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Valentino, Broxson Touting Escambia County On Panama Trip
June 3, 2013
Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino and Rep. Doug Broxson are joining state leaders on trip beginning today to Panama to visit the Panama Canal expansion project, meet with government officials and tour manufacturing sites.
The canal is currently undergoing expansion that seeks to double its capacity by 2015 by building two new locks, one each on the Atlantic and Pacific sides. The expansion will also excavate new channels to the locks, widen and deepen existing channels and raise the maximum operating level, allowing for larger ships to utilize the canal.
By capitalizing on the economies in Central and South America and the growing East-West trade routes, Florida has the opportunity to become a leading trade and logistics hub for the United States. “The expansion of the Panama Canal has the potential to bring more than 140,000 new jobs to Florida, and this trip will be an excellent opportunity to promote Florida’s ports,” said Broxson (pictured).
During his time in Central America, Commissioner Valentino will meet with various business leaders. Valentino will discuss the many positive qualities Escambia County has to offer international companies looking to expand their presence in the United States.
Florida has fifteen seaports, including three in the Panhandle – the Ports of Pensacola, Panama City and Port St. Joe. According to the Florida Ports Council, cargo and cruise activity currently supports more than 680,000 jobs in Florida. Florida’s ports contribute $96.6 billion of output to the state’s economy (including $26.1 billion in personal income and wages), which is equivalent to approximately 13% of Florida’s Gross Domestic Product. They also generate $2.4 billion in state and local taxes, in addition to $4.7 billion in federal taxes.
“By further establishing relationships with our foreign partners, we can ensure they are aware of the unique benefits our ports in the Panhandle offer to businesses throughout the region and the world.”
Broxson and Valentino will return to the U.S. on Saturday, June 8.
Comments
12 Responses to “Valentino, Broxson Touting Escambia County On Panama Trip”
This concludes our discussion on International Business Networking, now on to the subject of Flight to Avoid Investigation.
Uh, shouldn’t it be the Port Director, or someone from the City Council instead of Valentino ? Escambia County has no control whatsoever over the Port and the deal-gone-bad with Rinker pretty well demonstrates that the powers that be have no interest at all in utilizing the Port as a port….
Nice place. A lot of American ex-pats in Panama. Pensacola has one of the few deep water ports that is better than any around if we would only use it. It will be interesting to see if we have any port expansion, or if this is just a vacation.
FYI, there have been times when the commish has paid his own way, just sayin’. But. I don’t see the port becoming a hub of commercialism. It would not look nice to the restaurants down that way and the office complexes. I cannot remember anyone trying actively to get our port going and anyway, this port is too small to accommodate a couple of large ships.
Broxson is useless. He will shake your hand and even come to your church…if it’s an election year. I agree with Joe. Doug Broxson has not accomplished anything.
He needs to go.
Please explain how this brings jobs here to Escambia County.
Doug Broxson has done nothing for his district. He doesn’t return calls or respond to emails. He is also well known for canceling engagements that he has committed to attend. So it only makes sense for him to take this trip. At least he’s consistently incompetent.
Better be good on your trip Mr. Valentino
They Escambia County taxpayers are watching and ready to hold you accountable now 
I’m not sure I’d vacation in Panama, plenty of other places to go, but that said, Valentino is the one who went to the Paris Air Show a couple of years back. What ever came of that little soiree? It would be nice to have some follow up from these trips, a detailed report to the taxpayers as to who was contacted, what was discussed, and a later follow on report telling us what benefit the trip had.
The lack of reporting and follow up gives the impression that these trips aren’t really productive or necessary.
Our tax dollars at work??
Yeesh!!!!
How much is this vacation going to cost the taxpayer?
Giving valintino a ticket back to California would be money better spent.
How much is this vacation going to cost the taxpayer?