Columns

Do as we say, not (burrrp!) as we do

By HOWARD TROXLER
Published July 10, 2007

Any member of the Florida Legislature who spends tax dollars to attend conventions in Boston or Philadelphia next month ought to be chased down the street by a howling, angry mob kicking him or her in the butt.

That means you, Bill Heller and Rick Kriseman. It means you, Dennis Jones. It means you, Arthenia Joyner. It means you, Tom Anderson, John Legg, Betty Reed, Janet Long and Will Weatherford.

It even means you, Mr. Sen. Charlie Freakin' Justice.

Are you KIDDING, you guys? Is it possible that you could be so incredibly tone-deaf?

Aren't you members of the same Florida Legislature that just ordered every city and county in the state to cut taxes and spending, after making all those holier-than-thou speeches about government "waste"?

As a result of that vote, across the state of Florida, communities are talking about closing libraries, community centers and services to the public.

On top of that, the state government itself is in a budget shortfall of $1-billion or so. All agencies have been told to make crisis cutbacks, including- hah! - travel.

And even on top of that, our state universities are imposing admissions and hiring freezes.

Yet despite all this, as my colleague Alex Leary reported Monday, the Legislature is sending nearly half of its 160 members - half! -along with staffers, to conventions of state legislators in Boston and Philly next month.

The cost to taxpayers is about $1,200 per House member and $1,500 per Senate member. I don't know why there's a difference. Maybe they ship by weight.

The justification for this expense, about $125,000 in total, is that legislators will pick up Valuable Ideas.

And you know, I have no doubt that there are Valuable Ideas at these things. Maybe they'll even find some during their party scheduled at Fenway Park:

HURRICANE PROBLEM FIXED! Large, green wall erected in Atlantic Idea 'just came to us,' lawmakers say

Good ideas? Maybe. But so what? There are plenty of good ideas in this world that the Legislature already ignores, without needing to travel to Boston or Philly.

I went to one of these things once, and it looked more like a festival of lobbyists, interest groups and suckups.

But even if conventions are worthwhile, they are still a luxury - especially if you're ordering everybody else to cut back.

I want to hear a single legislator say:

"This use of tax dollars to send me to Boston is more important than using that money for Florida's universities, public schools, social services or public safety."

Otherwise, if they want to go Fenway Park, let 'em pay for it themselves.

* * *

I'm back from a week off and back online at TroxBlog, where there's a live reader chat today from noon to 1 p.m.

Stop by to see what folks have to say, or to offer your own comment or question about current events in Florida and the Tampa Bay area.

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[Last modified July 9, 2007, 22:07:53]