Reducing state government spending

Earlier this year, Florida's economy began to cool. Large increases in property taxes and property insurance, along with other problems in the housing and credit sectors, have meant Floridians now have less to spend. So in homes and businesses across this state, Floridians are cutting back and spending less. Less long-term business investment, less trips to the mall and less weekend visits to Disney World means less sales tax revenue for the state.

This October, the Florida Legislature returned to Tallahassee to trim our budget, reduce government spending, and put our financial house in order. House Republicans in Tallahassee understand that when Floridians have less to spend, their government should spend less too. That's the common sense philosophy that guided us during the recent special session to reduce gove r n m e nspending.

In order to balance the state's budget and continue being fiscally responsible, we asked state government agencies to do exactly what we had asked already from local governments during the property tax debate: live within your means and don't spend more than Floridians can afford.

Ford

When your personal budget gets tight at home, you don't start by cutting your child's school supplies or skipping the utility payments, you prioritize. In Tallahassee, we did the same thing. Under our fiscally responsible approach, we prioritized our spending on the essentials: schools, safety, and savings.

House Republicans insisted on fiscal responsibility and reducing state spending to balance the budget, while Democrats proposed increasing taxes and reaching deeper into the pockets of Floridians for more when they can least afford it. Fortunately, our approach prevailed, and when all was said and done, Republicans in Tallahassee were able to reduce state government spending by $1.1 billion, while still preserving funding for schools, safety, and savings.

By targeting our spending, schools and students will still receive more funding this year than they did last year. In fact, K-12 per student education funding will increase by more than 5% over last year's funding. But as Republicans we know that it's not just how much you spend, but how you spend it.

Few states spend more on healthcare than Florida, so naturally, reducing our budget requires reductions in healthcare spending. Again, we achieved these spending reductions by prioritizing, maximizing efficiency, and squeezing more out of every tax dollar we spend. Ultimately, our approach ensured no direct cuts were made in the essential services Floridians depend on.

In order to achieve true economic recovery we must continue to reduce state spending while finding ways to reduce the tax burden that Floridians currently pay. That means reducing property taxes, diversifying our economy, and continuing to find ways to make Florida affordable again.

Suggestions and Public Appearances

My staff and I welcome all suggestions and comments. Do not hesitate to contact my District Office to let us know of issues you are concerned about and would like us to address in this newsletter.

As my schedule allows, I am happy to speak at local community events or groups about issues of interest. My Legislative Assistant, Ray Walker, or my Secretary, Mary Katherine Peebles, will be happy to work with you in making such arrangements.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any of your needs or concerns. My district office is open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The address is: 1804 West Garden St., Pensacola, FL, 32501. The phone number is 850-595-5550.