagues in the state college system along with our school districts are
00:24:00Heavily involved and committed to make sure we meet that goal
00:24:03Today's award of four million dollars through the workforce development cap grant will provide new opportunities for students in Pinellas County's in advanced
00:24:11manufacturing
00:24:12Semiconductor industries both industries that are growing across the state as you heard
00:24:17The governor mentioned the importance not only for our state but for national security
00:24:21This funding will allow st
00:24:23Petersburg College to create a state-of-the-art lab space and classroom that will help purchase equipment
00:24:28Technology to support student success through these new programs students will be able to earn industry certifications in robotics
00:24:36manufacturing operations and network systems
00:24:38Which will support careers as electrical engineers industrial engineers and semiconductor processing technicians?
00:24:45well all
00:24:47Saving money not being saddled with debt and being right here in our state college system
00:24:51The workforce development cap grant program does more than just provide
00:24:56More dual enrollment opportunities for high school students this programs
00:25:00Hope helps catalyze the future of career and technical education and our workforce right here in the state
00:25:05Not only can state colleges apply for funds to workforce development cap incentive grant
00:25:10But also districts can utilize these funds to expand secondary CTE
00:25:15Opportunities that allows us and this is a conversation that I was having earlier
00:25:19With president Williams and the trustees is having the ability to reach these students early and get them a pathway
00:25:26Where they understand where they're going and one thing that it does it creates hope
00:25:31Because sometimes students are being pushed towards college or university and that's not what they had in mind and they and they lose the incentive
00:25:38But but providing these opportunities and they see the light at the end of the tunnel
00:25:41Especially right here in this community where we are. I know it's important to you senator Rusan as well. We can provide that opportunity
00:25:49And these these students can leave high school with tangible skills and again debt free last year
00:25:55We awarded a hundred million dollars through the workforce development cap grant awarding funds to 50 schools
00:26:01school districts and
00:26:0314 state colleges these awards will lead to the or led to the creation and expansion of
00:26:09266 programs across the state
00:26:11So I'm proud that the Department of Education is joining forces with the Department of Commerce
00:26:17So we can make a bigger impact across the state and the students here at st
00:26:22Petersburg College will benefit through the job growth grant fund award and
00:26:27The workforce cap grant the Department of Education is committed to providing every student with the best opportunities to succeed
00:26:33Whether they're in first grade or they're in college under the bold leadership of our governor
00:26:38Florida's talent pipeline will continue to grow attracting new businesses to the state while providing new opportunities for all of our students in Florida
00:26:46I'm proud to continue to work with our school districts and state colleges to grow our CTE programs and opportunity even further
00:26:53For our students and the state of Florida. Thank you very much
00:27:02Thank You governor DeSantis and welcome to st
00:27:05Petersburg College's midtown campus the home of the new smart tech manufacturing lab
00:27:10Your investment in workforce development training is a testament to your commitment to empowering Florida's workforce and
00:27:18driving prosperity
00:27:19Throughout the state it underscores your strategic vision for Florida to lead in growing a skilled and competitive labor market
00:27:27Thank you so much
00:27:29this investment would not be possible without Commissioner Manny Diaz and
00:27:34our Chancellor Kevin O'Farrell from the Florida Department of Education and
00:27:38Deputy Secretary Jason Mahone and his team from the Florida Commerce. We're very grateful to this
00:27:46overwhelming support
00:27:47For SPC's new smart tech initiative. Thank you to our Board of Trustees for your leadership and your guidance our
00:27:55Elected officials business and community partners and members of my beloved st. Petersburg College family
