The strength of our state and national economies are being tested in ways not seen in decades: unemployment is at a 16-year high. We are in a national housing crisis and foreclosures continue to rise; businesses are shutting their doors in the communities they have long served; and a weakened Wall Street has left us in a credit crunch that is cutting into hardworking families’ nest eggs and college savings. Our people are struggling, as a state and as a nation. And like never before, we have an obligation to serve them well.
Well, you had that obligation before things got this bad, and you failed then. Your party, in particular, is the primary cause behind each of those problems. How about a little responsibility or a little abandonment of meaningless rhetoric and pursuit of actual solutions to the problems we face?
The state of our state may be challenged today, but my friends, the determination of our people is stronger than ever.
Nope, more meaningless rhetoric. Thanks.
Because I believe that with every crisis comes opportunity. We gather here tonight with the tools and the resolve – the opportunity – to preserve investments in our students and teachers, the opportunity to preserve investments in the safety and security of our people, in the health and well-being of the most vulnerable among us – and the opportunity to preserve our investments in the very reasons government exists to serve.
Optimism is good. It doesn't help anybody, but it's good to have. Investing in our students by cutting education and raising tuition? Good plan. Preserving investments in the safety and security of our people by cutting funding for the judicial system? Preserving the health and well-being of the most vulnerable among us by cutting social programs, health care and, well, pretty much anything else that might help them? So that rich people can keep a few extra bucks from their property taxes?
Since I took office two years ago, we have cut state spending by $7 billion, lowered property taxes by an estimated $25 billion over five years and created innovative no-cost solutions like the Florida Discount Drug Card and Cover Florida. In fact, the CATO institute has recognized our state as the most fiscally responsible in the nation. And while we have taken these prudent steps, tough decisions lie ahead. We are going to have to work to make people our priority and to spend their money wisely while continuing to lessen their tax burden.
Fuzzy math. Statement A: "I took office two years ago." Statement B: "lowered property taxes by an estimated $25 billion over five years." These two thoughts cannot peacefully coexist. The $7 billion in cuts primarily came from education, so those cuts are bad. The property tax cuts weren't paid for, weren't necessary and helped create the bind we are in. The CATO Institute is one of the craziest organizations in America, so a compliment from them is a bad thing. These are Grover Norquist-like drown the government in the bathtub-type of people. We do need to spend wisely and we do need to make people our priority, but we need to raise taxes on those who use the most of our government revenue -- the wealthiest.
Ten days ago I sent to you a budget recommendation that addresses the people’s priorities for our future. The $66 billion plan includes more than $10 billion for infrastructure improvements in transportation and economic development – including Central Florida’s commuter rail; a $21 billion investment in our students and teachers; more than $2 billion to protect and preserve Florida’s natural resources; nearly $5 billion to keep our people and our neighborhoods safe – the most critical function of government; and more than $25 billion to fund critical health care services for our citizens.
Much like last year, this "budget" is a magical document much like Dr. Seuss's Oh the Places We'll Go, that has no real connection to reality, is given to everyone at graduation and no one reads or takes seriously. We all know that the legislature will completely ignore it and do whatever they want. And notice that Crist doesn't actually mention these numbers in comparative terms, like are these cuts or increases. Guess which they are?
I am grateful for Florida’s share of the federal stimulus bill. These funds will serve as a bridge to better economic times. This money will help us avoid tax increases and prevent deep cuts that would further burden Florida’s families and businesses. The Federal Stimulus bill is not perfect; I’ve never seen a bill that is. But, this package will provide much needed tax relief, as well as immediate assistance in education, transportation, unemployment compensation, renewable energy and other aid and is expected to save or create as many as 206,000 jobs that the people of Florida desperately need. Of the more than $12 billion our state will receive over three years our budget proposes using nearly $5 billion next year.
These help delay tax increases, but we can't avoid them. There are two ways to pay the bills when you are short of money -- cut spending or increase revenue. We can't afford to cut any more spending. We're already amongst the worst states in many categories, including education, so further cuts would not only be bad from a moral standpoint (because of the damage they do to our citizens), they would be more detrimental to our economic health than they would help. We have to raise revenue from a recurring source. That means increased taxes. Do the right thing. And we've already faced the deep cuts that Crist wants to avoid and he's directly responsible for them.
Our administration looks forward to working with this Legislature, our cities and counties to begin implementing these dollars quickly and efficiently. I’m proud to announce that Don Winstead, a long-time public servant and deputy secretary of the Department of Children and Families, will serve as Special Advisor to the Governor for the Implementation of the American Recovery Act.
