The Florida House Thursday passed a $69.2 billion proposed budget. It cuts payments to hospitals, directs more money to classrooms and increases tuition rates for college students. The House is ahead of the Senate in crafting a state spending plan for next year. Senate budget subcommittees are still finalizing their recommendations. And James Call tells us, leading lawmakers predict there will be a robust discussion of certain items when the budget proposal makes it to the Senate floor.
The Great Recession sharpened the knives of legislative budget writers. Lawmakers are working on a state spending plan that contains about four billion fewer dollars than the 2006 budget. Years of cutting spending has brought Florida to a place where programs are pitted against each other in a budgetary death match. Here, a staff member leads the Senate Transportation Economic Development subcommittee through its proposed allocations line by line:
“The revisions from the prior spread sheet we have noted by highlighting the row numbers and dollar amounts.”
Line 191 represented $700 thousand dollars for the Florida Association of Volunteer Action in the Caribbean. The state’ Chief Financial Officer wrote in an audit of FAVACA that its contract is one of the most deficient in the state. Destin Senator Don Gaetz read from the audit as part of his argument to divert the proposed allocation to a housing program for the elderly. ..
“That of the $410,000 allocated last year only $48,000 has been spent. And secondly there is no scope of work, no deliverables and no performance requirements.”
Clearwater Senator Jack Latvala supports Gaetz’s suggestion to strip FAVACA of funding:
“Oh, oh, you need a motion on that madam Chairman?”
Fort Myers’ Lisbeth Benacquisto is the committee’s chair:
“No, but we will address the issue. I thank you Senator Gaetz for bringing home that point and we are going to strip it from our budget.”
FAVACA was created in 1982. It is the nation’s only state-wide volunteer agency focused on the Caribbean. Demian Pasquarelli is its executive director and he tried to explain how the group’s work in other countries benefits the state. Here he’s talking about farming. This is the sound that is made when a 30-year old state program dies.
“Assessing colonies to determine whether or not colonies collapse, Africanize bees. And other types of mites and issues…”
“Africanize bees?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Versus leaky roofs for seniors? I think you made my point.”
“Thank you?”
Miami Senator Gwen Margolis tries to help Pasquarelli:
“Do you do any work in Haiti?”
But the committee appeared to agree with Gaetz’s suggestion that the money could be better spent elsewhere.
“Madam Chairman you want some help moving this issue along? I mean I’ll make a motion and we’ll vote on it right now and it’ll be over with.”
“No, that, uh, I’m pretty sure the committee can find another place to allocate the funds and I look forward to the suggestions of this body.”
Senate subcommittees do not produce budget bills. They make recommendations on how money should be spent to the leadership. The FAVACA discussion illustrated other concerns several senators have about spending priorities. Money is tight and some senators wonder if buried deep within line items are home town projects, often called pork or budget turkeys. Others question if there are substantial changes in state policy quietly being made, such as a move to make the now private Florida Housing Finance Corp part of state government. And Gaetz and New Port Richey Senator Mike Fasano are not being quiet about wanting money for housing assistance programs. Fasano says these are the ingredients for a robust budget discussion on the Senate floor.
“There is right now more than $100 million in the trust fund gathered through doc stamps. Those dollars are to be used for helping those families, first time home buyers get into a home, helping our seniors be able to stay in a home and right now those two important programs are not funded in the state budget.”
Spending decisions now move to the Senate Budget Committee. A budget proposal is expected to reach the Senate Floor within the next two weeks.