00:28:02The Florida job growth and workforce development capitalization incentive grants will help us build a new South County
00:28:09Smart tech manufacturing hub in the heart of the midtown community in st. Petersburg
00:28:15This manufacturing hub is focused on advanced manufacturing
00:28:20That is one of the region's most targeted industries here in the Tampa Bay area
00:28:25we will offer accessible and high quality training and degree options in areas such as
00:28:30Semiconductor
00:28:32megatronics automation and robotics
00:28:35Programs of skill that advances completers to an exciting career and making a lot of money
00:28:42Some of the certifications are short term and could be completed in as few as 15 weeks
00:28:49The goal is to get individuals to work faster and in jobs that provide an excellent career pathway
00:28:56Not only will this training hub help adult learners
00:28:59but it will also build the manufacturing pipeline for the future by offering dual enrollment courses in clean room technology and
00:29:07Semiconductor through an associate's degree
00:29:10Our employer partners. We could not do this without you. You stood in the gap with us from the very beginning
00:29:16And I just want to read the names of a few of those who have been here with us from the beginning
00:29:22Plasmatherm
00:29:23Honeywell Jable Lockheed Martin and EEI manufacturing not to mention Pinellas County government
00:29:30Pinellas County schools and career source in our urban league at st. Petersburg College
00:29:36We are striving to provide students with an education that leads to better jobs so they can live better lives
00:29:43And we can build better communities. Mr. Governor
00:29:47Today you brought us closer to that goal
00:29:51Your bold commitment to funding workforce training in the great state of Florida has made all the difference. It's a game-changer
00:29:59Thank you for making the lives of Floridians a priority through education. We appreciate you
00:30:04We appreciate the work this manufacturing hub is going to help a lot of individuals make more money
00:30:11Live better lives and enjoy
00:30:14What they have accomplished for generations to come and we want to thank all of those workforce partners out there
00:30:19Those who want to join me and give us more equipment and money and help
00:30:24We will be glad to take that. All I can say is together. We are stronger. Let's do this
00:30:39Well, it's exciting because I think this is just one little data point in a larger story about how
00:30:47Florida's economy is
00:30:49Really has a lot of avenues that you're going to continue to see growth. We have seen growth
00:30:54I mean it used to be we were basically
00:30:56Agriculture and tourism and and very little other than that and then that's change of the years
00:31:02But particularly in the last five years
00:31:05Particularly since I've been governor, you know, we're now seeing
00:31:09Financial services is this is a huge thing in Florida
00:31:12You've got a lot of these peaks people have moved from New York to Miami
00:31:16To West Palm and and in other parts of the state, but that's been a major major migration
00:31:21And I think you're going to continue to see that happening. Of course things like tourism are better than ever
00:31:27We've led consistently the country in tourism, of course during kovat particularly the first year
00:31:34So we were like the only place you could travel to and be normal on
00:31:38Vacation and so people like that and so they came here and in huge numbers
00:31:42But if you look at what's happening, you're gonna have universals opening up epic universe next year
00:31:47I think that's going to be the biggest park that that's ever been done
00:31:51You're gonna end up seeing more in the theme park area. You're seeing more with resorts golf destinations all these different things
00:31:59That is going going apace
00:32:01this
00:32:03Semiconductor if you look at what we've done in Central Florida, you look at what we're doing here University of Florida all this
00:32:10We are in much better position here than we've ever been not even close and and you're seeing
00:32:16The private sector respond to that of course military and aerospace has been huge
00:32:22I mean, we've always had a pretty good military footprint. I think that's continued to do well
00:32:27You see that in different pockets of the state, but that the space on the Space Coast is
