My View: More specifics on job creation, please

Too bad. Too bad Florida’s Republican voters couldn’t unite behind the perfect candidate. There is no such thing as the perfect candidate.

That is certainly true for me. I see points that I admire in candidates, and some things that make me uncomfortable with the same candidates.

I find frustrating the appalling lack of detail on how the candidates will embrace the economic malaise we are experiencing. Although the consistent message is jobs, the real message must be business creation. New businesses grow, add employees and invigorate a community. When new jobs are created, these new employees buy homes, cars, food, clothing and other goods and services that keep an economy thriving.

How can we improve job creation?

First, it is not a function of government, except in one important area. Government must reduce the cumbersome regulatory hurdles that businesses encounter. These include zoning variances and paperwork filings and processing on local and state levels.

On a national level, more careful consideration must go into creating more regulation. Dodd-Frank, for instance, was created to protect consumers. Disclosure and transparency are good things for all. However, when vague, cumbersome regulations are enacted, they force businesses and banks to consume their resources to meet regulatory requirements instead of investing in business growth and expansion. The result is counterproductive.

Another way government can help business is through lower corporate taxation. Although there will be loss of tax revenue on one level, the loss will be replaced by increased tax revenues from increased economic activity.

We also need public-private-sector alliances to be grown and nurtured. We have unemployed individuals who lack the skills required in a technology-oriented era. Involving universities and community colleges in this can make a huge difference. As an example, as the population ages, we will need more workers in health-care-related industries. Educators and the private sector can help workers become employable.

These are specifics I didn’t hear from the Republican candidates as they moved through Florida.

Florida Republicans now must wait for additional primaries to determine the nominee. And after he is chosen, we can restart the process of determining whether Barack Obama or the Republican nominee is better.

My approach is to determine which issues are of primary importance and then select the candidate that best represents my views.

This drawn-out election process often seems overwhelming and annoying. But we cannot withdraw and duck into a shelter. Voting is a privilege and a responsibility, and it’s important we exercise the right to vote.

While you may feel inundated with the TV sound bites and negative campaigning over the next nine months, we can use them well to determine the best candidates for our state’s and nation’s future.

Carol B. Green lives in Sarasota. She is a director of First America Bank and served as president and CEO of Weight Watchers of Rocky Mountain Region Inc., Franchise Services of America Inc. and Franchise Systems International Inc. She may be reached at [email protected].