North Florida's rural economy: Tourism, Farming, Prisons

Tourism, farming, and prisons? What's wrong with this picture? Sad to say, it's not just Florida, most U.S. states have used "incarceration" as a "jobs program" in rural areas where good jobs are hard to come by--no wonder the U.S. today has the highest incarceration rate per capita in the world. Shameful.

Tourism, farming, prisons power North Florida's rural economy | Gainesville.com: "Tourism is a big business in Florida, employing more than a million people, accounting for a fifth of state sales tax revenues and drawing $67.2 billion in tourist spending annually, according to Visit Florida. But agriculture is right behind with nearly a million jobs, $20 million in tax revenues and the creation of $67.3 billion in wages and benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The combination of tourism and agriculture — along with state prisons — is what powers North Florida." 

When you read that prisons "power" a region's economy--one thing for sure--you don't want to live there.

Tweet    Follow @johnmpoole