Calling it a tax cut doesn't make it so

From Steve Bousquet's column: "Legislators will take a final vote on this reduced budget early next week. They will declare victory by noting how they largely spared public education from the reductions. But they did it by depending so heavily on the local property taxes they say are hurting Floridians so much, and a day of reckoning is approaching.

No one knows that better than Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin, the House budget chief and next House speaker, who says legislators must find a way to replace a big chunk of that local property tax money with a different tax source. "If we don't," he said, "we're hypocritical."

And there's this story today: " Republicans in the House and Senate pushed past the objections of Democrats on Friday to approve $1.1-billion in budget cuts that will hit colleges, public schools, hospitals and nursing homes. "

Comments

[BadBob]

The more interesting question, Adam, is "Does this budget meet the Constitutional requirements to fund Class Size Reduction?" The answer for the first time since the amendment passed is "No."

The Constitution requires the legislature to provide the funding for CSR costs "not the school districts." Up until yesterday, that has meant an increase from GR (not local property taxes) that was larger than the increased costs of CSR. This year, CSR costs increased by about $600 million but the increase to GR is now only in the $380 million range. The Legislature did a slight of hand by cutting GR to the base FEFP while increasing GR to the categoricals to "claim" that they are paying for the CSR costs, but if this was all it took, they could fund CSR without any new GR for public education. Just cut all CSR costs out of GR to the base FEFP and transfer that source to categoricals.

This accounting slight of hand does not cut it, and everyone over there on staff and in leadership knows it. But, no one in the press or organized education will question it.

I hate the CSR amendment. I think it was short sighted. I think it is a waste of money. I think we all know what the amendment means. I know the Constitution is supposed to be the law of the land, and I know that the Legislature is ignoring it. So, I guess, what is new?

Shouldn't public education's budget be reduced way more? People are leaving the state in droves. Many schools in our area are closing because there are not enough kids. Yet, schools are still getting more money than last year. I guess school unions win again.

It's time to fix the states main problem, PROPERTY TAXES.

"Hold public education harmless"?

And we are supposed to trust our Legislature?

Animal House redux.

You can trust them alright! You can trust them to snuggle up close to the big donor lobbyists and suck up to the Party Powerful!!!!

On the other hand, if you are trusting that they will govern with honor, integrity, and insight you are SOL.

2:58 Who cares if people are leaving in droves? We will be a better state if the population drops to about 7 million.