Crist 'a little disappointed' with budget

While he's "grateful" to lawmakers for budget-cutting work, Gov. Charlie Crist says he's "a little disappointed" about some things. As the downsized budget cools off during a 72-hour wait period, Crist said he wished that lawmakers would have borrowed for prison construction, which he described as "$300-million of less pain," and passed a casino gambling compact with the Seminole Indian tribe, to the tune of $130-million -- as two ways of lessening the size of the cuts.

"I remain optimistic that it will be done in March, but it should have been done now," Crist said of the gambling compact. But he added of his fellow Republicans in the Legislature: "I understand, there are three branches of government, and we enjoy working with them very much, and they've had a tough job and I want to thank them for their hard work."

On the Legislature's decision to drain about $700-million in tobacco settlement proceeds from the Lawton Chiles endowment fund, Crist said: "Those dollars are there to help people." As for the threat of a lawsuit by the late governor's son to stop the action, Crist said: "That's fine. It's a free country."

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Comments

Charlie I don't agree with everything you've done but you're never going to be at home across the aisle with the Republican Nutjobs. Trying to inject a little compassion for the citizens of our state is never going to get you anything but scorn and hatred from them. Either sell your soul to Big Business and accept your future place in Hades, or join the Democrats and help return Florida's government to the people.

Charlie, what ever you do, dont listen to the crackpot that posted at 1:52.

Leadership requires tough choices. The facts have not changed: The citizens are over taxed and the State spends too much.

Now that I think about it, the choice is not that tough at all.

Chuck you can safely ignore the minion at 2:07. Leadership does require tough choices. It's any easy choice to side with the corporate tools on the right and let them provide you with all the talking points to soothe your aching consciense after you've implemented their heartless policies which have done so mcuh to hurt our nation and our state.

Or you can be a real leader and take us in a new direction, in which the government again serves the citizens and not corporate interests. It won't be easy, as you already know, the big business interests can temp you to abandon your morals with their campaign money and their perks. But I believe you have the spark of a decent person inside you - but it will just wither and die as all compassionate and caring sentiments do on the right side of the aisle.

$300 million of less pain? For whom?

How heavy does the Gov's office lobby?

Charlie, I have an idea:

Cut Spending!

If my math is correct, our shortfall is 3.2% of our budget (2.1/65).

Enact a 3.2% cut is spending across the board.

Bingo

2:19 You may be onto something here. I have a friend with a step-daughter that ran away when she was 16. The parents couldnt stop her from doing bad things because they would have been arrested and charged for being, well, parents.

The kid lived in several crack houses, selling her body and soul for another hit. She even lived on the streets and ate from garbage cans.

Finally, she met a guy that impregnated her. Of course he took off, never paying her a dime. She was not liberal enough to know all the benefits of Abortion.

So she has the kid. All of us, you know, the taxpaying citizens paid for the medical care, food, formula, housing, schooling on and on and on.

What happened? She was soon pregnant with her second. Of course, it was all free to her, not us.

While applying for more benefits, she learned that Florida is regressive when it comes to a free lunch. Maryland was known as the place a single mom can really soak the system. So she moved there into a nice apartment with all the perks. She got a "raise" with her welfare and all is good.

Except, she learned that Maryland will eventually cut her off. What to do? Have a 3rd baby on the state. Two years later, have a forth.

Today, she is a 24yo single mom, no fathers in sight (there were 3 sperm donors) living in a $1,000 a month apt. collecting all the goodies.

What coupld possibly be wrong with this picture?

She works in a fancy bar making upwards of $1,000 per week in cash. She reports nearly none of it and continues to suck off the teet of govt.

So I guess what I am saying to you is: Move to Maryland, the benefits are much better there.

2:43 - but that would impact education much more than it was...

2:56 Wow - a possibly true story about someone taking advantage. Who would have thought? Let's just lump everyone into the same category, take everything they've got and turn it over to the rich and the corporations; because they are such good stewards of the public trust. In fact, I think we should all live in poverty and filth while you drive four Hummers and a private jet, just because you can invent a "welfare Mom" scenario. Please tel Karl and his other obtuse henchmen that he's doing a great job selling the conservative ideology despite the obvious problems.

2:07 -- How is Florida overtaxed? Don't we have the lowest per capita taxing and spending in the country?

What's the appropriate level of taxation? Zero?

Republicans have been in charge 10 years. If there's still fat in state government, aren't they to blame?

[surfdog]

is that "crystal"

ur speakin about?

didnt think hooters was so "fancy"

3:23 - but Democrats were in charge for 122 years and we were at the bottom of the barrel when they lost control!

2:43 - nice bit of fuzzy math there. The $2.3 billion shortfall isn't the entire budget - it's a shortfall in general revenue. That's because the entire budget is made up of other things, like money from the feds. Lawmakers ponied up a $978 million general revenue cut - which carried out for an entire year (remember, there's only five months left in this budget year)- amounts to a nearly a 10 percent cut of general revenue.