00:32:33Been I mean from where we were 15 years ago. That was dead and now we're in a situation where
00:32:40This is really really strong
00:32:42I mean we need more capacity at like the ports and all this to be able to accommodate everything that's going there
00:32:47So we're really the the hub of the space industry commercial space industry
00:32:52And we're fortunate with other states did partially because there were so many eggs and only a few baskets
00:32:58It's a much different picture now, you know, you got a very diversified economy
00:33:03And I think that's a testament that people want to go they want to live and work and raise their kids in areas that are
00:33:09Positive businesses want to be in areas that are good
00:33:12I think we've I mean we were always rated in the top few for business climate
00:33:18And I think you're gonna continue to see that and we've done a lot to improve that
00:33:21Just since I mean just how the judiciary has gotten better
00:33:24It used to be you go you get it to the Florida Supreme Court and they would rule against
00:33:30Against you and you knew that was happening now. I think a lot of businesses have faith that okay. Here's what the law says
00:33:37That's what the law will actually be applied in court all the way up to and that that's that adds huge amounts of certainty and
00:33:43That's really really good
00:33:44Of course
00:33:44no income tax in the state level and we won't have that but we've been able to reduce taxes all across the board for
00:33:51Consumers and for businesses alike. So so this is a really really good story
00:33:55We're gonna have more awards from the job growth grant fund. We're gonna have more from the workforce
00:34:01Capitalization fund and so we're we're not gonna rest. We're gonna continue going forward
00:34:05Okay with that and take a question or two
00:34:23Well, I don't think they'd listen to me I mean I think I think clearly we wanted to run against Biden
00:34:31You know, I've been dealing with by his purposes I've been governor
00:34:34It's just the reality is he was he shouldn't have run in 2020. He was in the basement
00:34:40He used kovat to be able to do that. And then it's really people have seen the decline over these years. It's just the reality
00:34:48and
00:34:50When he agreed to do that debate
00:34:52I I told people I was like, you know get your popcorn out. This is not going to go well and and it was
00:34:59Probably it's it's I think without question the most consequential
00:35:03Presidential debate in history because hey and I said it the night after the debate when we were on TV
00:35:09I said his campaign ended tonight
00:35:12It will either officially end
00:35:14At the convention when they pick a new nominee or it will officially end when he loses in November
00:35:19Because there was no way he was gonna be able to win and so, you know, it's Republican, you know
00:35:24I wanted them to stick with Biden. I didn't think they would I knew that this was likely gonna be something
00:35:31And so to me, I think that that the Trump Vance ticket was an incredibly strong position
00:35:38you know against Biden, I think that they can beat whoever comes but
00:35:43Biden was the guy I went against now if I had to pick someone once Biden stepped
00:35:47I would probably pick Harris to run against I think that she's been
00:35:51Her tenure as VP has been disastrous
00:35:54She was put in charge of the border. The media was running with that in 21 Harris will be the ball oversea border now
00:36:00They're saying oh, no, she wasn't overseeing border and these are the same reporters who wrote four years ago
00:36:05We're now writing the opposite
00:36:07They're running interference for her because of all the failures that border ranks near the top of the failures of the Biden-Harris
00:36:16Administration and so she was there if you go back and watch her statements for when she was running for president in the
00:36:232020 cycle
00:36:24I mean she basically said have an open border
00:36:27She wants taxpayer funded health care and benefits for illegal aliens
00:36:32She doesn't think you should deport somebody that's come. So she is as bad as Biden's been on that
00:36:38She's even more liberal on that you look she wanted to get rid of all private health insurance and said let's just junk all that
00:36:45Really? How many of you want the government to take away your private health insurance?
