Crist reveals $66.5 billion budget

Gov. Charlie Crist just unveiled his $66.5 billion budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. It includes $4.7 billion from the federal stimulus package. "There's not doubt these are historic economic times in Florida and America," Crist said. "It's going to be difficult for us to continue to move forward ... but we will." (audio here)

The quick breakdown:

$25.2 billion for health and human services/ $21.5 billion for education / $10.3 billion for transportation and economic development / $4.9 billion for public safety / $2.3 billion for environment / $1.8 billion for general government.

In a move certain to draw criticism, the package uses stimulus money for recurring purposes. Crist said the money will come over several years and by then, he hopes, Florida's economy will have rebounded. "It always has in the past," he said.

The governor called for additional property tax cuts, "to keep local governments fiscally responsible" and support of the CSX commuter rail project. "I look forward to working with our friends in the Legislature," he said.

Addressing his Republican critics over so eagerly embracing President Obama's stimulus package, Crist said: "It’s important to take this money now because we need it. We have almost 20 million people in this state who rely on government for some basic services."

Comments

Thanks Charlie, now please explain how spending $66.5 Billion equals:

"It's going to be difficult for us to continue to move forward ... but we will."

You are a joke and need to be put out to pasture ASAP.

$64.7 Billion (2005-2006)

$57.3 Billion (2004-2005)

$53.5 Billion (2003-2004)

$50.4 Billion (2002-2003)

$47 Billion (2001-2002)
After December 2001 cuts amounting to $1 billion due to state revenue shortfall
Governor's Line Item Vetoes (Regular Legislative Session)

$51 Billion (2000-2001 Fiscal Year)

Every family and business is America is cutting back and doing without.

Not so with our Government.

If you are just getting into the workforce or looking to change careers; APPLY FOR A JOB WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

Other than Medical, this is the only other sector that is growing and growing and growing.

Why don't our repiggie legislators from the northern and Panhandle sections of the state forego any of the stimulus package money, and instead send it to more receptive areas of the state? I certainly wouldn't want them to compromise their precious "principles."

Hey dopey "repiggie" poster child, printing money and sending it to the states to spray around is the equivilent to giving jobless, high credit risks home mortgage loans.

Both are terrible ideas, you neo-liberal marxist.

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

Problem Solved!

2:02, you are a simple-minded fascist who didn't raise a peep during all the mindless spending for the Iraq nonsense.
Shame on you, you imbecile. Where has your so-called fiscal responsibility been these past eight years?

“Crist called for additional property tax cuts…”

followed by…

“… and support of Sunrail, aka the CSX commuter rail project.”

Does anyone really… I mean, really… think that Chuck has a freaking clue how ignorant he sounds to the well-informed?

Between spending his days jet-setting for photo ops, avoiding substance, and puking moronic rhetoric… this microwaved, hair dyed, pretend-man pinhead might actually go down in history and Florida’s worst Governor.

Unless his plan is to chase every intelligent, middle-class, under 70 person out of this State – leaving only the retired blue-hairs to vote for him because they think he’s cute.

$66.5 Billion, where are the cuts!!!!

2:17... i couldn't have it said better.

Not only that, but he said they worked in 2 billion in hold back to account for March's declined reveue estimate. He uses 1 billion more stimulus than he can take. 300 million in Seminole compact, fee increases and under estimates March's projected decline by a billion. Hilarious.

He says the Wall Street execs who cooked their books are crimminal and then turns around and does the same thing to his budget recs. Hypocrite.

your numbers are way off...

Hey repiggie yoyo, your boy is spending $30 Billion a Day since taking office. And he is far from done. That pales in comparison to Bush.

Where is the outrage now?

[Rosemary Goudreau, ProCitizen Media]

Gov. Crist says SunRail will relieve congestion in Central Florida. If he took the time to examine the facts, he'd know that for $2.66 billion, SunRail would take just 3,600 cars off area roads - while the Winter Haven hubs adds 1,500 big trucks a day!
Come on, governor. This route doesn't go to the airport, UCF, Disney, International Drive or the convention center.
You've heard of the Bridge to Nowhere? SunRail is the Train To Nowhere.
Yet you continue to refuse to meet with those who could help you understand the real story.
How disappointing.
For those who do care about the facts, check out WrongTrack4Florida.com

Rosemary Goudreau, ProCitizen Media.

As long as we have RINO's in office, we will ZERO chance at stopping this fast-track conversion to Socialism.

You were warned pre-election, but your hatred for Bush blinded you.

The Democrats need to change their party name to the National Socialist Party.

