Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 26, 2001
As a result of three years of cutting taxes for affluent businesses and investors, Florida has a $1.3-billion budget deficit. Lawmakers, led by the ultra-conservative Speaker of the House Tom Feeney and Gov. Jeb Bush, have responded to this deficit not by repealing these lavish tax cuts, but, rather, by proposing deep social spending cuts.
Conservative legislators plan cuts in, among other areas, medical care for the poor, including dental and visual aid, child care, nutrition, housing, public education and, as an ironic fact given the "pro-life" outlook of the majority, prenatal programs. If you would look at the priorities of these plans, one would wrongly deduce that the affluent are making too little and that Florida's poor, disabled, young and old suffer from an overabundance of medical care, nutrition, housing and education. Obviously this is not the reality. Florida's disadvantaged already stand near the bottom among America's poor in terms of care. These cuts will only worsen what is an already ignored moral crisis.
This agenda shows a stunning lack of regard for Florida's welfare. We have a choice: Either allow the wealthy to keep tax cuts they should not have had in the first place, or cut back our commitment to the poor, disabled, old and young.
If we do not protest these cuts and they pass, the fault will be ours entirely. Voters, take note.
-- Luis Viera, Tampa
Slicing the heart out of programs with a proven track record hurts both children and families in our community. These prevention programs are effective in keeping troubled and at-risk youth from entering the juvenile justice system. Yet, these programs may vanish if we allow our Florida government to continue on the present path outlined in the preliminary budget reductions in the special session.
The state budget cuts targeting the Department of Juvenile Justice are excessive and unfair compared to cuts being proposed in other departments. Important programs that focus on prevention are possibly facing a 20 percent reduction, when only a 7 percent or less reduction needs to be trimmed from general revenue.
Runaway/youth crisis shelters, parent and youth skills-building, and counseling services are effectively diverting children from a life of crime with a success rate of more than 90 percent. As many as 10,000 young people statewide and close to 500 families in Pinellas County would not receive counseling if these cuts become a reality. Many of the children served through these intervention services are abused or neglected (41 percent), use drugs (35 percent) and have school problems (52 percent). Without our help, these youth are likely to take up a life of juvenile crime. It seems penny-wise but pound-foolish to cut successful programs. It costs $7,000 to keep a child in the juvenile justice system compared to $1,650 per child in a prevention program.
Pay now, or pay later? The answer is a simple one!
-- David A. Fitz, board member, and Jean DuPuy, vice president, Family Resources Inc., St. Petersburg
As one who has closed his business and stands to lose a lot more due to the bombings and the resulting loss in tourist revenue, I am very disappointed to see the governor and Legislature in such a hurry to cut services, rather than truly lead and step forward with bold plans that could lead to a quicker recovery, thereby preserving many jobs and dreams.
While I don't claim to know everything about our state's budget, a second glance at "proactive" solutions, might result in others not losing their jobs, business or dreams. I would like to offer to the governor three suggestions. I realize current Florida statutes may not allow for these suggestions. However, I suggest the Sept. 11 bombings have placed the Florida economy into a "state of war" that threatens the very quality of life for many Floridians. As someone once said, "Desperate times call for desperate measures!"
1. Rather than slash programs, the governor and Legislature should immediately enact a 1 percent increase in the state sales tax to pay for needed programs. This tax should be limited to a one or two year period, and all monies should go to maintain needed services and for job training for those who have lost jobs due to the events of Sept. 11.
2. The Legislature and governor should be the first in the nation to enact into law protection for its citizens who may be the victim of direct terrorist acts. This should include, but not be limited to, guaranteed access to drugs to combat bioterrorism. The governor and Legislature need to ensure that any "profiteering" or unneeded limiting of supply will be met with the same legal "hammer" our state used in the tobacco cases.
3. This will be most upsetting to many readers. However, let me assure you, closing your dream and looking to start over in these difficult times is more upsetting than you can imagine: Legalize gambling! There, I said it!! Let the gaming monster out of the bag! Nothing else will work as quickly to bring people to Florida. Nothing else will provide as many jobs as fast! The state will need to hire thousands to oversee the gaming industry. Hotels will have to remodel, providing construction jobs. Local governments will have to hire for local oversight.
To our governor and Legislature, I challenge you to lead! Put Floridians back to work!