00:36:50I don't think a lot of Americans want to sign up to that. She supported
00:36:54Confiscatory tax increases. She's been weak on crime. Now. She's saying she's a prosecutor. She's tough
00:37:00She was raising funds to bail out the rioters during the BLM riots in 2020
00:37:07Are you kidding me? She was saying that Minneapolis needed to do more of what was going on
00:37:12So, I don't think who she picks is gonna make a difference now, I've also said and this is just true
00:37:19The media turned on Biden
00:37:22After that debate they had basically tried to cover it
00:37:25If you had said Biden wasn't up to the job three months ago
00:37:28They would say you're a conspiracy theorist
00:37:30Then once it was made bare for the whole world to see they immediately started saying hey this guy's got to go
00:37:37So they knifed him in the back
00:37:38And they've been going after him and but they're not doing that because they're trying to help Trump
00:37:43They're doing that because they want the Dems to have a better candidate so that they can beat Trump
00:37:47And so they are going to to elevate
00:37:51Harris, oh if she ends up being it in ways that I think is gonna like people like me
00:37:57You've got to be kidding me, but that's what's gonna happen. So Republicans to be prepared
00:38:01I also think it's possible that you know, if Harris falls on her face over the next few weeks
00:38:06I think it's absolutely possible that they go a different direction at the convention member
00:38:10These are just dead these delegates can vote who they want you. They're pledging now
00:38:14But if some of the powers that be say no we need to go in a different direction
00:38:18So I think it's gonna be a very interesting three or four weeks in in the political scene
00:38:23We preferred to run against Biden. I think that was clear because the majority of the I think I think by before he dropped out
00:38:30I think was like 85% of the public
00:38:32Thought that that he was not equipped to serve for four more years as president
00:38:36I mean, I don't see how you can win an election if that's the case and in partisanship aside because I disagreed Biden on his policies
00:38:43The reality is if someone that was that was performing at Biden's cognitive level came to me
00:38:51As governor and was applying to be appointed to like a mosquito control board. I would say no
00:38:57I would say no you you're just not like I'm gonna go somewhere else like and that's just the reality
00:39:02So that's what they were facing. That was an insurmountable hurdle. And so they pushed him out, but I like our chances better
00:39:09Although I will say that look I'm not gonna give advice about VP, but I will say this you're starting to hear it on
00:39:14I think CNN and some of these others, you know, you have this governor in Pennsylvania. I don't know much about him
00:39:21I mean I saw that he was saying like, you know
00:39:23He was supporting gender ideology and a lot of things that I know I wouldn't go for
00:39:29But people are saying in the media and on the left well
00:39:32She can't pick him, you know because he's Jewish and I'm just thinking to myself
00:39:36What is this country come to or what is this Democrat Party come to when in order to win the election?
00:39:42They have to virtue signal to the Hamas caucus
00:39:46That is unacceptable. And if you have to virtue signal to the Hamas caucus to win an election
00:39:53You should not win that election
00:39:59I
00:40:08Disagree with that. I mean, I'll tell you when I go around
00:40:13you know people come up and say and like I will go I'll be around being a gas station being like a
00:40:21Restaurant and people will come up to me and they will say my buddy just texted me. So I told them you were here
00:40:27Thank you for the scholarship. Thank you for the scholarship parents all across this state are grateful
00:40:34For what we've done. And so I think it's been good now Manny can address, you know issues on the administrative side
00:40:56Do you want to take
00:41:11Yes, first of all the bill passed at the end of session was signed by the governor and there had to be an implementation
00:41:18When you go to the expansion of the eligibility
00:41:22Remember that there has to be a check and balance to assure
00:41:25from the department side to verify the students are not enrolled in a public school at the same time that they are reaching that they're
00:41:32They're taking the scholarship. So what happened is that first entry?
00:41:35There was a verification process that we had to make sure what happens is a students in a public school
00:41:41They go and they take the scholarship
00:41:44those schools will keep that student as an enrollment until finally they release it before the official count and that
00:41:51Verification process we had to be assured. So in the first year there was a 30-day delay
00:41:57Purposely from us to make sure that we had cleared that all out
00:42:00But all of the schools received their payments on the other end
00:42:03There's also some misinformation where sometimes they're ready to receive the payment
00:42:08But remember on the under on the other end of that schools have to verify the students enrollment
00:42:13there's a process that schools actually have to submit to step up to verify that the students enrolled and
00:42:19And on some occasions some of these schools were flooded with new enrollments
00:42:22And it took them a little longer to send that in all of those processes have been changed and have been streamlined
00:42:28In fact step up has a brand new CEO who is looking at all these process to ensure but overall it was a success
00:42:35And yes
00:42:36There are individual instances where a payment can be delayed if some of those
00:42:41Boxes are not checked or some of those documentations are not sent in by private schools
00:42:46The overall point though is is
00:42:48ultimately
00:42:50Why are we doing education? Why is the state doing it? Is it to benefit?
