Crist's 'gardening' proposal survives Senate

UPDATE: The House, after a short debate, passed the bill 111-7.

The $10-million Crist administration small business jobs program known as "economic gardening" isn't growing much except opposition. The Senate on Wednesday voted for the program by a vote of 29 to 11, days after it passed on a 34-5 vote. Another week and it might have been too close to call.

Small businesses can apply for loans of up to $250,000 to create new jobs. But Senate Democratic leader Al Lawson called it "corporate welfare" and a "giveaway," and Sen. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton said the venture is "tainted" by a Palm Beach Post report that the business consultant who drafted parts of the proposal also wants to apply for all or part of a $1.5-million state grant to run it.

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, the sponsor, said the bill's language requires competitive bidding, and if anyone thinks the fix is in for a particular vendor, "They haven't read the bill. They've read the Palm Beach Post," Fasano said. Florida desperately needs a stimulus program to help keep and grow businesses that are here, he said.

Republicans Paula Dockery and Evelyn Lynn joined nine Democrats in opposition to the bill (SB 38A). The Democrats other than Lawson and Deutch were Sens. Dave Aronberg, Larcenia Bullard, Dan Gelber, Arthenia Joyner, Charlie Justice, Nan Rich and Frederica Wilson.

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Comments

why are the presidential real clear politics tracking numbers still embedded on this web page?

lol.

[To pinheads]

To Crist's Pinheads: Kise and LeMieux: global warming wont get you votes.

According to the editorial "A New Year's resolution" (Jan. 2), tens of thousands of scientists like me are "flat-earth types."

I guess my doctorate in chemical physics from Johns Hopkins doesn't give me nearly the qualifications to analyze the science associated with the global climate as an editor with an agenda.

If we are going to stoop to name-calling, an appropriate name for people with the view The Baltimore Sun endorses could be "Chicken Littles." But instead of claiming that the sky is falling, they claim the sky is burning.

The editorial claims that there is a consensus among scientists that man-made carbon dioxide is causing global climate change; however, consensus in science is an oxymoron. From Galileo to Einstein, one scientist with proof is more convincing than thousands of other scientists who believe something to be true.

And I don't even grant that there is a consensus among scientists; it's just that the press only promotes the global warming alarmists and ignores or minimizes those of us who are skeptical. To many of us, there is no convincing evidence that carbon dioxide produced by humans has any influence on the Earth's climate.

Arguing that our country should decrease its use of fossil fuels is a laudable goal, but the reason to do so should be to reduce our reliance on energy from foreign sources, not to reduce the danger from some imaginary boogeyman.

The sky is not burning, and to claim that it is amounts to journalistic malpractice.Mark Campbell Annapolis

The writer is a professor of chemistry at the U.S. Naval Academy

Gardening is exactly the kind of sonic boom investment that will pull Florida out of this slump.

Thanks for your leadership, governor!

Sarcasm aside, I think everyone should be gardening. Home-grown tomatoes are so much better than the green ones you get in the grocery store.

Another successful transition of public funds into the hands of private interest using an ambiguous hook: “Small businesses can apply for loans of up to $250,000 to create new jobs.”

Say ‘ello to my lee’al phriend! The ubiquitous LLC

There's a reason we're called Floriduuuuh!

"Last in Education; First in Corruption!"

The applications are already in the hands of the GOP - they're called "Campaign Contributor Lists"

But that's OK; lets not get distracted by 1.5M when Charlie's US Sugar Corporate Welfare Act is 1000 times that amount.

[President Obama]

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA! Our newly elected Democratic Party President.

Hip hip hurrah!

The prickly, dense, and powerless Republican Bush is about to be replanted in Texas. Good Riddance!

Why would state need to outsource running the program?

We have unemployment offices all over the state, at tax expense, which are supposed to be running job retraining programs, job hunting programs, etc.

Here's a thought -- hire one Floridian to sit in a cubicle at each of these plush facilities (at least ours here is) and accept applications in their area. Give them a desk, phone, computer -- and forget about the huge CEO salaries that would be wasted by privatizing every state responsibility,except cleaning toilets.

Wow - a job creation plan that actually creates jobs instead of phony paperwork ---- what a non-Republican concept.

Floriduuuh!

"Last in Education; First in Corruption!"

A quote of Crist in another blog...

"“We’ll have to wait and see,” Crist said. “I’m going to get briefed again. I do on almost on an hourly basis now.”"

Is that because his retention ability is only 1 hour?