Seeking Rents
Seeking Rents – The Podcast
A company town no more?
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A company town no more?

Even as another red wave washed across Florida in this week's elections, there was a sea change in Orlando that suddenly has tourism industry lobbyists very nervous.

In this episode: Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell joins the podcast to talk about Florida’s 2024 elections — including some stunning local results in which voters in Orlando chose a pair of grassroots activists over tourism- and developer-backed alternatives who had outspent them by as much as 8-to-1. It’s the dawning of a new day in what has historically been one of the nation’s biggest company towns. And it further established Orlando as a blue island in a statewide sea of red.

Show notes:

For more about Florida’s elections — both in Orlando and across the state — make sure to read Scott’s most recent column in the Sentinel. And check out more of his work here.

To understand what made these Orlando races so important, and why they will have statewide repercussions, see these pieces from Seeking Rents:

Voters in Orlando have a chance to loosen the tourism industry's grip on taxpayer money

Candidates in Orlando split over new rules to save rural land from suburban sprawl

Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com

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Seeking Rents
Seeking Rents – The Podcast
"Rent-seeking" is a term in economics that describes when a corporation uses its political influence to twist tax laws and other public policy in its favor. Seeking Rents – The Podcast brings you the stories of how that's happening in Florida, where corporate interests like Florida Power & Light, Big Sugar, and Walt Disney World wield enormous influence everywhere from local city halls to the state Capitol. Hosted by award-winning journalist Jason Garcia, Florida's leading corporate-accountability reporter.