00:42:56Bureaucracies is it to benefit interest or is it to benefit students and to benefit families and our
00:43:03Approach to education is the whole purpose of this when we go out there and talk it's to benefit students and to give
00:43:10Opportunities for families now
00:43:12Not every family prior to these programs had the means to be able to send their child to the school of their choice
00:43:20We've addressed that in a number of different ways, but most significantly with this universal choice program
00:43:25So now like if you're in Pinellas County
00:43:28You have scholarship you can go to private school
00:43:31You have options for charter schools, which are public but they're not controlled controlled by the school district
00:43:38And and they're entitled to know students, you know
00:43:40It's like when I was growing up, like, you know, I lived in Dunedin Dunedin you'd have certain number of kids
00:43:44That's where you went, right?
00:43:46They're entitled to know students and so they have to produce a product that parents are gonna say
00:43:50That's where I want to send my kids
00:43:52But then even within the school district you have opportunities to go to different programs
00:43:57You can go to school across town across the county whatnot. And so parent in Florida
00:44:03Has real agency
00:44:05they have real serious choices that they can make to better the lives of their children and to give their kids an
00:44:12Opportunity to do very very well that is meaningful
00:44:16That is something that no other state has done at our level
00:44:20And I think what Florida has done has caused other states
00:44:24To follow through and to continue on this and what you're gonna see now because the money follows the student
00:44:30That's in Florida law
00:44:32There's gonna be people that are gonna be able to start schools knowing if I get
00:44:38300 kids from
00:44:40Southern part of Pinellas County if those families want to come I know the money's gonna be there
00:44:45Some of them may have been able to afford that but maybe some of them not but now because the money follows the student
00:44:50We're gonna be doing so this is also opening up
00:44:53entrepreneurship opportunities within the realm of education and
00:44:57Parents are gonna have so much power
00:45:00to be able to make these decisions and the places that do well are gonna prosper and if parents are choosing not to
00:45:07Go to other areas, then they're not gonna do as well, but I would point out
00:45:12Florida's ranked number one in education last two years in a row if you look at our charter schools
00:45:18This isn't even talking about the step-up and and the scholarships
00:45:21These are all public schools charter schools our population now that's in there's about
00:45:27400,000 students now that is as much or more than probably the k-12 population of half the states in this country
00:45:36So you have 400,000 students
00:45:38disproportionately low-income
00:45:41disproportionately racial ethnic minority
00:45:43Those 400,000 charter students if that was its own separate state
00:45:48They'd rank in the top five in student achievement in this country. So this is something that has worked
00:45:55We would not be where we are without this and I think Manny's handling all I think they're working through all that
00:46:00But let's look at the big issue here
00:46:03Is that we have led in ways that have empowered parents like no other state that have given kids
00:46:10Opportunities that they would have never had in most other states and would not have even had in Florida
00:46:16In the past and that is a success story
00:46:31You do not need to raise anybody's taxes
00:46:34Why are you trying to raise property taxes in the midst of some of the worst inflation we've seen?
00:46:40In the modern history of this country you need to be able to manage the budget
00:46:45How come we're not raising taxes at the state level? How come we're cutting taxes?
00:46:50And oh, by the way this year's budget. We have
00:46:551.25 billion dollars a
00:46:58Categorical it can only be used to increase teacher salaries
00:47:02That's the only thing could be used for but then we also had a massive increase in the base student allocation
00:47:08so that money goes to the districts Hillsborough can take a lot of that money and
00:47:13Raise teacher salaries, so we've done so much at the state level that I think if they manage properly
00:47:19They're gonna be able to do their part at the local level, but demanding tax increases is
00:47:26Absolutely, not the way to go
00:47:28And and I think that you're gonna see some changes
00:47:31Probably in this election on the school board because I don't think I think taxpayers are sick of it
00:47:36You know, why don't you manage things better rather than trying to come and jack up people's taxes?
