Dear Fellow Floridian,

Over the past several years, we worked together to defeat Amendment 4 (the so-called “Hometown Democracy” amendment).  With your support, we built an unprecedented pro-jobs consensus and earned an historic victory for Florida’s free markets.

In the history of Florida politics, the “Vote NO on 4” campaign was truly unique.

But, it shouldn’t be.  Florida’s free market faces threats year in and year out; the energy, enthusiasm and organization that soundly defeated Amendment 4 should not be reserved exclusively for ballot box campaigns.  And the grassroots network that we built together should not be abandoned in the aftermath of a major victory.

With Florida at a crossroads, now is not the time to quit.  Now is the time to go on offense.

That’s why the business community is working together again—this time to launch a permanent platform campaign for a prosperous Florida.  It’s called FreeMarketFlorida.org.  Built upon the “Vote No on 4” coalition, FreeMarketFlorida.org will engage in critical issues of state and regional importance as an unapologetic advocate for the free market.

Its purpose is to promote a better business climate; its job is to defend against legal and regulatory threats to Florida’s free market; its time is right now.

We will use all of the tools available to us.  We will deploy many of the same strategies that resulted in victory on Amendment 4.  And we will work with many of the same coalition partners.

The interest groups that backed Amendment 4 are not standing down.  In fact, even now, they are waging an aggressive war on multiple fronts to halt Florida’s risk-takers, innovators and entrepreneurs in their tracks.  Their goal remains simple: Stop economic development at all costs.  While the defeat of Amendment 4 dealt a major blow to their efforts, anti-free market forces continue an aggressive campaign of unchecked misinformation, operating with few challenges and little accountability in many of the legal, regulatory and public arenas throughout Florida.

Free enterprise is about job creation.

Those who oppose economic development and job creation will say or do anything and, until now, Florida’s business community has had to “gear up” for the multiple battles special interests wage. Now, with FreeMarketFlorida.org, the business community has a permanent effort, complimentary to that of the Florida Chamber and others, which will meet the opposition whenever and wherever they choose to engage.

Now is the time to take the fight to them.

But we need your help.  If Florida’s business community is going to go toe-to-toe with these aggressive anti-free market groups, we need your time, your talent and your continued support.  Take a few minutes to look around the website; visit us on Facebook; and let us know if you’d like to hear a presentation to your group on what’s in store for FreeMarketFlorida.org.

We hope that you will bring the same passion, expertise and commitment to this cause as you did the “Vote No on 4” campaign.

My best,

Mark Wilson
President & CEO
Florida Chamber of Commerce