I don't know much about Winstead, but I will say that someone from one of our most poorly-run agencies who is inside the administration that caused much of the damage we face doesn't strike me as a good idea in implementing this spending.
We must use every dollar available to us to adequately fund education, and I again call upon this Legislature to quickly approve the Compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe. Approval will release at least $2.5 billion over 25 years to help educate our children. Approval of the Compact will preserve and create thousands of jobs for Floridians and will safeguard us against the expansion of gambling to every corner of our state. Failure to act will take the process out of our hands, and may lead to the loss of all revenues. Whether you are for or against gaming, the Compact makes sense and deserves your support.
I'm not a big fan of gambling, but it seems kind of silly not to implement this particular compact. And as others have mentioned, stating the money in terms of 25 years -- even if that is the length of the compact -- is intellectually dishonest and is nothing but a way to mislead people. The idea that the way to stop gambling is to approve of more gambling is a nonsensical slippery slope that insults the intelligence of anyone listening to Crist's words.
There is no doubt, that for our economy to recover, we must get people back to work. In the past several weeks I have visited with Floridians at seven unemployment offices across our state. I have looked into their eyes and I saw worry. I saw good, honest people who desperately want the opportunity to help themselves. Some argue the politics of the federal stimulus plan. My friends, while our people worry, we cannot put politics over their needs – the needs of our students and teachers, the sick and the infirm, or those out of work. We should not ask what it means to be Republican nor should we ask what it means to be Democrat; but rather what a good human being is supposed to do. In each and every one of us is the hope of the millions who sent us here. We must honor that sacred trust, to put them first.
And where does that worry in the people's eyes come from? Maybe from the fact that Republicans haven't done what they could to prevent those people from being unemployed? I definitely agree that we shouldn't put politics above helping people, but it is important to make sure that we pay attention to how we got where we are and to which party is offering solutions and which party is being obstructionist. Crist is an exception to the obstruction, but he's not an exception to the bad economic policies that are harming America and Florida. A good human being looks at a failed policy and changes it.
To help our workforce adapt to a changing economy, I recommend $2 billion in workforce investments. These initiatives include over $800 million for career education and employment services that will retain 3,000 jobs. They also include the School Readiness program, which helps preschoolers develop the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond – and helps parents maintain employment and achieve financial independence. An investment of $621 million in getting the next generation off to a good academic start will retain more than 12,800 jobs for child-care providers and allow families to remain in the workforce. $6.6 million for Ready to Work will ensure job-seekers of all ages have the skills needed for most jobs today, giving them an edge with employers –in Florida, and nationwide.
Sounds pretty good. What are you going to do to make sure legislative Republicans actually implement these recommendations?
Employers like Shands Jacksonville and Lockheed Martin rely on Ready to Work because it ensures high-quality applicants. They have reduced turnover among new employees, as well as their hiring and training costs; and are giving long-time employees the opportunity to learn more – and earn more.
Perhaps, the ingenuity of Floridians is no better represented than in the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of our state’s business community. Small business owners, in particular, are embracing the challenges of the economy, driven by a hope for prosperity. They are inspired by a vision of a better way of life for their families and their employees.
We agree on small business owners. Why don't we talk about the lack of regulation of the big business owners, which is the root of the problem.
We must reward – not penalize or stifle – innovation and productivity in our business community. As we pursue our efforts in this Legislative Session, let us remember that the circle of prosperity in the Sunshine State begins with business.
Sure, let's reward innovation and productivity. And let's punish crime and corporate malfeasance.
To this end, our Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, working with its public/private partnerships, helps jump-start high-potential business sectors throughout our state. As a result, Florida’s sports industry has grown to a $36-billion-a-year business sector – film and entertainment, nearly $18-billion-a-year – and international trade, $130 billion in 2008 alone. More than 550 aerospace companies call Florida home, securing the Sunshine State’s place as a leader in space. With more than 600 biotech pharmaceutical and medical companies and a foundation of nearly 40,000 healthcare facilities, Florida’s life sciences cluster continues to gain critical mass.
Maybe we should focus less on sports and entertainment -- things that don't do well in a bad economy -- and focus more on good jobs for middle class Floridians. And since the space industry is about to be decimated, isn't highlighting them a bit insulting?
Our goal is to create a business environment where productivity and growth flourish – and to create quality, high-paying jobs. My recommendation for the Quick Action Closing Fund invests $45 million to attract and retain industries, aimed at providing more than 17,000 high-wage jobs.