00:47:42It's just not the right thing to do
00:47:58So the questions about University of Florida and the vacancy there in the presidential office
00:48:03Well one I would just say we have a lot of great people
00:48:07Floridians and even people that aren't Floridians who have connections to the state who served on the Board of Governors and on the various boards and
00:48:14and I would say the University of Florida's board has
00:48:18Really really high quality people and I think they've done a fantastic job
00:48:21They'll be really the ones that are going to be leading that effort
00:48:25But what we want to do is we want somebody that's gonna lead
00:48:29We want to be very clear that we're dedicated to the pursuit of truth in higher education
00:48:35We're dedicated to academic rigor and high standards and we're dedicated to these
00:48:41Institutions playing an important role in preparing our students to be citizens of this Republic. We do not want
00:48:48higher
00:48:49institutions of higher education to turn into
00:48:52Propaganda machines like Columbia University. We don't want to have a situation where
00:48:58all these
00:49:00demonstrators take over the university
00:49:03Where they harass Jewish students and do so we've seen higher education go off the rails in other parts of the country
00:49:10I think that has done
00:49:13incalculable damage to those institutions brands and reputations
00:49:17I think it's hurt their academic quality. And so we have an opportunity to continue on a strong path
00:49:24But we've got a lot more to do that says, you know what that's not what higher education is all about
00:49:30We're gonna have a place where people are gonna be able to explore ideas
00:49:35We're gonna have a place where there's order in the court and you're not having the inmates run the asylum
00:49:40But we are going to be focused on
00:49:43actual strong
00:49:45Academic achievement and I'd note one of the things that we've done since I've been governor is we said, you know
00:49:53Just because you get tenure that is not a license to stop working
00:49:58And if you talk to people who've done universities around the country who've overseen them ran universities been on boards the number one
00:50:07financial drag on universities is
00:50:09unproductive tenured faculty
00:50:11So what we did is we created a law that said all tenured professors must undergo review
00:50:17Every five years and can be let go for poor performance. And so you've seen that happen in some instances
00:50:24I think you'll continue to see a churn
00:50:26But we didn't just say do that. We gave a hundred million dollars to the universities
00:50:32So a president of a university or the board they can go recruit new faculty
00:50:38So if you've got somebody that's doing well in engineering at MIT, they're making two hundred thousand
00:50:43You can offer him two hundred fifty thousand dollars
00:50:45You got a history professor at Princeton that we want to come to be in our Hamilton Center for Western
00:50:52Civilization studies that you have you can go and you can make an offer and bring them on board
00:50:56so I think there's an opportunity for a
00:51:00President of UF or any of our institutions because we do have more that are that are up for grabs and you're gonna see that
00:51:06unfold
00:51:07You have an opportunity
00:51:09To really attract high quality talent
00:51:12We're giving you the resources to be able to put the money where math is look, you know
00:51:17There's a lot of these professors and you see at Columbia you see some of the nonsense like to me
00:51:22I don't want to spend a cent on that, but we've got some really good people that are doing I'll pay them more
00:51:27Let's pay more to recruit and and retain
00:51:31The folks that really are doing I think what we want to see so so it's a good opportunity
00:51:35But I will let the that board
00:51:38Lead and explore kind of how that is gonna go about, you know, I was not somebody that was
00:51:45Involved necessarily in their past selection. That was something that they were and it just I don't know how it developed
00:51:51Someone said you should check this out, but that's what happened
00:51:54so I'll let them then lead that effort because I have confidence that they're gonna do something that is gonna be really really good and
00:52:01you know when you have a
00:52:02U.s. News I think had uf5 for public universities that's behind
00:52:07Berkeley UCLA Michigan and Virginia, you know, those are universe. I mean Virginia has been around for since Thomas Jefferson
00:52:14I mean that's a long time. So for us to be in there and then we're also I think Georgia Tech's in there, North Carolina
00:52:20You know, that is a a really great spot to be in