The GOP needs to change its party name to the Gross Ol’ Perverts.

nice, Charlie, release your insane budget that includes fed stim money, (is anyone sure Florida is getting this amount) and then waltz off to DC with the "missus" for the National Gov Assn meetings, fundraiser with Greer, appearance on Meet The Press, and then dinner with Obama.

Now tell me, how is it you are in the trenches fighting along side with the good people of Florida trying to save this Great State in these historic times?

[Conservatives traitors should have no say in government period.]

2:36 That's got to be your most obtuse post yet. Obama's trying to get us out of the hole dug by 30 years of failed conservative policies. No other option, unless you can get the rich or the corporations that were the beneficiaries of the Bush largess to give it back. It was stupid, it was selfish, and it's all your fault.

As long as we have wingnut conservative obstructionist traitors in office, we will ZERO chance at stopping this fast-track conversion to Socialism.

You were warned pre-2000, but instead you elected yet another Republican who proceeded to gut regulatory agencies and give all your tax dollars to the rich. Now the resulting economic failure leaves only one option - massive government intervention.

The Republicans need to change their party name to the National Socialists, but that name's already been taken. How about just calling them The Willfully Ignorant?

The 2.6 billion figure for SunRail includes maintenance, operation and debt service costs… over 30 years. If you want to focus on numbers over the next 30 years, take a look at the projected economic benefit over that time:
260 thousand jobs and 8.8 billion dollars in economic impact.

Talk about economic boost.

I been smokin 4 packs a day for 30 years. Now my Doctor tells me I got lung cancer and I need an operation or I'm gonna die. Damn Doctor!

2:36, Bush left a huge mess and the clean-up will be enormously expensive. You people lost in 2008. Get over it.

3:07 needs to lay off the hippie lettuce!

This column on I.V. sums up the good governor: http://www.irreverentview.com/national-politics/sorry-charlie

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

Problem Solved!

[Hyprocrites R Us]

If Charlie wants lower property taxes, maybe, just maybe, HE SHOULD STOP RAISING SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES EVERY FRICKIN' YEAR!

3:38 Please give it a rest already. Your transparent self-serving attacks on local government on behalf of your Big Business masters didn't play well BEFORE their tax cuts destroyed our economy. The last thing we need to do is give business and non-homesteaders another tax break; they've already driven us into debt! Even conservatives are waking up to the reality that we're going to have to RAISE taxes, increase government spending, and increase regulation, in order to lift our economy out of this hole and keep the selfish corporations from doing the same thing all over again.

As usual, 4:17… wide right!

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN SPENDING LIKE DRUNKEN SAILORS.

GREAT JOB GOV CRIST, LET'S CUT PRPERTY TAXES NOW!

[Omega83]

"Obama's trying to get us out of the hole dug by 30 years of failed conservative policies."

Arguably the most controversial policy was that of deficit spending. Obama just increased it...big time

So, does that mean it was not a failed conservaative policy? Or does it mean that he did not bring change? Which is it?

What I don't get is why some of the posters on this blog keep acting as though we're in normal budget times and therefore get into all sorts of hairsplitting about nonrecurring funds. People - we are in a crisis. Remember when your parents talked about 'saving for a rainy day'? THIS is the rainy day. We can't afford to lose more Florida jobs - we're about to go into a deep Depression if we don't act quickly. We have to accept and use the federal bailout money to get through this crisis and yes, we have to raise revenues so that we can have funds for when the bailout money runs out to continue to pay for police, fire, schools and other basic needs of our state.

"Arguably the most controversial policy was that of deficit spending. Obama just increased it...big time"

"So, does that mean it was not a failed conservaative policy? Or does it mean that he did not bring change? Which is it?"

Omega, I'm disappointed in you. Usually you don't plumb the depths of obtuseness like your co-conservative, el Norquista.

First, the deficit spending was not "the most controversial issue"; it was what the fool spent it on! With the exception of a half-assed prescription drug plan that didn't accomplish much - he blew it on pet conservative policies like corporate welfare, tax cuts for the rich, and an unnecessary war. He not only spent it, he wasted it!

I understand that, after the fact, conservatives like to claim that because of Bush's spending, he was not a conservative. To which I say - you voted for him twice, and you were there lapping up the goodies in the trough right up until the bottom fell out and it suddenly became unpopular to be a Bushite. It IS a conservative failure, and conservatives own responsibility for it right up until the bitter end, whenever that comes.

As for Obama's change. Well, you know the best laid plans can be interrupted by the worst disaster to befall our nation in the last 75 years. Dropped right in his lap by yours truly. So if you were banking on Obama changing the world overnight, which I doubt, you may have to wait a bit; after all he'll have been in office exactly one month tomorrow. You know, I never thought I'd say this about Omega, but he almost sounds like one of those desperate dittoheads bleating along with Limbaugh.