$45 million to provide 17,000 jobs? Not sure that's a great investment, particularly since I'm guessing that the 17k number is the typical politician high-end projection that has no chance of coming true.
We look ahead to strengthen our economic development efforts and embrace the success of companies who already call Florida home. While we seek a return to the enduring principles of smart lending to restore the flow of capital and credit into our business communities, we must lift from our shoulders fear and pessimism and take up the mantle of persistence and determination to make the coming year better than the last. And we must do so with the realization that our actions today affect every future generation.
Maybe you could find a way to get paid something like a billion dollars per pointless platitude?
So, for our precious children, the future is now.
That's a billion right there.
We must build on the foundation of accountability laid by my predecessor that has taken Florida’s schools from 31st in the nation in 2007 to 10th in the nation today. More of our students are graduating than ever before, with our African-American and Hispanic students showing some of the greatest gains. I urge you to pass legislation requiring school districts to spend 70 percent of their budgets in the classroom for our students and teachers, and to instill transparency by requiring school districts to provide dollar-by-dollar details online. Floridians deserve to know how their hard-earned dollars are being spent, and parents have a right to demand accountability. And I ask you to consider, as I have proposed, increasing per-student funding – Florida’s children deserve it.
Yikes, building on the educational foundation laid by Jeb Bush? Well, at least there's a lot of upside. When you are at the bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. It's also good that there are so many different ways of ranking education in the states, that way you can pick out pretty much any number you want to show that your policies have worked. I wonder if the 31st and 10th numbers are even from the same measurement or if Crist is crossing the streams here. Sure, more of our students are graduating than ever before, but the numbers are still atrocious and horrible compared to other states.
Putting a budget online so that non-experts can look at it and fail to understand it isn't a sound decision. Budgets are complicated and frequently governors and legislators can't understand them. There is a reason we send experts in to examine things like this because it's easy for the average person to see things and not know what they mean. There are lots of things that the public should be in on, I'm not sure complex budgets are the place for them.
And the 70 percent thing is just utter horseshit. This is a dishonest Republican dirty trick designed to mislead voters. It implies that any spending outside the class must be waste and thus can be cut, despite the fact that there really isn't much in the way of frivolous spending outside of classrooms at any schools I'm aware of. Education comes in many forms, many of which don't involve lecturing in front of a blackboard. Ignoring and insulting those other forms of education is disrespectful to teachers, students and the education system in general.
We must also renew our commitment to higher education. The strength of Florida’s economy is dependent upon a workforce able to compete in an increasingly global economy. Our 28 community colleges are already recognized as the number one in the U.S. and I am committed to giving our universities the resources they need to be among the best in the nation. I am as committed as ever to keeping our schools affordable, but we must also enable them to achieve excellence.
We'll renew the commitment to higher education by cutting funding and increasing tuition. Good idea.
These reforms cannot wait. The doctors, nurses, entrepreneurs and engineers of tomorrow are sitting in our grade school classrooms, and walking our college campuses right now. For them, the future is now.
You do realize, Charlie, that you didn't actually mention any reforms, right?
And for Florida’s beautiful environment, the future is now.
And for Florida's citizens, the platitudes are here now.
From sugar-sand beaches and coral reefs, to crystal clear springs and rivers among lush forests, all with glorious sunrises and amazing sunsets. We must take action in our lifetime to protect these treasures, or future generations will not experience the Florida we know and love.
We've been to Florida. We know what it looks like. We applaud the efforts you've taken to preserve the environment, but you could certainly do more.
Now more than ever, we have before us a historic opportunity to save America’s Everglades so that students and teachers can learn from this living classroom – a place known throughout the world as a true wonder, a mosaic of freshwater ponds, prairies and forested uplands.
Okay, then do it.
We have taken the first steps toward what promises to be a historic move to save our Everglades. This move is as significant as the creation of the Everglades National Park itself. By acquiring nearly 300 square miles, we can reconnect Lake Okeechobee to the Park; allowing us to clean, move and store water and protect the coastal estuaries. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity before us now.
Okay, then do it.
This administration is committed to a diverse energy supply that balances solar, wind and nuclear. Last year’s energy bill was made possible by the strong support of our departed friend Representative Stan Mayfield. Stan’s vision for Florida continues. Thank you, Representative Debbie Mayfield for your courage and leadership in seeing Stan’s vision. We have a chance to diversify our energy supply and I urge the members in this chamber to pass this important legislation.
Okay, then do it.
