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Governor Charlie Crist is asking economic development leaders to help him convince lawmakers to create a pilot program that would provide loans to growing businesses. The program would provide low interest loans of up to $250,000 to Florida businesses that have between ten and 99 employees. The businesses would have to guarantee they could create jobs with the money. Only $8.5 million would be available for the loans, however, but Crist and the head of the state's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development said they hope the program can be expanded once they prove it works. Crist met with a group of economic development leaders at the governor's mansion Tuesday to outline the idea and encourage them to call lawmakers to back the proposal.