1
00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,800
Speaker 1: On this episode of News World. Mayor Scott's Singer has

2
00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,719
Speaker 1: served as a strong voice for Boca Raton, Florida's resident

3
00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,840
Speaker 1: since he was first elected to the city council in

4
00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,239
Speaker 1: twenty fourteen. Scott was elected as mayor in twenty eighteen

5
00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,720
Speaker 1: and re elected in twenty twenty with eighty nine percent

6
00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,040
Speaker 1: of the vote, receiving the two highest vote totals in

7
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,560
Speaker 1: the city's history. He was re elected without opposition in

8
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,400
Speaker 1: twenty twenty three. This year, the city of bok Raton

9
00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,520
Speaker 1: is celebrating its centennial year, founded in nineteen twenty five.

10
00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,840
Speaker 1: I'm really pleased to welcome my guest, Mayor Scott Singer.

11
00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,279
Speaker 1: So welcome and thank you for joining me on Newtswork.

12
00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,200
Speaker 2: Thank you to speaker. A pleasure to be here, I have.

13
00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,920
Speaker 1: To say, in addition to being mayor, you've done some

14
00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,480
Speaker 1: interesting things. You are a Jeopardy champion and you appeared

15
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,800
Speaker 1: on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? How did those

16
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:13,440
Speaker 1: things happen?

17
00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,840
Speaker 2: Both fun experiences. I always loved trivia as a kid

18
00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,440
Speaker 2: and watch Jeopardy growing up. Who Wants to Be a

19
00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,480
Speaker 2: Millionaire was more luck than anything else. They were restarting

20
00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,840
Speaker 2: the syndicated version with Meredith Vieira. I happen to come

21
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,839
Speaker 2: down from lunch saw a flyer posted on a street

22
00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,040
Speaker 2: light in New York City at lunchtime. They were having auditions.

23
00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:33,800
Speaker 2: The next day when over, and two weeks later I

24
00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,240
Speaker 2: was on the show, and that helped pay for part

25
00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,920
Speaker 2: of law school. And then Jeopardy. I tried out multiple

26
00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,720
Speaker 2: times over the years and finally got the call that

27
00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,679
Speaker 2: I'd been selected and got the flatt la and tape

28
00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:45,440
Speaker 2: some episodes.

29
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,240
Speaker 1: When you do Jeopardy, I don't think fast enough to

30
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,800
Speaker 1: do a show like that. I would just freeze up.

31
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,600
Speaker 1: How do you manage to get in the rhythm of

32
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:55,480
Speaker 1: that kind of a show.

33
00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,000
Speaker 2: Well, first, I have to respectfully disagree, mister speaker. I've

34
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,600
Speaker 2: seen you think fast on your feed for thirty years plus,

35
00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,800
Speaker 2: and your term as Speaker and the revolution you set

36
00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,840
Speaker 2: off in nineteen ninety four made a formative impression on me.

37
00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:10,880
Speaker 2: That's the first time I got to vote in nineteen

38
00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,720
Speaker 2: ninety four. I turned eighteen that year, so still remember

39
00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,680
Speaker 2: with great excitement that day and saw how well you

40
00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:17,839
Speaker 2: thought over the time and how well you still think.

41
00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,120
Speaker 2: I'm sure you would do great, But in terms of

42
00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,720
Speaker 2: that show, the rhythm is the hardest thing because you

43
00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,480
Speaker 2: have three competitors who know almost all the answers, and

44
00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,120
Speaker 2: you're all vying to ring in first. And it's hard

45
00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,880
Speaker 2: because even in my episodes, I felt the timing was

46
00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,320
Speaker 2: a little bit different, whether the lock in to let

47
00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,799
Speaker 2: you buzz in was slightly different in the second game

48
00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,560
Speaker 2: than the first. They say what distinguishes the good champions

49
00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,280
Speaker 2: from the great champions is to have that machine like timing.

50
00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,560
Speaker 2: You can see it sometimes the people who win five

51
00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,320
Speaker 2: games or more, they're really good on their timing.

52
00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,600
Speaker 1: That's interesting. I hadn't even thoughtow that part of it,

53
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,960
Speaker 1: so I'm curious. I mean, you've clearly done with the

54
00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,440
Speaker 1: people of Voca Utan want when you look at the

55
00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,760
Speaker 1: level of support you're getting. We live in an age

56
00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:08,840
Speaker 1: when it's very difficult to have citizens be happy. What

57
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,080
Speaker 1: is it you think that you've done that have enabled

58
00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:18,480
Speaker 1: people to rally around you so that, despite years in office,

59
00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,360
Speaker 1: you ran unopposed. I mean, I think this is a

60
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,040
Speaker 1: real tribute to something you're doing that other local elected

61
00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,320
Speaker 1: officials or local candidates might learn from.

