Business and public-sector groups around Florida are sending loud -- and conflicting -- signals to state lawmakers this session. And, depending on who's talking, the Legislature is a savior or a devil swathed in potentially dangerous details. Expectations vary accordingly.
Down in Southwest Florida's Lehigh Acres, epicenter of the real-estate collapse, Ed Weiner is unabashed in calling for help.
"How about pooling all that pork and sending it to the counties most severely impacted by job losses?" asks Weiner, chairman of Lehigh Acres' Economic Development Commission. "Divvying up $50 million to the 10 hardest-hit counties for job creation could make a difference."