3:23 Do you own a home? Have you purchased a home in the last 5 years? Do you stocks or bonds or other investments? Do you own a rental or second home?

Over taxed, you bet we are, from all sides.

Look, state spending is up 27% since year 2000-2001 fiscal year. It was $51 Billion then, $65 Billion now.

We are looking at a $2.3 Billion shortfall. State spending is up $14 Billion in 8 years. Think we can cut back?

Do you think it is time that we demand that the government does what all private citizens and businesses do when there is less money to go around?

Whackos like 3:08 what you to believe we do not tax enough. He wants the gov to raise taxes to the tune of $2.3 Billion to cover the deficit.

As usual, dummies like him do not understand anything about the economy.

For example: Businesses do not pay taxes. ZERO, ZIP, NADA. They merely COLLECT them from individuals and pass them onto the government. So you see, if you tax businesses, you tax...... thats right, the consumer (read: you and me). Higher business tax, less buying power, less commerce, higher unemployment, LESS TAXES COLLECTED.

When you raise taxes on indivuals and investment; people STOP buying and investing. The end result, less spending, less investment, higher unemployment, LESS TAXES COLLECTED.

Until these basic facts (lets call them Economics 101) get throught the numbskulls on the Socialist Left, we can expect to see more posts like 2:19 and 3:08.

Budget crisis my a s s!

It’s a 3.5% reduction, following a 75% increase in revenue. Show me any government agency, and I’ll show you at least 20% waste. These criminal politicians are working the biggest scam of Floridians in history, supported by a bunch of culpable, lazy, and degenerate media monkeysticks.

And you malleable morons are falling for it, big time!

Freaking Brilliant!

No wonder we’re “Last in Education; First in Corruption!”

Rollback taxes and spending to 2002 levels, cap taxation and spending at the annual CPI going forward, expand SOH to all property both residential and commercial, and vote every incumbent out of office at your first available opportunity!

Problem Solved!

[The "Forgotten" People]

"I understand, there are three branches of government..."

Wow, that’s a relief! Now, if you could just understand your job, and the directions to your office… we’d have real progress!

3:23, funny you ask:

"What's the appropriate level of taxation? Zero?"

If you go back before the 16th Ammendment (1913) income was not taxable except in rare occasions. One was established to fund the war between the states. From then on, Liberals did every thing they could to get a permanent tax on income. Their prayers were answered in 1913 with the passage of the 16th ammendment.

Anyway, before then, we collected money to run govenment mostly by taxing commerce.

Since many in the country were farmers, most paid no tax. But then again, they didn't expect the government to care for them from cradle to grave like they do now.

Also, a major difference is that today; the Socialist Left in this country is not just looking to confiscate a larger and larger portion of your earnings; they are looking to exact some social justice on you as well.

It is not enough to just try and cover the ever expanding nanny state. They want to punish your success. Their deranged mind has them thinking that if you are successful in this country; you must have screwed someone along the way. You couldn't have possibly just worked harder or built a better mousetrap; you must have kept someone else down while doing it.

This kind of mindset is not just wrong; it is a mental disorder. It is dangerous and it must be stopped now.

All we are saying, is give THE FAIR TAX a chance.

My suggestion is to split the shortfall between all the registered Democrap votes around the state.

It is about time they start paying their fair share.

Rollback taxes and spending to 2002 levels, cap taxation and spending at the annual CPI going forward, expand SOH to all property both residential and commercial, and vote every incumbent out of office at your first available opportunity!

Problem Solved!

[Buzzard]

If you're going to raise the tax on tobacco, it makes sense to also tax french fries. Better yet, put an extra tax on fast food in general. Say $1 per order. You'd get a lot bigger bang for your buck and save a lot more in health care costs to the state. But congress would never go for that, now would you? Oink, oink.

Send all the leaches packing. Allow in only those interested in working.

Eliminate all "incentives" so the trolls will not ever want to live under our bridges again.

Problem Solved!

Raise taxes on all Hollywood productions including movies and TV.

Double the taxation on award orgies like the one last night.

Triple it if Al Gore or Michael Moore has anything to do with it.

Problem Solved!

If the Socialists and their fellow corporations would stop avoiding taxes; we would have no shortfall.

(Charlie Rangle, SP Times etc)

If they tax the intellectually bankrupt, we could cover all shortfalls from the Times editorial staff and The Buzz hacks!

Problem Started!

yeah, well, Charlie, I'm a little disappointed in you.

[terminator]

does Chuck realize a lot of Floridians and most Republicans are disappointed in his job performance?

Crist a little disappointed in the budget, but just fine with Sansom stealing millions of state dollars to fill his pockets... It is time for Crist to jump off of the Sansom bandwagon because it will start to hurt him come election time.

Governor Crist,

We are a little (a lot) disappointed in you. We voted for you and expected more.