62
00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:31,760
Speaker 2: Well, thank you, that's very kind. I think it's a

63
00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,160
Speaker 2: lot of circumstances first, local elections in Florida, like the

64
00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,960
Speaker 2: majority of states, are nonpartisan, so you don't naturally have

65
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,960
Speaker 2: two parties vying to put up a candidate, So that

66
00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,000
Speaker 2: actually makes it easier than other state or federal offices. Second,

67
00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,760
Speaker 2: I think it's very easy to get re elected time

68
00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,520
Speaker 2: and time again if you don't want to do anything.

69
00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,800
Speaker 2: The challenges when you're trying to push bolder ideas, and

70
00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,440
Speaker 2: I think in twenty twenty three, I was fortunate. I

71
00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,080
Speaker 2: worked hard to build up good alliances, but I had

72
00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,920
Speaker 2: a very cordial and collegial council. When you're able to

73
00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,520
Speaker 2: work collaboratively with people, it keeps the temperature down, and

74
00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,440
Speaker 2: that's one of the things when I first ran for office,

75
00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,960
Speaker 2: wanted to lower the temperature. We had some groups that

76
00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,760
Speaker 2: were really trying to one candidate who was running a

77
00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,040
Speaker 2: blog and then trying to use that to propel himself

78
00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,880
Speaker 2: for further office. I think was really trying to encourage

79
00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,440
Speaker 2: more dissatisfaction. I think the bigger picture is just getting

80
00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,440
Speaker 2: out the accurate information, and it's harder nowadays in this

81
00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,200
Speaker 2: euro of social media to try to communicate all of

82
00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,840
Speaker 2: the facts. And I wouldn't say necessarily my approval rating

83
00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,320
Speaker 2: is eighty nine percent. Now that's a snapshot in time.

84
00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,839
Speaker 2: I would say in the last year there's more anger generally.

85
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,760
Speaker 2: I think the way media can spin things, can polarize

86
00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,760
Speaker 2: different views, has of spill over effect over at the

87
00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,080
Speaker 2: local level, and that's one of the things I'm trying

88
00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,919
Speaker 2: with the America First Policy Institute Mayor's Council, which I

89
00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,920
Speaker 2: have the privileged to chair and work with other mayors

90
00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,279
Speaker 2: to try to find common sense solutions, but take common

91
00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:00,040
Speaker 2: sense solutions from Washington and the Trumpean administration and bring

92
00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,560
Speaker 2: them down to the local level as well.

93
00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,440
Speaker 1: What would you say when you're out talking with your

94
00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,520
Speaker 1: fellow citizens in Boca Raton, what are the two or

95
00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,920
Speaker 1: three things that come up again and again that they

96
00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:13,120
Speaker 1: really want to say solved?

97
00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,920
Speaker 2: Sure, in local government it's often development issues. Development is

98
00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,120
Speaker 2: a concern throughout the country because local governing bodies often

99
00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,200
Speaker 2: focus on development, zoning, where things go, how you're planning

100
00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,320
Speaker 2: for infrastructure. In Boko Roteon, we do a fantastic job

101
00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,160
Speaker 2: of planning for infrastructure, and I think that spills over

102
00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,880
Speaker 2: to a lot of resident satisfaction. We've got great police

103
00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,080
Speaker 2: and fire, we've got great city services, soup to nuts.

104
00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,800
Speaker 2: We've invested in infrastructure, so we use new technology to

105
00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:42,919
Speaker 2: even move traffic, which is always a concern, even in

106
00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,600
Speaker 2: an area where we've got South Florida growing at more

107
00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,640
Speaker 2: rapid paces around us, but not so much in our area.

108
00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,600
Speaker 2: We're a pretty built out, lower density city, but you

109
00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,719
Speaker 2: feel that so development is a concern. I think affordability

110
00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,200
Speaker 2: continues to be a concern. Boca Ratone still is an

111
00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,600
Speaker 2: affluent area, relatively affluent with a higher income, but we

112
00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,680
Speaker 2: have a whole variety of workers and we want to

113
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,479
Speaker 2: ensure accessibility and affordability for everyone. That's why the city

114
00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:12,279
Speaker 2: is embarked on introducing affordable and attainable housing for middle

115
00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,960
Speaker 2: class workers, to try to make sure that the employers

116
00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,880
Speaker 2: who were trying to attract and young professionals, employers have

117
00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,200
Speaker 2: places for their employees. Young professionals have an opportunity to

118
00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,719
Speaker 2: move into the city and then continue their life there.

119
00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,240
Speaker 2: And I'm always focused on retaining talent and growing our

120
00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,560
Speaker 2: job base. Because we have a strong economy in Boca Ratone,

121
00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,280
Speaker 2: we punch above our weight when it comes to business.

122
00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,960
Speaker 2: We probably have a business presence of a city of

123
00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,560
Speaker 2: maybe three hundred thousand people and roll only one hundred thousand.

124
00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,040
Speaker 2: We've got more than half the corporate headquarters of all

125
00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,080
Speaker 2: upon Beach County, President Trump's home county. So I'm always

126
00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,279
Speaker 2: trying to focus on how we can bring more jobs

127
00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,000
Speaker 2: here and ensure the talent coming out of Florida Atlantic University,

128
00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,800
Speaker 2: Lynn University, and pom Beach State College, all in our

129
00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,080
Speaker 2: city can find places to work and live.

