Senate considers halting Florida Forever

Florida Senate leadership is considering halting the state's premiere land-buying program, Florida Forever, as a way to save about $20 million.

UPDATE: Check out what land-buying projects in your area may not happen here.

The proposal, which is expected to be in the Senate's budget bill to be released this afternoon, would stop the state from issuing some $250 million worth of bonds to buy conservation land throughout the state.  That move would save the state about $20 million in debt and interest payments that the state would not otherwise have to make on issuing the rest of those bonds.

The Florida House, which has historically been less generous to Florida Forever programs than the Senate, is also considering the measure, House budget guru Rep. Marcelo Llorente confirmed.

"It's hard to look law enforcement officers, who haven't had a raise in years, in the eye and tell them we're buying land," said Senate Ways and Means Chariman Sen. J.D. Alexander. "It's tough to continue to borrow money that will be here three years from now while we try to keep essential services running."

The Florida Forever fund, in which the state issues $300 million worth of bonds annually, has long been considered a national model. Between its inception in 2001 and December 2006, nearly 550,000 acres have been purchased. So far in the 2008-2009 fiscal year, only $50 million worth of the $300 million in bonds have been issued to buy land.

Environmentalists, like Eric Draper of the Audubon Society, said they were stunned when they first heard of the move on Wednesday. But some understand why the program is under the gun, while hoping to mediate the cut, so that perhaps not all the bond issuance will disappear.

Others like Manley Fuller of the Florida Wildlife Federation called eliminating the funding a "very bad decision" and a "very serious mistake," pointing out that land prices have finally fallen.

But Sen. Alexander countered that land prices may fall yet still. And some of the projects in line to be purchased may yet be purchased in the future for an even cheaper price.

Comments

Thanks Goodness. I love FLORIDA. I want conservation. I just want poor folks to have healthcare, senior citizens to get dentures & eye care, and cops to get raises more than more land.

This is where Paula Dockery and her two friends start bashing Alexander for destroying the planet.

Hey Paula, how about you care a bit more for us state workers and a little less about your trails?

Well it's about time people start talking about real priorities instead of kissing up to every special interest.

How could we possibly cut funding for education and keep buying land that the state can't manage anyways???

Cut state jobs, freeze raises, no help for law enforcement, cut education funding, and looking for more taxes? How can you NOT stop this land buying program. Great move Senate, join up House!

Florida has been leading the conservation movement in the nation for years thanks to this program. It's time to put it on the back burner for awhile and use the funds for more important things in lieu of cuts. Florida will still be way ahead of most states in land conservation.

Yet another Buzz posting that fails to mention the size of the state's budget.

No one has a problem highlighting the $2.3 billion shortfall. But I guess if people figured out what it represented as a percentage of the total budget, they would refrain from overreacting...bad for the newspaper business.

OK, Sansom gets a million for his leadership institute, six million for an aircraft hangar at a college, and millions more to a small school that isn't entitled to those funds, more than a total of 35 million dollars, and they are killing Florida Forever over 20 million dollars? CUT SANSOM'S STOLEN MONEY FIRST!

Let's cut some of the state employees who spend too much time on this blog!!! That would be real progress in reducing the budget.

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!

Problem solved.....that was the amendment 1 crap you wrote on every blog. You look so stupid starting all over agin with that same phrase. Remember, it would take a 60% approval of a referendum to do what you are blogging? You are an idiot!

So let's see, the RePigs give away tax breaks and corporate welfare like crazy, and then when they can't balance the budget, they want to cut environmental protection.

Do you think Florida TaxWatch and the other sleazebag lobbying arms of developers and big business, along with their bought-and-paid-for GOP shills - had it planned this way all along?

This IS the GOP plan, folks. Spend like fools, bankrupt the government, eliminate regulation and oversight, and hand everything over to the corporations to plunder. If you didn't believe it before, it's going to become very evident now.

Thanks Goodness. I love FLORIDA. I want to be able to love it into nice developable parcels, and them love it over with concrete and condos, and then love the profits all the way into my bank account. I need the legislature to help me love some wetlands with my bulldozer, and love a gopher turtle or two until they're safe and snug buried under my parking lot. Most of all, I love the pieces of garbage that make up the RPOF, those shills with no morals whatsoever; they can always be counted on to help me spread the love for a price.

[Chris W]

Hey, Republicans will use any excuse to make more land available to their developer buddies. Never mind the land we citizens need for recharging the aquifer that we get our drinking water from - private water bottlers will be handling all that anyway if this crowd of GOP crooks gets their way.

Y'all knew JD was a crook when you elected him; ditto Sansom. A good recall petition or two might focus their attention a little better.

8:57, get a clue. The more land purchased by the state, the less available for development, the more your land is worth. BIG landowners like JD probably love this program cause it increases the value of their acreage. Wake up.

When it comes down to healthcare, buying land, or education, then I say drop buying land!

A law enforcement officer who hasn't had a raise in years? Are you freaking kidding me? Whattaloadabaloney. I ain't saying they don't deserve raises...but they get them regularly and - compared to many in the private sector - generously.

Likewise, I agree we don't need to be buying land. Just give the taxpayers a break instead.