00:52:24Wall Street Journal had uf-ranked 15th overall in America public or private
00:52:29So 15, but they were the top rated public but just think to be 15th overall
00:52:35I mean, you've got a lot of good private universities out there
00:52:38I mean you got MIT, you know, you've got you know, these Ivy League schools used to be I think viewed as the pinnacle
00:52:43I think that that's lost the luster with how they behaved over the last recent years
00:52:48And I think you're starting to see people recognize that I mean donors are pulling back money
00:52:53They're not funding these universities like they used to
00:52:56You're seeing some people in like, you know
00:52:59High echelons of society that would have opportunity to send their kids wherever they want now
00:53:03balking at sending them to some of these and that was not even even ten years ago when you could see some of the
00:53:10Negative trends in academia you were not seeing people actually doing that now you're starting to see that
00:53:14So I just think it creates an opportunity not just at UF but all around the state
00:53:18I mean University of South Florida is one of the top 50 public universities in this country
00:53:25Year in year out. It's ranked there, Florida State is one of the top 15
00:53:31Universities public universities that was not true. If you go back 20-25 years ago. So so we've got good momentum
00:53:37You know FIU down in Miami
00:53:39We created something called the Adam Smith Center for economic freedom. And what that's been is kind of a focal point for
00:53:48Economic and political freedom all throughout the Western Hemisphere
00:53:52They've had a number of former heads of state
00:53:55From different Latin American countries have been fell a lot of them have been have been fellows there
00:54:00And they're doing that in that and trust me in Latin America
00:54:05We need a new birth of freedom because the government's there are not doing well, and they're going very very left
00:54:10So so it's interesting the niche that has done. I think this Hamilton Center at University of Florida
00:54:17I think five years from now people will look and say that it's the premier
00:54:22academic center for the study of Western civilization in the entire country and that's going to be something that's going to be really really meaningful
00:54:33I'll go you already asked. Let me go there
00:54:35I
00:54:47Wasn't I didn't necessarily
00:54:59So I don't have all the facts on that I mean I heard that there's an investigation going on
00:55:05We'll see kind of how how all that shakes out. You know, I will just say this just generally I spoke at the sheriff's conference yesterday
00:55:12We've got a lot of really good sheriffs in this state and we're fortunate, you know
00:55:16I was there with Grady Judd from Polk County, you know
00:55:19It's like I mean I could be in like, you know, I was in the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin
00:55:25I had Wisconsin people asking me about Grady Judd
00:55:27So
00:55:30So we're proud of that this year because Miami data has changed they're gonna have an elected sheriff
00:55:36So we're gonna have 67 sheriffs throughout the state of Florida and we've worked very closely with them
00:55:42And we understand how important it is to maintain law and order that's not happening in all parts of the country
00:55:48so we're saying but one of the points I made yesterday is
00:55:51Yes, we focus on I mean, you know, we have this squatters taking over people's houses
00:55:56We ended that scam in Florida very quickly. You have some of the the retail theft rings
00:56:01We cracked down on that. They had these they had a ring in New York
00:56:06I think a lot of people were here illegally who were in that ring and they're stealing all this stuff
00:56:10They're selling stuff and then they're vacationing in Florida and they're like, well
00:56:15Why don't you just steal in Florida and stay down there? I'm like, well, no you steal in Florida you go to jail
00:56:20They're stealing in New York where nothing happens to them. So we've been dealing with these things
00:56:25I think in a very positive way. That's why the crime rates at a 50-year low, but
00:56:29What I think that we're seeing and these are just discussions
00:56:33I'm having with people that are not in government anymore, but are are plugged in across the world former military
00:56:41former Intel
00:56:43The Afghanistan withdrawal you left massive amounts of equipment
00:56:48Obviously you abandoned the field to the Taliban
00:56:51I think the the view of Biden was well, the Taliban is moderate
00:56:55but what you're seeing is, you know, the the terror training camps are back and
00:57:00You know, you could say well that's on the other side of the world. How does that affect us?