130
00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,800
Speaker 1: Fascinating maybe if you've got all these things going on,

131
00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,960
Speaker 1: and yet you actually wrote a letter to New York

132
00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,440
Speaker 1: business leaders saying that to consider coming to Florida given

133
00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,520
Speaker 1: the election of a big government socialist like Mundami, do

134
00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,880
Speaker 1: you think you're actually going to see a substantial increment

135
00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,520
Speaker 1: that's been a continuous migration now for like thirty years.

136
00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,080
Speaker 1: Do you think it's going to dramatically accelerate with Mundami's

137
00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:24,960
Speaker 1: effect on the New York economy.

138
00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,480
Speaker 2: I think it will substantially accelerate, yes, mister speaker. And

139
00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,600
Speaker 2: we've been targeting New York and other key markets Chicago

140
00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:35,200
Speaker 2: and San Francisco for years. We've had strategic and targeted

141
00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,400
Speaker 2: outreach to businesses. We can't accommodate all the people who

142
00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:40,720
Speaker 2: might want to flee the high taxes, but we can

143
00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,720
Speaker 2: try to and are focusing on business growth because we've

144
00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,800
Speaker 2: got great Class A office, lots of availability, and a

145
00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,560
Speaker 2: great business ecosystem. So that's why in June we reached

146
00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,120
Speaker 2: out to business leaders and we've continue that. We knew

147
00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,960
Speaker 2: that the Mandami election was coming, and we actually advertised

148
00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,800
Speaker 2: some strategic advertising New York. We launched a website and

149
00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,440
Speaker 2: wide to Boca dot com, which saw thousands of hits

150
00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,920
Speaker 2: in just the first few weeks, and we've continued follow

151
00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,880
Speaker 2: up messaging with businesses who've wanted to come. I'd gotten

152
00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,000
Speaker 2: some positive response to the email we sent right after

153
00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,320
Speaker 2: the election. We followed up with calls, and we're continuing

154
00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,800
Speaker 2: to work on bringing businesses here. I've talked with residential

155
00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,280
Speaker 2: realtors throughout the community in Boca Raton and elsewhere, and

156
00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,119
Speaker 2: their call volume has dramatically increased, So that's people looking

157
00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,920
Speaker 2: to move here. That's not necessarily new construction. But we've

158
00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,320
Speaker 2: got Class A availabilities too, so I expect a lot

159
00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,040
Speaker 2: of people to move, and it's not just New York.

160
00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,480
Speaker 2: I think we need to be concerned about socialist ideas

161
00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,160
Speaker 2: taking root in some of our nation's biggest cities. New

162
00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,839
Speaker 2: York is one, but now Seattle two. Their mayor was

163
00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,600
Speaker 2: ousted an election just this month as well, and that's

164
00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,520
Speaker 2: going to be, I think, a challenge for that city,

165
00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,319
Speaker 2: which already faced challenges with public safety and business flight.

166
00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:12,479
Speaker 1: I think all of these very large, heavily unionized, very bureaucratic,

167
00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:16,160
Speaker 1: left wing cities, I think they're going to continue to

168
00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:21,160
Speaker 1: shed people who flee basically. But I'm curious specifically about

169
00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,560
Speaker 1: New York because Mondomie, of course wants to raise saxes.

170
00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,200
Speaker 1: Apparently Governor huckle has just reversed herself and said she

171
00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,480
Speaker 1: would consider a tax increase, which during the election she'd

172
00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,120
Speaker 1: said she would not. But isn't there already a huge

173
00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,040
Speaker 1: gap in how much you pay if you're a Floridan

174
00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:41,240
Speaker 1: or a New Yorker.

175
00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,320
Speaker 2: Absolutely, if you're at the top marginal rate in New

176
00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,199
Speaker 2: York City, it's nearly fifteen percent between state and local

177
00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,599
Speaker 2: income taxes. That's on top of your federal that's on

178
00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:52,480
Speaker 2: top of the high cost of living, that's on top

179
00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:55,319
Speaker 2: of all the other expenses. You move to Florida, it's

180
00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,559
Speaker 2: zero percent. And I'm proud that's saying Boca Raton, We've

181
00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:00,920
Speaker 2: got the lowest property tax rate of any full service

182
00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,440
Speaker 2: city in Florida. So coming to Boca Ratone is a

183
00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,880
Speaker 2: real economic advantage for a lot of people. That's why

184
00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:09,200
Speaker 2: business leaders and C suite executives have been moving here.

185
00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:12,440
Speaker 2: And it really picked up after COVID. People saw the

186
00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:15,439
Speaker 2: shutdown city, the high crime, the high tax, the high

187
00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,480
Speaker 2: regulation jurisdictions and wanted something better. So you mentioned, mister speaker,

188
00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,360
Speaker 2: our growth that's been steady over decades, and it has

189
00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:24,480
Speaker 2: it picked up after COVID. I think this will be

190
00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,200
Speaker 2: another accelerator as well. Now Bondani is talking about a

191
00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:32,320
Speaker 2: seventeen percent marginal rate and further taxes at the higher

192
00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:34,680
Speaker 2: higher ends. I think that's just going to give job

193
00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,760
Speaker 2: creators and innovators an opportunity to say why am I

194
00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,520
Speaker 2: staying here? And we're welcoming their opportunities to bring high

195
00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:43,160
Speaker 2: paying jobs to Boca Ratone.