Collect all the twenties Republicans spend in public restrooms seeking to play a little ditty on the ol' meat whistle.

Problem Solved!

[Comrades: New Think to Begin Immediately.]

DO buy vehicles from GM, Ford and Chrysler because it helps our UAW friends the economy
DON'T drive them as they pollute the environment and cause global warming

DO insist that nationalized, single-payer government provided health insurance is the solution to our health-care crisis
DON'T mention that a government health care bureaucracy is just like a private insurer's healthcare bureaucracy except that with the former, you don't get another choice

DO condemn smoking in public and private venues because it is filthy and selfish and increases health care costs
DON'T stop buying tobacco products because the collective needs the tax revenue

DO despise elitist wealthy fat-cats like CEOs of Wal-Mart and other companies that do useful things
DON'T despise elitist wealthy fat-cats like the Sulzbergers, the Kennedys and the Hollywood celebrities who do useless things

DON'T fight terrorism with military action, treat it as a civilian police matter
DO hamper police investigations at every turn in the name of civil rights

DO denounce oil companies for their "excessive" profits whenever the world markets drive the price of oil up
DON'T allow them to drill for oil in the US or do anything else that might reduce these prices

DO rail against the loss of American factory jobs to China, India et al
DON'T stop increasing the environmental, labor and other regulations that make it impossible to open any kind of factory in this country

DO demand fairness in hiring, lending, college admissions and other circumstances
DON'T mention that the dictionary definition of fairness bears little resemblance to the political concept

DO despise war and demonstrate constantly for peace, violently if need be
DON'T hide your glee when the US or one of its allies, like Israel, is losing

DO require bi-partisanship in government and that the rights of the minority party be respected
DON'T make us laugh when we're in the majority

DO politicize science by bullying and cajoling everyone into beliving the AGW myth
DON'T fail to accuse real scientists (who have facts to disprove the myth) of politicizing science

DO holler about the need for more government programs to help the poor
DON'T notice how much these programs actually benefit politically-connected hacks and crooks who are not poor

DO continuously harp on the main vice of capitalism, the unequal distribution of its benefits
DON'T ever mention the only virtue of socialism, the equal sharing of its miseries

DO emphasize the Progressive commitment to preserve individual choice when it comes to aborting a pregnancy
DON'T emphasize the Progressive commitment to prevent individual choice when it comes to everything else

NEVER even think about the fact that on the Progressive farm, some animals are more equal than others

When is my property taxes going to "DROP LIKE A ROCK"?

I'm still waiting. Pass the 1.35% Amendment

When are my kids going to have to move to another state to get a decent education?

Pass the 1.35% Amendment and they will.

When will the government be so bankrupt they have to gut business regulations and our state turns into a polluted mess of endless condos?

Pass the 1.35% Amendment and they will.

When can we surpass California as the state with the largest budget shortfall?

Pass the 1.35% Amendment and we can.

When can I get a tax exemption for all those investment homes I was foolish enough to buy during the real estate boom?

Pass the 1.35% Amendment and I can.

When can I get the last dime from the middle class diverted to corporate welfare and tax cuts for the rich?

Pass the 1.35% Amendment and I can.

[Paul]

Charlie may be a little disappointed with his budget, but we should be more than disappointed with Charlie.

So far he has followed the Bush doctrine and has done nothing to help education.taxes and the economy
in general.

Hire Floridians to do Florida jobs. When you privatize a function to an out of state political crony firm -- Florida gets no taxes from the workers or the corporation. And the locals then need welfare help at tax cost because you sold out their jobs.

Dumb Bushplan, wasn't it?

We have road builders out of work. Hire them to build our roads. Why try to sell our streets to foreign investors so THEY can profit? If they can profit -- it means WE could profit. Duh.

It is not cheaper to remove learning from our schools, then pay alias JEB's
brother for an outrageously overpriced cash COW (Curriculum on Wheels) machine filled with dumb down cartoon ignorance wrongly called a tool to improve learning.

Our children are our most important "infrastructure." Smaller class size is PROVEN to be best way to actually EDUCATE our populace. Stop the foot dragging on REAL solutions. We can't afford more stupid.

Real teachers are way cheaper than corporate produced phony fixes sold by propagandists for costly private profit schools.

State employees are RESPONSIBLE for their failures. Corporations are responsible for making PROFIT FOR THEMSELVES.

Any voters notice that the more we "outsource" and "privatize" -- the less we get for our tax dollars?

Hire local. Spend local. Require responsible results. Don't swallow the propaganda hook Charlie. How's that Amendment One hook you swallowed working out? Find your empty chair and get to work -- while you still have a job.

How's that $240 working out for y'all?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA... you nicklesticks'll buy anything... Hahahahahaaaaaa...

That's why we call y'ns, Floriduuuuuh!

[Buzzard]

8:04 PM - How much have you made so far?

When is property taxes going to drop like a rock?