Well, by golly JD...I'm glad you will be able to look those law enforcement officers in the eyes! What about students in public schools, community colleges and universities (or those that won't be attending), or their parents, or teachers, or tax payers for that matter. Can you look them in the eye? Shmuck.

God forbid we raise taxes on tobacco. That might be an "unecessary hardship" for smokers! Lets dumb down the education a little bit more instead....we don't want to inconvenience tobacco addicts or the Tobacco industry and their lobbyist who ran JD's campaign.

[Let's take back our Government from the Corporations!]

TaxWatch and the neo-con Norquista are blogging on this issue big time.

Folks, they just didn't expect the great Reagan Corporate Takeover to suddenly turn into the We the People's Revolt of 2006 - 2008. But let's not congratulate ourselves too soon; their plans are in a shambles, but they are going to try to salvage what they can. Beware of their lies and watch every GOP like a hawk as they attempt to gut regulatory agencies and otherwise cripple YOUR GOVERNMENT'S ability to provide services and protect our natural resources. If you don't believe it will happen - just watch them.

Hey Chris W (8:57) I think you might be on to something. Recall petitions, Ethics complaints....we all need to get involved. You know they can't be investigated unless someone fills out the paperwork....hmmmmm I like your thinking.

What tobacco lobbyists ran JD's campaign?

9:47 Me too! Props Chris W - we need to do more than blog. How can I get involved in recalls and ethics complaints - Beginning with the Crist/US Sugar connection and the so-called Everglades Restoration bailout.

Cigarettes Forever

[Peter]

Great idea, this was a wasteful program.

[surfdog]

BUY BUY BUY!!!!
land is cheap now!~
i say buy buy buy!
cut out charlies oversea's travel
"marketing" expenses and FLA saves much more then 20 mil

By comparison, the state is GIVING 600 MILLION dollars to CSX in order for CSX to increase its bottom line so that Orlando may have commuter rail. What are tax payers getting? 60 miles of track that CSX will still be allowed to use and which the state will be responsible for any law suit that arises from injury on said track even if it is CSX's fault. But hey, instead of cutting that pork...lets cut 67 million from our failing schools and 20 million from one of the only programs that has actually kept the bloodsucking developers at bay and at a time when you could get the most bang for your buck (cheap land). You are a hero JD!

We need high speed rail

Paula Democratary

We need to help out those poor railroad people....

Just a Dumba55 Alexander

Get off the blogs and go to bed Paula.

I'm so very glad this program is not affordable, this is what is great with having to deal with less money - one has to have to seriously THINK about some of these programs and their true NEED.

Any greenie who wants to conserve land, feel free to buy some or get some like minded folks to do so and don't develop. There are several organizations that are set up to do just that. Don't use government for your causes.

5:20 No, I think we should just seize and nationalize any land we wish to preserve, in order to protect it from the likes of you.

5:20 Your mentality reminds me of the ignorant people who think because they don't have children in school, they shouldn't have to pay school tax, and if they don't have a car, they shouldn't pay for road maintenance. I'd like to see you complain when the publicly educated EMT driving an ambulance saves your fat A55 from the heart attack you suffer due to the 5 packs of cigarettes you smoke a day (which are not being adequately taxed) and the lack of fresh air that is the result of your ignorance and others like you.

[Buzzard]

Tax french fries. Dollar per order. We'll have money coming out the wazoo.

It could help pay for the publicly educated EMT driving ambulances to save us from the heart attacks we suffer from being overweight and having artery-clogging cholesterol in our veins. Burp.

Florida beautiful lands disappearing.

Thus Florida is disappearing forever.

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!

"which are not being adequately taxed"

Now THAT!... has got to be the dumbest thing I've every read. I take it you also think that Israel’s defense against those terrorists who attack them is… ummm… “Disproportionate”?

… freaking morons, no wonder we’re a mess… we let these pinheads vote!

I say we should tax ugly people!

9:53...what exactly is your point? The post says cigarettes (tobacco) is not adequately taxed. What on Earth does that have to do with Israel protecting its people? Put the crack pipe down.

I am going to do my part to put a halt to the destruction of our nation. You can identify the culprits on your ballot - the ones with an "R" next to their names. Vote Straight DEM ticket until we've cleaned up this mess and tossed the cons out of our government.

Anyone doing a little research on the parcels would find some interesting items...

On January 25, 2005, the Acquisition & Restoration Council (ARC) added the Promise Ranch project to Group Aof the Florida Forever (FF) 2005 Priority list. This less-than-fee project, sponsored by Ronald Pacetti Realty, consisted of approximately 1,418 acres, a singleowner, Robert Panuska, and a 2003 taxable value of $600,238.

This property is on the list to be bought for $7 MILLION...

Stop the program and all the others that are a complete waste. Stop helping all the special interests.

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!

Simply get rid of all Republicans. Nothing but a bunch of liars beholden to Big Business. They ruined our economy with their irresponsible tax cuts and now they're slashing services for our kids, seniors, and the needy. Vote straight DEM in 2010 and beyond.

Problem Solved!

"Vote straight DEM in 2010 and beyond."

Oh yeah... cause that worked so well in '08!

... simp

[ed]

It's time to get rid of all the State employees sitting on their butts....

[ed]

a lot of these parcel bought by the state have also been condemned by them, they do this so they can purchase them cheaply....Now the owners will sue them for taking it so your back to square one....