196
00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:47,120
Speaker 1: Apparently, people like Mundommi is a big government socialists. I

197
00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:52,720
Speaker 1: think that people who are successful aren't smart enough to

198
00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,120
Speaker 1: figure out how much they're paying. I talked to somebody

199
00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,560
Speaker 1: and palm beef. This was probably ten years ago. He

200
00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,160
Speaker 1: said it time. It cost him about five million dollars

201
00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,360
Speaker 1: a year to retain a New York residence. He is

202
00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,040
Speaker 1: obviously really wealthy, but nonetheless there is a morning new

203
00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,640
Speaker 1: work around and think what is it I'm getting for this?

204
00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,640
Speaker 1: And it doesn't seem to sink in at all to

205
00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,439
Speaker 1: the Mondomis of the world that you can literally drive

206
00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,280
Speaker 1: people away. I mean they just pick up and leave.

207
00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:29,840
Speaker 1: And of course Florida has been an enormous recipient of

208
00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,160
Speaker 1: people from all over the country, both because it's a

209
00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:35,360
Speaker 1: great place to live, us a great quality of life,

210
00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,600
Speaker 1: and the differential between a Chicago or a New York

211
00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:44,000
Speaker 1: or New Jersey is just staggering. Now, when you talk

212
00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,160
Speaker 1: to people, how do they rationalize it?

213
00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:49,679
Speaker 2: Well, the ones I talk to don't because they've moved.

214
00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,640
Speaker 2: After the pandemic started, we saw a lot more growth

215
00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,959
Speaker 2: of people moving from Chicago who traditionally went to the

216
00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,120
Speaker 2: West Coast. I have a lot more constituents who came

217
00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,360
Speaker 2: from Illinois because of their high taxes as well, So

218
00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,960
Speaker 2: it's not just York ats Illinois's other places as well.

219
00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:07,400
Speaker 2: I can't rationalize the irrationality of some of these policies,

220
00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,559
Speaker 2: and I'm not going to attempt to, but I think

221
00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:14,120
Speaker 2: there's a parallel you're seeing people advanced socialist ideas that

222
00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,400
Speaker 2: have failed time and time again throughout history and every generation.

223
00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,440
Speaker 2: I guess we need another dose of how bad it is. Mom.

224
00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,240
Speaker 2: Donnie isn't old enough to remember the Soviet Union and

225
00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,840
Speaker 2: the fall of it. I remember, I know you remember

226
00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,520
Speaker 2: a lot more and could lecture at great length about

227
00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:31,520
Speaker 2: the perils of communism. I think people are going to

228
00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:33,920
Speaker 2: have to see that firsthand. So I think it's that

229
00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:39,520
Speaker 2: same misunderstanding about these unrealistic, unworkable, Unamerican ideas that are

230
00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,040
Speaker 2: causing people to think, well, we're static and people are

231
00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,280
Speaker 2: just going to pay whatever tax rate we set. We're

232
00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,920
Speaker 2: an in an era of mobility. We've got technology that

233
00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,520
Speaker 2: is far different than even five years ago. The fact

234
00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:52,040
Speaker 2: that you and I are being able to do this

235
00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,880
Speaker 2: podcast on two continents and in live time has now

236
00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,840
Speaker 2: become the standard, not an outlier. And I think businesses

237
00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,920
Speaker 2: are recognizing that talent will go where it wants to go,

238
00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,720
Speaker 2: and there is no more stranglehold on why New York

239
00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,600
Speaker 2: has to be the capital of capital. As an American,

240
00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:11,800
Speaker 2: I'm sad to see it, but as a Boca Raton mayor,

241
00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,720
Speaker 2: I'm going to try to benefit from the opportunities to

242
00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:16,240
Speaker 2: bring high paying jobs to my city.

243
00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,840
Speaker 1: Wellings, I did not know. That I think is very

244
00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:27,640
Speaker 1: impressive is that Boca Raton has consistently worked to lower

245
00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,240
Speaker 1: the tax rate. You now have the lowest property tax

246
00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,720
Speaker 1: rate of any full service city in Florida, which is

247
00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,280
Speaker 1: a statewey with no income tax. That is an amazing achievement.

248
00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,240
Speaker 1: So what is it that you've done to get the

249
00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:46,160
Speaker 1: city of Buca Raton to have the lowest property tax

250
00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,720
Speaker 1: rate of any full service city in Florida. Amazing achievement.

251
00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,880
Speaker 2: I think it's three things, mister speaker. First, we have

252
00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:54,839
Speaker 2: a very strong business base, and that's where I come

253
00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,320
Speaker 2: back to it. Because we have a strong business presence,

254
00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,880
Speaker 2: we've got a lot more businesses who are paying taxes.

