Wanna save a billion dollars? Florida Tax Watch says the state can by making just a few changes.
In all, the tax watchdog group has six suggestions for lawmakers: Get a new accounting system, create a state agency to oversee Florida’s information technology, change the state’s pension system, reform the criminal justice system, improve health insurance for state employees and collect internet sales tax. Still, Tax Watch Center for Government Efficiency Chairman John Alexander says given the current political climate, making the ideas into law could be difficult.
“Tax Watch does not consider recommendations relative to their acceptability nor the political consequences. We are an independent group. We have CEOs and business people and former legislators from all over the state and we come up with these ideas, have staff do the research for us and we say this is good for Florida and we stand on that,” Alexander said.
Tax Watch has been publishing an annual list of cost savings recommendations since 2009. Since then, the group says Florida lawmakers have adopted several of its proposals, resulting in about 4 billion dollars in savings.
