Dear Fellow Floridian:
This week we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr., one of the
great visionaries our nation has produced. Dr. King had an unshakeable
faith in the capacity of the American people to effect positive change,
and his optimistic spirit refused to accept his dream as impossible. His
unwavering leadership and strength of character continue to inspire us
amidst the challenges we face today.
Although our current issues and struggles are much different than those of
the civil rights movement, we would do well to heed the lessons that can be
learned from Dr. King’s life. Our nation’s struggles continue to threaten the
greatness of America. If we are to regain our footing, we must—like Dr.
King—face our challenges, be willing to see farther ahead than those around us
and refuse to pass the problem along to future generations of Americans.
As we remember a man who dedicated his life to fighting for and serving
others, we can honor his legacy by embodying his spirit of optimism and
positively impacting our communities, our state and our nation.
Jeff Atwater
Chief Financial Officer
State of Florida
Resolution Recognizes Thrift Week
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater sponsored a resolution
recognizing next week, Jan. 17-23, 2013, as “Florida Thrift Week,” encouraging
all Floridians to learn and implement the values of thrift and saving as steps
toward long-term financial success. Florida Thrift Week is hosted by The James
Madison Institute (JMI), a Florida-based research and educational organization
with the mission of keeping Floridians informed about their government and
teaching our youth about the value of thrift.
The thrift educational movement began in 1916 during World War I, and
National Thrift Week became an annual celebration beginning each year on January
17 in honor of the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, America’s foremost thrift
advocate. The John Templeton Foundation recently rallied a national campaign for
the annual celebration to return.
Thrift and saving are integral components of any financial plan and the root
of long-term financial success for families, businesses and individuals. If
everyone makes a daily choice of responsible financial habits, then we can
battle the increasing debt and economic uncertainty facing our nation.