255
00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,720
Speaker 2: Florida as a homestead cap, where if you're a home

256
00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,959
Speaker 2: setted resident, your property taxes only increase three percent per year.

257
00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,400
Speaker 2: Businesses don't have that cap, so it helps add a

258
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:14,120
Speaker 2: robustness to our budget. If about half of our budget,

259
00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,079
Speaker 2: our property taxes come from homesteaded residents, the rest come

260
00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:19,720
Speaker 2: from non home setted residents and businesses. So the stronger

261
00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,400
Speaker 2: business presence actually helps the bottom line for residents. And

262
00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,840
Speaker 2: that's why it's not just great jobs in great philanthropic environment.

263
00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,960
Speaker 2: It keeps cost low and pays for great services. Second,

264
00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:33,360
Speaker 2: we're very lean, We staff leanly. We don't have programs.

265
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:37,680
Speaker 2: We've never had additional programs talking about ESG and DEI

266
00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,800
Speaker 2: and where you get big government and liberal government focused

267
00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:44,160
Speaker 2: on other projects that are sometimes make work jobs. We

268
00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:51,120
Speaker 2: don't have those. We focus on basic services, police, fire water, sewer, sanitation, parks, libraries, roads.

269
00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,840
Speaker 2: We try to excel in all of those and focus

270
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,840
Speaker 2: on good governance there. And the third thing is continuing

271
00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,040
Speaker 2: to grow revenue bases, so you know, attracting businesses here.

272
00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,680
Speaker 2: I'm keeping a stable environment where property values rise naturally

273
00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:09,080
Speaker 2: helps the fiscal balance sheet. And mister Speaker, I definitely

274
00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,400
Speaker 2: recall with great tribe, Frankly, when you were a speaker

275
00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,000
Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety six, when I was in college, I

276
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,040
Speaker 2: had the privilege of helping you indirectly when I worked

277
00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,520
Speaker 2: for Frank Luntz and Frank Luntz was assisting you in

278
00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,080
Speaker 2: communications and work with House members. So I had the

279
00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,560
Speaker 2: privilege of trying to as Frank was addressing members weekly,

280
00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,040
Speaker 2: you know, working with house communications teams, just as a

281
00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,240
Speaker 2: college intern to try to make sure everyone was on message.

282
00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,240
Speaker 1: I did not know that story, and Frank of course,

283
00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,720
Speaker 1: played a huge role in helping us communicate better with

284
00:15:40,800 --> 00:16:03,160
Speaker 1: American people. Not only have you been very effective as

285
00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:07,200
Speaker 1: the mayor, but you also play a significant role with

286
00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,320
Speaker 1: the America First Policy Institute, which I've been working with

287
00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:16,480
Speaker 1: since its founding, when it launched its Mayor's Council. You

288
00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,520
Speaker 1: now chair that organization. What inspired you to take on

289
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,800
Speaker 1: sort of a national role at a time like this.

290
00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:26,560
Speaker 2: So last year I got the opportunity to work with

291
00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,520
Speaker 2: some people at AFPI and some education and other issues,

292
00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,560
Speaker 2: and or heard talk of their governor's council and immediately

293
00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,480
Speaker 2: struck me, why not a mayor's council Because the same

294
00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:38,800
Speaker 2: America First message that we have to get into the

295
00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,840
Speaker 2: States applies to the cities too, and I saw some

296
00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,280
Speaker 2: great opportunities there. First, going back to elections, you know,

297
00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,520
Speaker 2: there's very low turnout and engagement in mayor elections. I

298
00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,160
Speaker 2: think you're seeing that in some of the elections we

299
00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,600
Speaker 2: just saw in November and some big cities. There's a

300
00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,480
Speaker 2: real opportunity to advance, you know, to make sure that

301
00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,640
Speaker 2: we're communicating the right message and getting people involved. President

302
00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:02,680
Speaker 2: Trump was on the ballot in twenty twenty four. He

303
00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:05,120
Speaker 2: will not be on the ballot again, but even leading

304
00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,399
Speaker 2: up to the midterm elections, those mattered greatly. And you

305
00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,440
Speaker 2: want to make sure that people are engaged on key issues. Well,

306
00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,720
Speaker 2: there's no more level of government. I think that affect

307
00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,600
Speaker 2: your daily life as much as the local government level.

308
00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,000
Speaker 2: I wanted to make sure we were finding ways to

309
00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:22,440
Speaker 2: advance common sense, pro growth, pro safety America first ideas

310
00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:25,280
Speaker 2: at our cities. And so I'm honored to work with

311
00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,720
Speaker 2: now nearly fifty mayors across the country, former and current

312
00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,920
Speaker 2: mayors who are working on the shared vision. And it's

313
00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,320
Speaker 2: really trying to find out how we can better tie

314
00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,600
Speaker 2: what President Trump is succeeding and doing in Washington at

315
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,000
Speaker 2: the state and then local level with the Mayor's council.

