Crist vetoes $364 million in spending cuts

Gov. Charlie Crist signed the state's latest stopgap budget and issued $364 million in budget vetoes today, restoring a total of $90.9 million in general revenues funds. He commended the legislature for its hard work but eliminated more than a fourth of the $1.2 billion in spending cuts lawmakers made two weeks ago during its special budget-cutting session.

"I know that it is not fun for anybody to have to undertake reductions and I think they have done it in a responsible fashion,'' he said. "Reducing these programs and services would have negatively impacted our people and our state. I understand that challenging times will continue...What we have been able to do today certainly keeps us within balance -- more than $210 million in the black."

Crist said he "resurrected, if you will'' through budget vetoes the following items "to protect our investment":

* Education -- $28.9 million for teachers, autism educaiton and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind

* Social services -- $22.8 million cut from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, including assistance for medicaid waivers for 31,000 people, mental health and substance abuse treatment for adults and children, and food stamp assistance

* Public safety -- $16.2 million to avoid 118 layoffs of probation officers, substance abuse, guardian ad litem and review of restoration of civil rights cases

* Environment -- Fully fund the Florida Forever land conservation program

* Economic development -- $22 million in tourism, Visit Florida marketing, the quick action closing funds and other economic development grants.

* Military -- $600,000 for Florida National Guard and continued tuition assistance, body armor and other assistance.

Download special_session_budget_and_vetoes.pdf 

Comments

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

Problem Solved!

Any one else tired of this guy at the top? Get back to work, pal, or at least come up with some new material.

Good job Governor - surgical and prudent.

[cynic]

Economic development - now THERE'S a handy slush fund. Any more trips for hiz&her highnesses and entourages on the horizon? Let them eat cake.

Cut property taxes. Period. Bloated government and the funding it requires is the reason for much of the failure of Florida's real estate market.

[campaignforliberty]

If only we could convince the Government to eliminate income taxes completely and make up for the lost revenue by cutting overseas spending in our foreign policy, the people of this country would be a lot better off. Reducing the size of government would benefit the people.

he keeps dropping a flaming bag of sh-t on the Legislature's doorstep, ringing the bell, and running away. And the Legislature keeps answering the door and stomping on the sh-t in full view of the cameras.

Crist is a political genius.

Seems he has broken the rules again.

If he vetoes Cuts that means he has apropriated money. Only the Legislature can do that.

Rubio would have challenged it I bet.

2:01,

I tend to agree that small government is good government, promoting freedom and the dignity of the individual vis-a-vis the state.

But, your math doesn't work. The federal government collected $1.2 trillion in individual income tax revenues (not including corporate taxes) in FY 2008.

And "overseas spending on foreign policy" is vague but let's go way overboard to prove how detached from reality you are.

We could shutter every single US military installation in the world (including domestic bases), fire every single member of the armed forces, deny them the benefits they have earned, and cancel every weapons contract. Then we could cancel George Bush's funding for antiviral drugs in Africa (PEPFAR), do away with US AID, support for Israel, and all other foreign aid.

Doing this would save the government about $700 billion. Nowhere close to "making up for the lost revenue".

Alternatively, if we cut off all need based aid (transfer payments) and entitlement programs would save the government about $1.9 trillion.

Even with the elimination of the individual income tax, it would be a net benefit (financially at least) to the government of $700 billion.

Now, one might be of the assumption that the elimination of all need based federal aid would be a bad idea. But someone who favors small government might retort like this:

I paid $150,000 in federal income taxes last year. About 70% of our federal budget goes toward entitlement programs. Do you honestly think that 70% of my $150,000 went to those who truly need it?

Now, if I were to keep, rather than cede to the government, that $150,000 and make charitable contributions of $105,000 (70% of my tax dollars), don't you think that more of the money might make it into the hands of those who need it (feeding/housing/clothing the homeless, providing medical care to the indigent, etc.) than it would if run through the government treasury? Some might opine that I could make much more of a real impact (than the goivernment does) with much less of a contribution.

I would, of course, encourage my wife to spend the rest as part of her personal and ongoing economic recovery program.

Do you think that maybe, just maybe, the government takes its cut in the form of overhead, bureaucracy, etc. such that eliminating the personal income tax would not have as much of a detrimental impact as some may assume?

OVER RIDE THE VETO- SHOW SOME BALLS.

Interesting argument 2:32, but this is for an existing budget that had been appropriated already.

I think the vetos were very appropriate and the weenie Legislature needs to look at increasing revenues - not whacking needed and cost effective programs.

Like it or not, it is the solution...

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

Problem Solved!

As a Democrat, I'd be super pissed as a Republican legislator. You've got a Governor of your own party that says NOTHING during the special session about priorities and forces the Republican legislature to be out on the limb by themselves. Then he turns around and hangs you out to dry. Man, no wonder you all don't like this guy. On the other hand, of course, I'm laughing all the way.

[David]

Where is David Rivera & Llorente when it comes to standing up to the Governor and his Veto. Pupets Cut the budget lets trim like we are all doing at home..

I doubt Chuck was even in Tallytown during the session... not sure he even knows where the hell Tallytown is!

[Thanks Charlie for a step in the right direction!]

The answer is simple and very straightforward:

Don't cut taxes when it's going to cause a revenue shortfall.

If you really must buy off the voters with tax cuts, then at least make sure they go only to middle class working families.

Make up the shortfall by raising taxes on the rich (they'll survive with one less Hummer), make corporations pay for their own regulation, and close all the tax loopholes they both exploit.

Problem Solved!

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

Problem Solved!

[Earth to Crist]

Vetos can be overriden! Can you say 2/3rds majority?

[campaignforliberty]

Government takes from productive individuals and spends the revenue in an unproductive way, often inflating the costs of services that would otherwise be reasonably affordable such as health care. We ought to be able to shop around doctors like we do when we need to get our car fixed, the problem is there isn't a doctor our there that actually knows what the cost is for any particular service is because of government subsidy that over time, inflates the cost beyond reasonable. I bet there are enough people that would rather pay their own way if the cost were reasonable enough.

Where's my property tax relief?