We must remember that the strength of our state is not in the might of our laws or the power of our bully pulpits, but in our ability to protect the hopes and dreams of the very people we serve.
This is a pretty mixed metaphor. Should've gone through a few more rewrites.
The future is now, my friends, and if we endeavor to strengthen and diversify our economy by capitalizing on the opportunities before us; if we seek to preserve God’s majestic creation for generations to come; if we believe today’s students can flourish as tomorrow’s leaders, and if we hope to preserve the promise of the future for all Floridians – then we must come together as never before.
Wait, the future is now? I thought it was a few sentences ago? Seriously, though, if you had taken me up on that $1 billion per platitude, we'd have balanced the budget by now.
We must commit to one another and to each and every Floridian that we will work toward more than just the perception of bipartisanship, but strive to seek honest-to-goodness cooperation. There will be disagreements and differences of opinion, and that is the mark of a healthy democracy. But we have to be willing to put solutions above who gets the credit, and results above individual gain. People are counting on us, and for those of you who wish to keep score, I ask you to mark your wins and losses not for our parties, but for the people we serve.
I agree completely. Republicans really should focus on increased bipartisanship. As the minority party, Democrats have focused on bipartisanship for years. Republicans should try to cooperate.
Each of us in this chamber tonight remembers the moment we first decided to run for office, to aspire to be public servants. We are going to have to dig, and I mean really dig deep, for the hope and the optimism and the determination that inspired you to put your name on a ballot and declare to the people of this state, you deserve their vote!” They sent us here through a sacred trust and we’d better fight to earn every bit of it over the next 60 days, because the future is now and the people we serve are counting on us to work – not for the next election – but for them and for Florida’s next generation.
Instead of digging deep for optimism, why not dig deep for some actual solutions. Hope worked for Obama because he had actual policy proposals to go with it. Maybe Republicans should come up with something other than just "all tax cuts, all the time."
May God bless you and may he continue to bless our beautiful Florida.
Because our horrible economy, if anything, shows that God has been blessing us a lot lately, expecially in comparison to other states.
Reaction to the speech:
CFO Alex Sink: "It was very good, very good, just set the right tone. He acknowledged the state has a lot of challenges but we also have a lot of hope. ... For the governor, I thought it was a little less optimistic than usual. I think he set the right tone."
It was way too short on details and way too long on vague promises.
Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton: "I don’t know if we can hit all the goals he wants to hit. He set a high bar and we’ll see if we can get there."
Sure, he can hit all of them, se he gave no details as to what they meant. He can move the goalposts at any time and no one will know any better.
Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park: "It was a fine speech ... I have some concern that taking all (the federal stimulus money) may leave us in a worse position two or three years from now than if we only take targeted portions of it. ... The most important thing we have to do right now is do no harm."
No, Dean -- my God you are about to be a leader in the legislature -- the most important thing to do right now is not "do no harm," it is "do some good." As in do some good in fixing the problems that we are already facing.
Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter: "It was positive. You've got to be positive. He makes a good case for appropriately spending this stimulus money we got from Washington. Why would you turn it back? ... I wish he talked a little bit more about tax cuts. Maybe he just wanted to talk about something else tonight."
Shut the fuck up with the fucking tax cuts. We have definitive proof that tax cuts hurt the economy. Let's move on to real solutions.
Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale: "Always optimistic, which is a good thing right now. Obviously, he's noted the pain and the suffering of the citizens of the state. His approach is one way to try to deal with the issue. ... I have some deep concerns about taking everything (stimulus) ... The House has always had much less of an appetite with respect to increasing taxes, and I'm not sure how you can take some of that money without doing that, so it could be problematic."
It's simple, you take the federal money and then you dn't pass tax increases. Of course, the best plan would be to do both, but it's not that hard to choose to just do the first one.
Rep. Juan Zapata, R-Miami: "I thought it was a call to action. He laid out the groundwork for us to put aside partisanship and really focus on doing the people's work."
Okay, then do it.
More reaction:
“The governor does a good pony and dance show but he has not really focused on those issues we know will generate revenue and this is closing tax loopholes,” Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee said.
Exactly right.
Lawson’s House counterpart Franklin Sands was even more direct.
“I was underwhelmed,” Sands, D-Weston, said.
As well you should be.
Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, a Lake Wales Republican, said that Crist’s budget ideas could be eclipsed by harsher numbers when state economists meet in two weeks.
“He expressed what many of us would like to be able to do,” said Alexander, but “I suspect it will be more challenging.”
Go ahead and say it, J.D., you already know these numbers aren't going to happen. |
