Dear Fellow Floridian:
On Veterans Day, firefighters from Tallahassee Fire Department
Station 4 were devastated to learn that their memorial statue, erected
to honor the brave men and women of fire service across the nation, had
been destroyed. It is unthinkable that someone would destroy any
memorial that stands as a symbol of honor in remembrance of our fallen
firefighters.
The men and women who enter into the profession do so with great commitment
and sacrifice; they choose to put their lives at risk for others. Anyone who
disrespects and belittles that commitment is no more than a coward. I know on a
deeply personal level the commitment that is made not only by firefighters but
by their families. My father and my son both chose to serve their fellow
Floridians as firefighters.
Defacing this memorial is painful to family members whose loved ones
made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives to protect their
communities. Now as a community, it is our turn to stand up when our
heroes are so dishonored.
I urge anyone with information about those who have committed this
disgraceful crime to contact the Tallahassee Police Department at (850) 891-4200, reference:
fallen firefighter memorial.
Jeff Atwater
Chief Financial Officer
State of Florida
FACAP
Investigator of the Year
Hard work and dedication led Detective Charles Toledo in the Division
of State Fire Marshal to be recognized this week by the
Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP). As a member
of the Operation Candlelight team, Detective Toledo earned
investigator of the year honors for work on this major case, along with Miami-Dade
Police detectives Diana Lathrop and Tim Smith as well as Assistant State
Attorney Laura Uriarte.
Since Jan. 1, 2011, detectives from the Bureau of Fire and Arson
Investigation have worked on more than 2,800 arson cases, striving to
live up to their motto: to effectively prevent, discourage, investigate
and prosecute arson and arson-related crimes for the protection of
Florida citizens and their property.
Teen Essay Contest Deadline is Near
On November 30, 2012, the Florida Students
$ave essays are due.
Florida Students $ave aims to
motivate young people to develop personal financial skills and better
prepare them for college and the workplace, awarding hundreds of dollars
to Florida high school students who present the best research and
planning in response to scenarios that reflect on short- and long-term
financial goals.
The contest is open to all Florida high school students (public,
private, charter, virtual or homeschool) for the 2012-13 school year.
Students can submit essays of up to 1,200 words for a chance to win a
first-place prize of $250, while second- and third-place winners will
receive $150 and $50 respectively. Three winners will be chosen from
each of five regions across Florida: Northwest Florida, Jacksonville,
Orlando, Tampa and South Florida.
For more information about the essay contest, including a list of contest
rules, regions, awards and how to submit an essay, visit
www.MyFloridaCFO.com/YMM or call the Division of Consumer Services helpline
at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236).
Florida's Bottom Line
In
recent months, several surveys and studies were released that speak to
the quality of Florida's business climate and discuss Florida's ranking
alongside other states. Here are these resources in case you missed
them:
The
latest edition of Florida's Bottom Line's lead story is on access to
capital
Florida Chamber's
Small Business Index Survey
results
The National Chamber Foundation released a study on
Enterprising States
The non-partisan Tax Foundation recently released a study ranking
states' business tax climate, the
2013 State Business Tax Climate Index. This survey ranked Florida
fifth best in the nation.
A Small Business Owner's Tax Guide
The Department of Financial Services partnered with the Florida
Institute of Certified Public Accountants to host several webinars to
help educate small business owners about tax saving strategies for the
2012 and 2013 tax years. The presentation will be helpful in preparation
for the upcoming tax season. The webinar is available on the
Your Money Matter$ Small Business Page.
Future financial services webinars will be offered by the department
to help small businesses succeed despite the challenging economic times.
Please let us know of any ideas for future webinars.