316
00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:44,280
Speaker 1: When you bring together current has forty five members from

317
00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:48,320
Speaker 1: all over the country. What is your message to Washington

318
00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:50,280
Speaker 1: collectively from the mayors.

319
00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,240
Speaker 2: I think it's that we're eager to find ways to

320
00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:58,280
Speaker 2: work together better. And what's unique about this group is

321
00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,600
Speaker 2: I think you know we all share a similar outlook. Yes,

322
00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,280
Speaker 2: we are sharing best practices. But we've got an opportunity

323
00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,000
Speaker 2: to collaborate and exchange good policy with the federal and

324
00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,080
Speaker 2: state and the local level. For example, we had one

325
00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,399
Speaker 2: mayor talk about the opportunities for better law enforcement in

326
00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:19,200
Speaker 2: the city working with ICE, and that mayor attributed information

327
00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:25,200
Speaker 2: we got from our council to helping multi jurisdictional task

328
00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,760
Speaker 2: force crack down on gang members in that city. And

329
00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,879
Speaker 2: that collaboration has an impact at the local level. But

330
00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,560
Speaker 2: the federal policies more generally, mister speaker, touch our daily lives.

331
00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,320
Speaker 2: The border is secure in a way that it hadn't

332
00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,119
Speaker 2: been for years. So what did the unsecured border do

333
00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,399
Speaker 2: for years? Will It allowed fentanyl to come in. It

334
00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:48,480
Speaker 2: allowed the opioid epidemic to ravage cities, and who has

335
00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,680
Speaker 2: to deal with that are first responders, and it affects everyone.

336
00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,600
Speaker 2: A secure border has a direct correlation to safety and cities,

337
00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,399
Speaker 2: to the opoid epidemic and so much more. Human trafficking

338
00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,600
Speaker 2: is an issue, and I think we've all seen in

339
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:03,800
Speaker 2: the last few years that huge uptake in you know

340
00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,719
Speaker 2: what we're doing about it? Well, again, a secure border matters,

341
00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,399
Speaker 2: So what happens in Washington matters and cities. But we

342
00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:11,720
Speaker 2: are on the ground too, trying to advance ideas that

343
00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,320
Speaker 2: maybe percolate up to Washington. Balance budgets. For one, our

344
00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,600
Speaker 2: city has to balance its budget. We do every year.

345
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,160
Speaker 2: A lot of other mayors in that same situation where

346
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,399
Speaker 2: you must pass a balanced budget. So we have to

347
00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,239
Speaker 2: go back to it. And that speaks back to your

348
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:25,960
Speaker 2: earlier question.

349
00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,359
Speaker 1: You can bring a kind of digent, old fashion word,

350
00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,359
Speaker 1: a kind of more frugal policy of not wasting money,

351
00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,600
Speaker 1: not addy extra bureaucrats. At the same time, it seems

352
00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:43,080
Speaker 1: to me that the long term impact of President Trump

353
00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:46,720
Speaker 1: and the whole mega movement really has to be dug

354
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:49,480
Speaker 1: in at the city and the county level so that

355
00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:53,000
Speaker 1: it becomes more than just the Congress or more than

356
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,439
Speaker 1: just a presidential election, but it has to become a

357
00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,280
Speaker 1: way of thinking. And that the gap that we're seeing

358
00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,639
Speaker 1: between where leaders like you are taking their cities and

359
00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,240
Speaker 1: where the really big left wing what I would call

360
00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:14,639
Speaker 1: big government socialists models in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore.

361
00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:22,160
Speaker 1: It's astonishing how dramatically different these two patterns are. Why

362
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,840
Speaker 1: do you think it's so hard for us to break

363
00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,359
Speaker 1: through in these really big cities, no matter how badly

364
00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:29,160
Speaker 1: governed they are.

365
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:31,920
Speaker 2: That's a tough question, and I think it's one of

366
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,639
Speaker 2: those things where some things are going to have to

367
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,480
Speaker 2: get worse before they get better. We've had in the

368
00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,320
Speaker 2: last five years to a number of mayors and mayoral

369
00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:44,520
Speaker 2: candidates one on platforms of defunding police or reducing police presence,

370
00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,359
Speaker 2: not understanding that public safety is at the base of

371
00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,040
Speaker 2: the pyramid of government services. If you have an unsafe community,

372
00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,040
Speaker 2: people don't want to live there, Businesses don't want to

373
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,160
Speaker 2: be there, and people don't want to stay there. And

374
00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:58,240
Speaker 2: I think we're going to have to see some cities

375
00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:02,159
Speaker 2: fail when they focus so much on alternative methods of

376
00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,000
Speaker 2: policing but don't deal with the crime issues that they

377
00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,800
Speaker 2: have in their city. When you relax on crime, it

378
00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,879
Speaker 2: has a spillover effect in so many ways. And I

379
00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,840
Speaker 2: think it's just the ebb and flow of political wins

380
00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,320
Speaker 2: in some places. And I remember in New York City

381
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,280
Speaker 2: in the nineteen eighties where crime was at monumental levels

382
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,560
Speaker 2: before Rudy Giuliani was elected and took the murder rate

383
00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,280
Speaker 2: down sixty seventy percent, and that had a significant impact

384
00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,639
Speaker 2: and then that caused businesses to come into Manhattan and

385
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,600
Speaker 2: to change Times Square from what was not really a

386
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,520
Speaker 2: seedy place to a tourist destination. All of these things

387
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,720
Speaker 2: are related, but it goes back to just fundamentally sound

388
00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:45,679
Speaker 2: policy or unsound policy, and when you don't treat crime

389
00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,800
Speaker 2: the right way, when you're hostile to business, it spills

390
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:51,879
Speaker 2: over to affect quality of life.

