Florida Department of Corrections
Michael D. Crews, Secretary
| 1999-2000 Annual Report |
Governor Jeb Bush
Excerpts from the State of the State Address to the Legislature, March 7, 2000
 Governor Jeb Bush |
Florida, more than any other state, is never static and never frozen in time. Watch a storm blow in over the Everglades; stand in the glow of our cities' lights as they come alive at night;
 10-20-Life View the Video 4.0M B Quicktime 8.2 MB AVI |
How we deal with change, and how we harness it to propel us forward, will be the standard by which you and I will be measured. Do we have it within us to take us where we should go? I believe with all my heart that we do. Why? Because in one short year I have seen with my own eyes what you can do -- what we can do, working together.
You were uncompromising in your fight against crime. By enacting the 10/20/Life program, you sent a clear signal to criminals in our state: if they use a gun, they will pay a steep price. And trust me, they are. Already we have seen more than a thousand dangerous criminals charged under the new law. Crime is dramatically down. Gun murders alone dropped an astounding 22 percent last year. In fact, last year the state saw its greatest decrease in crime in almost 30 years.
The Florida Legislature should stand shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of law enforcement and take a bow for making Florida safer for Floridians and their guests. Thank you!
