Senate Dems say no way on budget

Senate Democrats took a caucus position to vote against the budget in Ways and Means Thursday morning and, presumably -- if nothing changes-- on the floor.

Senate Democrats said they were concerned about the deep cuts to education and health and human services. While in some committees, Senate Democrats voted yes, in education and health and human service appropriations, Senate Democrats voted no.

"Before this session started, we said we did not want to cut education. And with programs to the elderly and health care, we did not want to cut those programs," said Minority Leader Al Lawson.

Comments

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!

Thanks Republicans. You ruined our economy and now you plan to ruin our quality of life. I'm sure your fat cat contributors and cronies are well served, though.

Thank God nobody listens to the TaxWatch creeps like 4:02 anymore.

[Ima Fedup]

Yep, might as well bring Jeb back too since he was the Guv ????

what are the percentage cuts to each area of the budget...

from what I saw, the percentage cut from the education budget was very small.

"Senate Democrats said they were concerned about the deep cuts to education and health and human services."

"SCREW 'EM", said the R's.

they aint never given us'ns donations nor named no friking bridge after usens or a job or nothin' like thait!

its easier to run 'GAINST them poor, them needy and sick, and them skools!
let jay-sus take ther of 'em.

we gots our base and he has his'n!!

THAT'S WHY WE ARE REPUBLICANS!!

"what are the percentage cuts to each area of the budget...

from what I saw, the percentage cut from the education budget was very small."

Then we'll only need a small tax increase to compensate. Make it so!

Those education people are unreal! Gimme, gimme, gimme!!

Those kids are unreal! Educate me, educate me, educate me!!

Florida: #29 in average teacher salary. #48 in ACT and #44 in SAT scores.

As noted in other articles, the dumba55 democraps are waiting for the magic negro to spray freshly printed Federal Reserve Notes all over the world and figure they can get enough to stop any and all efforts to reduce state spending.

THATS WHAT I CALL LEADERSHIP!

I read that the education cuts they are discussing is $85 per student, per year.

That is $.47 per student, per day.

20 kids in a class equals $9.40 per class per day.

The fat kid in the back row eats $10 in candy every day.

It just doesnt seem like the world is going to end.

Enact the Fair Tax and all of these problems disappear.

Read up on it:

www.fairtax.org

(disclaimer: Liberals need not read this since they will never support a tax plan that stops the government from meddling into every aspect of your financial life)

DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS UNDER NANCY PELOSI & HARRY REID HAVE RUINED THE U.S. ECONOMY IN JUST 2 YEARS SINCE THEY TOOK CONTROL IN 2006.

THAT IS WHY THEY HAVE AN ABYSMAL APPROVAL RATING LOWER NEAR 9%, MUCH LOWER THAN PRES. BUSH.

VOTE OUT ALL DEMOCRATS!

Once again, the state's budget is somewhere around $70 billion for fy 2009. A $2.3 billion shortfall is about 3.5% of the total budget.

How hard could it possibly be to trim 3.5% from the budget? I just don't understand how this is such a big deal.

Florida is ranked 10th in education.

With lower enrollment, I have no problems with cuts. Everyone must live within their means including government.

Cut away!

Lower our property taxes & cut the fat.

Enough from these tax & spend fatcat democrats

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!

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.

If FDP hadn't taken payoffs from Republicans to stop supporting Democratic candidates...they might actually stand a chance of saving education and other causes that they care about....But oh well, raising money for Obama was more important.

5:43...just where in the XXX are you getting your figures? Florida is not ranked 10th you moron....try 46.

I am a republican...but I am coming to the conclusion that I shouldn't be. Cutting funding to an already failing education system is just ridiculous. Especially when we are giving hundreds of millions to billion dollar corporations. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out something doesn't add up. I have not agreed with Democratic ideals historically, but I am proud that they are taking a stand on this issue. Maybe the republicans in office just don't care about education because they can send their kids to private school (which is where my kids go because I know how bad the public school system is)...but with the subpar education our kids are getting, doesn't anyone realize that in the long run we all lose? A less educated population is a less prosperous one that is more likely to comit crimes, have unwanted children, and become a burden to society in one way or another. When will everyone realize that it all starts with education?

[Cynic and proud of it.]

I don't see how giving Judy Genshaft another raise or bonus is going to increase the quality of education in Florida.

9:21pm,

Today's paper has Florida ranked number 10th. It looks like FCAT is working.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article960721.ece#comments

Education Week has us ahead of California & North Carolina.

BRAVO TO JEB!

Per pupil spending in Florida is ranked 41. Over $1000 less than the national average.

1:48 am. FCAT is working?
Florida was ranked 10th based on SIX (count them) broad categories...most having nothing to do with student achievement or quality of curriculum.
The very same article you are so proud of also says....
Florida has "one of the worst graduation rates in the nation". Achievment levels for grades k-12 is "average". Florida is 41st for per pupil spending and trails the National Average by more than $1000. Evidently you don't have children in public school.

[Buzzard]

How does Florida's percentage of low-income residents match up to our rank in student achievement?

How do you plan to spend this money? Give more raises?

How do we know we won't just end up with stupid students and highly-paid administrators?

Spending money loosely does not equate to better education.

Florida is ahead of CA & NC in education in latest rankings.

thanks to Jeb & FCAT