391
00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,760
Speaker 1: I think you put your finger on you're having your

392
00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,760
Speaker 1: centennial this year. I think back to with nineteen twenty

393
00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:04,040
Speaker 1: five of pre air conditioning must have been like in Boca.

394
00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,480
Speaker 1: What will you be doing in Boca this year to

395
00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,879
Speaker 1: celebrate the centennial for the city.

396
00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:12,480
Speaker 2: Well, we've done a number of things throughout the year.

397
00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:16,840
Speaker 2: We've had a number of public events, participation with other businesses,

398
00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:20,480
Speaker 2: some of whom are also Muten milestone years. For example,

399
00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,160
Speaker 2: we had a large concert that drew thousands of people

400
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,720
Speaker 2: to celebrate honor centennial week and it happened to even moreil

401
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,240
Speaker 2: Day weekend as well. We also had a drone show

402
00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,919
Speaker 2: that really was spectacular, the best I've ever seen that

403
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,920
Speaker 2: really brought people together. It was a spirit of community

404
00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,919
Speaker 2: and celebration. We've done other things to recognize our history

405
00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,760
Speaker 2: of our city, and as we look to the end

406
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,240
Speaker 2: of the year, our traditional holiday parade will be centennial themed.

407
00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,399
Speaker 2: We've had partnerships with the bok Ratona Historical Society to

408
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,080
Speaker 2: get out a great volume of our history that residents

409
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,480
Speaker 2: have enjoyed. Other local magazines, including Over my Shoulder, the

410
00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,359
Speaker 2: Boca ratonea Observer, has had their centennial issue. I have

411
00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:59,760
Speaker 2: a framed edition of that over my shoulder there. And

412
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,760
Speaker 2: we're just going to continue to try to ensure that

413
00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,840
Speaker 2: we look ahead to the next century, because, as you said,

414
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,840
Speaker 2: mister speaker, in nineteen twenty five, this is a very

415
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,480
Speaker 2: different place, pre air conditioning, a few hundred people here.

416
00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,400
Speaker 2: But what made Boca Ratone remarkable then was noted architect

417
00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,760
Speaker 2: Addison Meisner came to Boca Ratone. He set out to

418
00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,280
Speaker 2: build the world's premier resort community, and in only seventeen

419
00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,000
Speaker 2: months here he built what is now the Boca Ratone Resort.

420
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,439
Speaker 2: It was the Ritz Carlton Cloister end of the time,

421
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:31,760
Speaker 2: but really envisioned this as a destination for leaders and

422
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:36,359
Speaker 2: prominent figures across America. Nineteen twenty six was a land bust.

423
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,760
Speaker 2: Hurricanes come. He didn't reach the full fulfillment of his vision.

424
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:41,639
Speaker 2: But I think one hundred years later, we have been

425
00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,680
Speaker 2: set out as a special place. We are remarkable as

426
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,919
Speaker 2: a city. I think there's no city like ours, and

427
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:48,919
Speaker 2: a lot of mayors would say that. But we have

428
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,840
Speaker 2: a great mix of the natural beauty and plan beauty,

429
00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,359
Speaker 2: and more amenities, businesses and opportunities than a lot of

430
00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,600
Speaker 2: other cities are size. So I feel great pride for

431
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,199
Speaker 2: our city, and I think as we look at for

432
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,800
Speaker 2: the next century, we can plan other great things.

433
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,320
Speaker 1: It's a remarkable place. But I remember the very first

434
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,840
Speaker 1: time I went down. I was giving a speech in Boca,

435
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:11,800
Speaker 1: and that was actually the first time I had key

436
00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,600
Speaker 1: lime pie in Florida. To this day, I remember that

437
00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,760
Speaker 1: it was just exquisite for all of our listeners. If

438
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,439
Speaker 1: you get a chance to go visit Boca. It is

439
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,399
Speaker 1: a really unique gem situated right there in the middle

440
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,720
Speaker 1: of Florida's East coast, and it's almost like it's an island,

441
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,399
Speaker 1: and that it has been developed and cultivated and maintained

442
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,520
Speaker 1: to be a really high quality of life.

443
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,120
Speaker 2: Well, thank you, mister speaker. It is a special place.

444
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,040
Speaker 2: I'm happy to say, though we're not an island. We're

445
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,480
Speaker 2: in the center of the South Florida metropolitan area, the

446
00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,520
Speaker 2: seventh largest in America, where we've got great business presence.