00:57:03What affects us because we have an open border like yes
00:57:06If they if they couldn't get to our country then then maybe it wouldn't I don't know
00:57:11I mean, I still think there's ways they could do do damage, but you have an open border
00:57:16That is how they are going to want to do this
00:57:20And so, you know, these are folks who have sources there and this is all just like open source
00:57:25They're saying that this is going on and they're trying to move people in and they probably already have across the border and they're not
00:57:31Gonna do another 9-eleven like World Trade Center
00:57:34Maybe they will but that's not really the focus the focus is, you know
00:57:38Trying to replicate what happened on October 7th doing that in a community in the United States, which which is bad enough
00:57:45But I think what's even more scary is the federal government I think their view in these agencies is that somehow
00:57:53Jihadi terrorism is a thing of the past. It is not a thing of the past and
00:57:58Their view is well, we've got other things if you ask them
00:58:02You know, what is their biggest fear of terrorism? I think they would say I think they'd say it's white people believe it or not
00:58:09I don't think they would say it's jihadi terrorism
00:58:11So they're not this is not the the the agencies of
00:58:17September 12th 2001 and after that where that was like the primal primary focus
00:58:21So what they're telling people is, you know, if there's if there's potential terrorist activity, it's really more of a local issue
00:58:27Well, the problem with that is, you know
00:58:30Sheriffs are not getting intelligence briefings about what's going on at the border across or you know
00:58:35We're not at the state state level plugged in like the FBI or the agency or some of these other areas and it even got
00:58:41To the point where you know, someone registered a complaint saying hey this this is suspicious and the response from DHS
00:58:49Was we'll talk to your local authorities and and they said well who like your local division of emergency management
00:58:56Let me tell you we're proud of our emergency management team at the local and state level
00:59:01There's no other state you would you don't want to be in a hurricane
00:59:04But if you do you want Florida responding and they do great and they do great across a whole host of things
00:59:09We rescue people from Israel. We rescue people from Haiti
00:59:12We do all that but those agencies are not counterterrorism agencies. That is just not their function
00:59:18So if the feds are abandoning the field
00:59:21That is going to lead to to more soft targets being available
00:59:26Throughout this country and and I just told the sheriff's I was like look
00:59:31This may just be something that that we're gonna have to build up and be ready to counteract because I don't think that was funny
00:59:38I said I think last fall I was like, you know terrorists have come across the border and and first of all
00:59:44DHS has said that there are hundreds of people on the terror watch list who they've caught coming across the board not just who they've
00:59:50caught
00:59:51And you know some of the media goal that's not true or whatever and and they people have been arrested to be affiliated with
00:59:57I mean clearly this has happened, but even if you didn't have any evidence of it
01:00:01Are you honestly telling me that you could have 10 million people pour across the border illegally and our enemies?
01:00:08Not seek to exploit that even one time it defies credulity to think that that could be possible
01:00:15So so this is a threat, you know, I let the sheriff's know this is something we're gonna have to to take serious
01:00:21I I thought that how they how they left Afghanistan was a disgrace to this country
01:00:27the fact that we lost 13 service members was a disgrace to this country and
01:00:33You know
01:00:34I think it's also just important to point out in light of that in light of the dishonor that that came with that with that
01:00:41operation the people that served
01:00:44Defending and the global war on terrorism all the veterans. We got a lot of veterans in the Tampa Bay Area
01:00:49You know that service was very very meaningful that sir who would have thought that after 9-eleven
01:00:55We wouldn't have had another 9-eleven
01:00:57most people thought this was going to be happening and part of the reason that didn't happen is because
01:01:02Those folks were out there risking their lives for us. And so for the veterans who particularly served in that theater
01:01:08Just know there's a lot of people that understand the sacrifice and really appreciate it
01:01:12I know that it wasn't appreciated with how things have gone down, but it was very very meaningful service. Okay guys, I got a run
01:01:19Thank you
01:01:25You