Linda Stewart for Orange County Mayor

After 4 days in Colombia, I have much to report! What a great city with great people, and incredible public transportation.

During my visit to Medellin, Colombia, I studied the incredible public transit system they have down there.  A city with 4 million people, there is only 4% unemployment, and everything is clean and well kept up.  They are doing something right!  We want to bring green technology jobs here, and more efficient public transportation options.  View the press release below:

Orlando, FL -- Orange County Commissioner Linda Stewart will travel to Medellin, Colombia on an economic development trip sponsored by the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce of Orlando and Central Florida.  She will depart Orlando on Thursday, January 14 and return on Monday, January 18. 

The purpose of the trip will be to meet with government and business leaders in Colombia to discuss economic development opportunities for the Central Florida region.  Stewart's primary focus will be clean-tech businesses that have the potential of creating high-wage jobs for Central Florida.

The World Bank Group's Doing Business 2010 Report[1] recently placed Colombia as the 37th best country in the world for doing business according to a variety of economic measurements--including getting credit, protecting investors, and enforcing contracts--ahead of all other Central and South American countries and just behind Puerto Rico, ranked 35th.

As she has done in all of her past economic development trips to England, Germany, Switzerland, and California, she will be paying for her portion of the travel expenses personally.  This is her first economic development mission to South America as an Orange County Commissioner.

Click HERE to watch me on Magda's radio show, discussing the great ideas we can share in working together.