Florida CFO sends letter to IOC president, asks Tokyo Olympics be relocated to Sunshine State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida has hardly ever hosted the Olympic game titles, but the state’s chief monetary officer wishes to see it occur this year.

Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis sent a letter to the Worldwide Olympic Committee on Monday encouraging them to contemplate relocating the 2021 Summer season Olympics from Tokyo to the Sunshine Condition.

The video games were postponed last summer season because of to the coronavirus pandemic, and there have been studies that this year’s video games could be delayed yet again.

On the other hand, IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers claimed very last week they are focused on the summertime game titles opening in Japan on July 23.

“There is however time to deploy a website assortment group to Florida to meet with statewide and neighborhood officers on keeping the Olympics in the Sunshine State,” Patronis’ letter to the IOC states.

The letter states that Florida has effectively allowed sports activities to get area for the duration of the pandemic, such as NBA basketball and equally expert and faculty soccer.

Website More: Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis sends letter to IOC asking Tokyo Olympics be held in Florida

Patronis lays out the plentiful inns and airports that could accommodate the infrastructure desired to hold the online games.

It is really unclear when a possible Florida Olympics would be held considering the fact that the summer season warmth and humidity of the Sunshine State could impair the athletes’ means to complete.

“No matter what precautions are demanded, let’s figure it out and get it done,” Patronis reported.

Under is the complete letter that Patronis sent to the IOC:

Dear President Bach,

I am creating to you as the Main Financial Officer (CFO) for the Condition of Florida. As a member of the Florida Cabinet, I sit on the Enterprise Florida Inc. Board of Directors, which is our state’s small business growth device. These days, I am producing to encourage you to consider relocating the 2021 Olympics from Tokyo, Japan to the United States of The usa, and a lot more particularly to Florida.

With media reports of leaders in Japan “privately” concluding that they are also concerned about the pandemic for the 2021 Olympics to just take place, there is even now time to deploy a web site collection workforce to Florida to fulfill with statewide and nearby officers on holding the Olympics in the Sunshine State. I would welcome the prospect to pitch Florida and assistance you make the proper contacts to get this carried out.

Prior to the pandemic, Florida was welcoming 900 persons per working day to our state, and in the previous couple decades overtook the Point out of New York for whole populace. When most of the main states ended up shutting down their economies, we have been fortuitous plenty of to have a Governor that regarded the vital equilibrium of preventing the virus with maintaining the economic climate open. In addition, Governor DeSantis has partnered with the private sector to promptly distribute vaccines to our most vulnerable populations. As opposed to other states, when the COVID-19 vaccine will come to Florida it does not just sit on the shelf wrapped in governing administration crimson tape it moves speedy to protect our communities.

The Condition of Florida has effectively permitted sporting activities to just take spot all through the pandemic. When most states shut down their sporting events, the metropolis of Jacksonville hosted the Ultimate Preventing Championship (the UFC) and the National Basketball Affiliation (NBA) setup the “bubble” to keep video games in Orlando. Also, in the course of football time the National Football League (NFL) and college teams have been able to contend on Florida soil. Furthermore, our intercontinental tourist destinations, like Disney parks have been open and operating securely in Florida for some time. In simple fact, Disney serves as an amazing model for how to run a advanced corporation in the midst of COVID-19.

As a tourism state, Florida welcomed 131 million vacationers in 2019. Our state has ample hotel capacity and well-preserved transportation networks to accommodate the sort of infrastructure necessary for a major endeavor of this kind. Florida has 20 industrial airports, 31 city transit methods, 12 important universities that have existing sporting amenities – and we have environment-renowned health care amenities in every of our areas. I believe most importantly, nonetheless, we have a condition with leaders who are willing to get this finished.

Whilst I compose to you in a expert capability, I must also incorporate that I am a father of two boys who enjoy sports activities, and the notion of cancelling the Olympics when there have been so a lot of athletes who have labored so tricky for this opportunity is a rough capsule to swallow. I’ve normally considered that sports activities and competition makes our planet a far better spot, and these athletes demonstrate to little ones all around the planet that when you function difficult, and set your thoughts to one thing, anything at all is achievable.

Regardless of what safeguards are necessary let’s figure it out and get it done. Make sure you get hold of my business at 850-413-4900 to agenda a assembly.

Sincerely,
Jimmy Patronis
Chief Fiscal Officer