-- Vincent Roth, Spring Hill
As legislators confront the fact that there are insufficient revenues to cover the projected 2000-2001 budget, I am sure they are anguished by the realization that program cuts ultimately will cost our state billions in future health care, law enforcement and education funding, further endangering the long-term stability of the economy of our state. In 1994, mandatory state Medicaid payments related to treatment of smoking-related illness cost Florida taxpayers $240-million dollars. That same year 28,000 Floridians died from tobacco-related illness. On Feb. 21, 1994, the state of Florida filed suit against the tobacco industry in order to make tobacco pay for the damage it had cost our taxpayers. In August of 1997, Florida won a $13-billion settlement against big tobacco. As part of that settlement, the court ordered the tobacco companies to pay an additional $200-million to fund a youth tobacco education program, and the Florida Tobacco Control Program was born. The results were immediate and dramatic: From 1998 to 2000, cigarette use declined by 40 percent among middle school students and by 18 percent among high school students. This represented 49,624 fewer kids who would have become hooked on tobacco and 16,376 fewer premature deaths.
But each year the program has faced cuts. In the budget passed last spring, lawmakers appropriated only $37.3-million, down from $70-million in the program's first full year. Now, legislators are considering an additional cut of up to $18-million.
What is the result of the cuts so far? A new Florida Department of Health youth tobacco survey shows that as funding for the program has decreased, the success of the program has been compromised. From 1998 to 2000, the percent of middle school students who had experimented with cigarettes decreased from 21.4 percent to 16.2 percent. The survey estimates that number increased to 19.4 percent in 2001, and the percent of Florida high school students who experimented with cigarettes increased to 30.4 percent, after dropping to a low of 28.2 percent in 2000.
As our leaders seek to ensure the long-term health of our state's people and its treasury, I hope they will remember the lessons of our past and ask themselves if we can afford to destroy a program that is saving lives and saving the state money.
-- Rhea Chiles, Lawton Chiles Foundation, Tallahassee
The members of the Florida Legislature need to cut funding for the many "turkeys" contained in this year's state budget before making cuts in funding for the essential services that educate our children and safeguard the health of our most vulnerable citizens.
The funding for such turkeys was approved by the governor and Legislature months before the world-changing events of Sept. 11 caused more than $1-billion in revenue to vanish from this year's state budget. Such turkeys consist of non-essential, local projects the importance of which pales in contrast to the health and education of our citizens. For instance, eliminating state funding for a local park improvement project will not detrimentally impact the life of even a single Floridian. Such cannot be said for the drastic cuts in funding for education, health and social services now being considered.
Yet there is very little thus far to indicate that state officials working to balance this year's budget have even thought of cutting funding for such budget turkeys in order to mitigate the funding cuts they will make to the detriment of millions of schoolchildren, frail elders, or ill or disabled persons who rely on state funding for their education or necessary care.
In a statewide poll conducted earlier this month, the results of which were released on Oct. 18, 80 percent of Florida voters expressed full agreement that the Legislature should protect funding of services for such persons even if it means making deeper cuts in other areas of the state budget. We can only hope that our legislators will act in accordance with such compelling public sentiment when making the difficult choices needed to eliminate the deficit.
If so, the budget turkeys will appropriately be the first expenditures to be cut from this year's budget.
-- Doug Jones, board member, Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc., Largo
Re: House okays pledge bill for students, Oct. 24.
I am proud to be an American. I love the "idea" of what the United States is supposed to stand for. Requiring Florida schoolchildren to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning goes against what the United States stands for. Whatever happened to separation of church and state?
The story says that House Speaker Tom Feeney "was not worried that the bill could isolate children who belong to religious minority groups" and that these same children could "forgo the pledge if they have a note from their parents."
It must be nice living in Feeney's world, because in the real world this would isolate these children, and they should not need a note from their parents to stand up for their principles. As a mother, an American and an atheist, I am outraged at the rash and unconstitutional bills politicians are trying to force upon us during a vulnerable time.
-- Michelle D. Smith, Port Richey
Our lawmakers must not succumb to the temptation to pass any legislation that allows any government in the "dark." Once we open that door we are on our way to the hell that we are fighting right now. Such a move would be playing right into the hands of these repugnant terrorists. The 20th century has witnessed enough government in the "dark." We do not need more of it in Florida.
In the words of Franklin Roosevelt, "The only thing we have to fear is itself!" Do not let our fear override the basic concepts of this freedom loving, governed and guided society. Defeat "secrecy" in any and all legislation.
-- Michael L. MacDonald, Clearwater
It looks as if a version of the old TV game show I've Got a Secret has surfaced in the Florida Senate.
-- Harry Harper, Clearwater
Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. They can be sent by e-mail to letters@sptimes.com or by fax to (727) 893-8675.
They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number.
Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length.
We regret that not all letters can be published.