Will one quarter of Florida’s population be seniors by 2030? Or are fewer retirees moving to the Sunshine State with promise of younger folks on the horizon?

An article in The Huffington Postalleges Florida’s population growth is heading in the wrong direction. It says over the next 18 years retiring Baby Boomers will give the state one of the oldest populations on the planet while what Florida needs instead is college-educated 30-somethings.  But, Orlando economist Dr. Hank Fishkind said the article’s conclusions are misleading.

The level of economic freedom in the sunshine state has been in decline.  That’s according to the Economic Freedom of North America Index released last week by the conservative non-profit Frasier Institute.

The annual report from the Canadian based think tank measures and ranks the level of economic freedom in the 50 states and the Canadian provinces.  The report considers the size of government, taxation and labor market freedom to determine how much control individuals, entreprenuers and businesses have over their financial resources. 

We spoke with Florida Gulf Coast University Economics Professor Dean Stansel about the report, and what Florida’s ranking indicates about the prospects for economic recovery.

A recent poll reveals Floridians are much less concerned about education than issues such as job creation and insurance rates. Those findings come as no surprise to at least one expert. Valarie Edwards has more.

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The annual Sunshine State Survey commissioned by Leadership Florida, covered topics such as immigration, fiscal soundness and education.

More than half of the 1,200 people polled identified job creation and the economy as the most pressing issues facing the state. And, although education reform remains high on Governor Scott’s agenda, not many residents agree. Primary education reform scored a distant second in the survey, conducted by the Nielsen Company.

Those findings don’t surprise Dr. Susan A. MacManus, Political Science professor at the University of South Florida.

“Loud and clear, when you’re worried about a home and a job, a lot of other things, while you might care about them, are just not as pressing.”

This year marks year four of the annual Sunshine State Survey which lawmakers and stakeholders will use to determine and shape public policy.

You can view the survey in its entirety at leadership florida.org.

A recent report on the economic recovery from the Brookings Institution ranks the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area the second weakest economy among the nation’s one hundred largest metropolitan areas.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and his counterparts in other states are calling for an investigation into the mortgage practices of the nation’s major home mortgage lenders. Meanwhile, the states are looking into numerous allegations of shoddy paperwork and other questionable practices by some lenders. Tom Parkinson at WMFE in Orlando asked economic analyst Hank Fishkind if the foreclosure crisis is worse here in Florida than in other states…

Employment in Lee County has improved a bit. WGCU’s Luis Hernandez reports on what to make of the recent unemployment figures.

The future of Florida’s trade and commerce may lie 12-hundred miles away. WGCU’s Luis Hernandez reports.

The Community Health Improvement Partnership or “CHIP” is surveying households in southwest Florida to determine residents’ health status and gauge how the economic downturn is affecting their overall well-being.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

The weather warming should be good news for farmers - but not necessarily the farm workers.  The next harvests of vegetables like tomatoes may not come until mid-April.   So many are struggling to pay rent and put food on the table.  The Salvation Army is trying to fill that gap for hundreds in Immokalee until work returns.  WGCU’s Luis Hernandez reports.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has increased its orange crop forecast for Florida.  Valerie Alker has more.