447
00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:49,400
Speaker 2: You've got a city government focused on trying to make

448
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,000
Speaker 2: life easier for residents and businesses. It's not just your

449
00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:55,159
Speaker 2: people looking to visit. If you're looking to relocate a

450
00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,080
Speaker 2: business here, we're happy to help with concierge services, incentives

451
00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,160
Speaker 2: and again the lowest proper tax to have any full

452
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,800
Speaker 2: service city. Going back to the bigger picture, I think

453
00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:05,719
Speaker 2: over the coming years, people are going to have an

454
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,320
Speaker 2: opportunity more to be more mobile, and I think you're

455
00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:12,520
Speaker 2: going to see a continued migration from high tax, high regulation,

456
00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:16,520
Speaker 2: high crime cities and states to other places where mayors

457
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:19,000
Speaker 2: like me across America are trying to focus on how

458
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,040
Speaker 2: do you deliver services effectively and efficiently, and how do

459
00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,880
Speaker 2: you allow businesses and individuals to flourish.

460
00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:29,879
Speaker 1: I've really known Boka mostly from going to nice residential areas,

461
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:34,840
Speaker 1: but you have forty publicly traded corporate headquarters and fourteen

462
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,080
Speaker 1: thousand businesses.

463
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:38,960
Speaker 2: Yes, now some of them are small mom at pop

464
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,000
Speaker 2: shops like mine. I'm a lawyer, so a solo practitioner,

465
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,640
Speaker 2: so that's a business. It's one employee, but it still

466
00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,200
Speaker 2: counts as a business. But yes, we've got large companies

467
00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,600
Speaker 2: in healthcare, finance, fintech technology. A lot of people don't

468
00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,600
Speaker 2: realize that the IBM personal computer was invented in Boca

469
00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,160
Speaker 2: Ratone and the biggest deal in software history was happen

470
00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,399
Speaker 2: in Boca Ratone in the nineteen eighties when Bill Gates

471
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,720
Speaker 2: came to IBM's headquarters then in Boca Vertone and negotiated

472
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,720
Speaker 2: the licensing for Microsoft, which propelled that. Even though IBM

473
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,280
Speaker 2: left in the nineties, we still had a great tradition

474
00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,000
Speaker 2: and continuation of high tech companies. And as we've moved

475
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,760
Speaker 2: out to medtech, fintech and now AI and quantum computing,

476
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,600
Speaker 2: we're attracting more businesses. The talent is here, and I

477
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,359
Speaker 2: think that's important for young people. I ran for city

478
00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,920
Speaker 2: council because I wanted at the time, I lead one child,

479
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,240
Speaker 2: but wanted him to feel what I did not feel

480
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,159
Speaker 2: growing up at South Florida, that I had great job prospects.

481
00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,320
Speaker 2: And I think we're getting there, and I think what

482
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,400
Speaker 2: we can do to continue to make sure that young

483
00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,560
Speaker 2: people have places to work, a great community to live

484
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,840
Speaker 2: in helps continue our success.

485
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,240
Speaker 1: Oh that's from Mornhule. You're doing a great job both

486
00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:50,480
Speaker 1: nationally working with the America First Policy Institute and locally

487
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,640
Speaker 1: helping lead your city. People want to know more can

488
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:59,160
Speaker 1: go to my Boca dot Us. I want to thank you, Scott.

489
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,000
Speaker 1: This has been fascinating every time you go. I love

490
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:04,719
Speaker 1: the city, and you've no give me a much deeper

491
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,960
Speaker 1: understanding of how many cool things are going on and

492
00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:12,679
Speaker 1: how much it's a deliberate, purposeful development that focus. So

493
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,400
Speaker 1: thank you very much for sharing time with us.

494
00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,199
Speaker 2: Well, mister speaker, thank you for talking with me. If

495
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,159
Speaker 2: anyone else wants to reach out to me, I'm my

496
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,920
Speaker 2: Scott Singer USA on all platforms and if you've got questions,

497
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,440
Speaker 2: whether it's bringing you business or anything else, please reach

498
00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,000
Speaker 2: out to me directly. Happy to help and would welcome

499
00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:31,359
Speaker 2: you and the ambassador in Boca Ratone anytime. Hope to

500
00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:32,920
Speaker 2: see you here soon and hope to see you again

501
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:34,199
Speaker 2: soon regardless of where it is.

502
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,600
Speaker 1: Thank you to my guest Mayor, Scott Singer. Newsworld is

503
00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,920
Speaker 1: produced by Guiningih three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer

504
00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:50,760
Speaker 1: is Guarnzie Sloan Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork

505
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,560
Speaker 1: for the show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks

506
00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:56,919
Speaker 1: to the team at geining Er three sixty. If you've

507
00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:59,879
Speaker 1: been enjoying Newsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast

508
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,760
Speaker 1: and both wait us with five stars and give us

509
00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,760
Speaker 1: a review so others can learn what it's all about.

510
00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,120
Speaker 1: Join me on substack at Gingwish three sixty dot net.

511
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,800
Speaker 1: I'm new Gingriish. This is new World