The job-killing governor

[babylonsister]

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1171788.ece

The job-killing governor

In Print: Thursday, May 26, 2011


Gov. Rick Scott will sign into law today a $69.7 billion state budget for 2011-12 that he boasts is all about creating jobs and reducing Florida's high unemployment. In fact, it is a job-killing budget that threatens the state's anemic recovery and makes the state less attractive to new residents and businesses. The governor and the Legislature are starving the state instead of investing in it. Let us count the ways they are undermining Florida's economy:

1. State workers Positions in prisons, social services and other areas have been slashed. Scott says he's only interested in private sector jobs. State employees buy houses, cars and appliances, too — even if they have not had raises in five years. Estimated Jobs lost: 4,500.

2. Public schools Spending will drop by $542 per student, or 8 percent. School districts are sending out lay-off notices to thousands of teachers, including 1,400 in Broward and 1,100 in Pinellas. Some of those could keep their jobs. But Pasco schools could eliminate 470 overall positions and Pinellas could cut 400 positions. School districts are the largest employers in many counties. Estimated jobs lost: THOUSANDS.

3. Universities Operating expenses have been cut at the 11 public universities by $140 million, or 4 percent. The University of Florida alone loses $54 million in state money, although some of that will be recovered with an expected 15 percent tuition increase. Florida State University expects to cut 50 faculty members. States that starve higher education cannot attract high-paying new jobs. Estimated jobs lost: Undetermined.

4. Transportation Another $150 million will be transferred from the transportation trust fund to pay for other government services. That means fewer roads will be built, and fewer private construction workers will have jobs. Estimated jobs lost: 8,400.

5. Everglades Money earmarked for restoration has been cut from $200 million in 2008 to a token $30 million in this budget. The water management district budgets have been cut another 25 percent. Over decades, Everglades projects are to create 22,000 jobs directly related to construction and hundreds of thousands of jobs in tourism, commercial fishing and other areas. Estimated jobs lost: HUNDREDS.

6. Health care Medicaid reimbursement rates to hospitals will be cut by 12 percent, or $510.5 million, a decline in state and federal funding that is expected to require hospitals across the state to cut jobs, particularly those such as All Children's in St. Petersburg and Tampa General that serve a high volume of Medicaid patients. All Children's is expecting at least $6 million less in Medicaid funding; Tampa General $19 million. Estimated jobs lost: Undetermined.

* We would mention the Tampa to Orlando high-speed rail project, which would have created 6,200 jobs in 2011 but was killed when Scott rejected $2.4 billion in federal money to pay for it. But that would be piling on.

[spartan61]

1. And he's coming to The Villages in FL

to present this job killing budget in a big ass rally in the town square. I just don't understand the people in FL and how they can support this A-hole. The Villages is a super repuke retirement community and the family that owns it are filthy rich and very republican. Only repuke candidates or politicians or right wing talk show hosts are ever invited here to speak or sign books. In the past W, Beck, Palin, Rubio, McCain, (you get the picture) have been here. Not once has there ever been a Democrat featured. The local repuke rag is only good for wrapping garbage. Since most of the thousands of residents here are from the North, I'm totally amazed how supportive they are to the clowns of the repuke party. Whenever I wear my Obama tee shirt or my W tee shirt that says, "Dumb as a Rock," many people will come up to me and whisper that they like it. It's almost as though they have to keep their political views a secret in order to be accepted. I guess you can tell from my post that I won't be attending rick scott's rally.

[Loge23]

3. It's the relocated L.I. conservatives

I understand that the Villages has a huge population of former civil service workers from NYC, many of whom live off their very generous - and somewhat socialist - pensions. These are the people who fled from NYC in the 60's to Long Island (you know, to get away from "those people", "skells" according to their vernacular).
They now have transported their deeply ingrained bigotry and intolerance to Florida - a state with a long Democratic tradition.
Many of these folks in the Villages would be victims of Rick Scott had they still worked in Florida with retirement imminent.
"Dumb as a Rock"? Indeed! Virtually none of these people, retirees in the Villages, will either benefit nor suffer for Scott's crimes against Florida. But a loud standing ovation is probably guaranteed - after all, Scott hates "those people" also!
We can only hope that attrition will eventually shift things up there back from the extreme right.

[vssmith]

2. These public sector employees that are laid off will be drawing unemployment instead of paying taxes