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Governor Charlie Crist will make his budget cutting recommendations on Tuesday. The Governor is expected to suggest sweeping some cash from trust funds coupled with existing hold backs to cover most of the states 2.3 billion dollar revenue shortfall.
It does not appear the governor will be recommending any new revenue sources or tax increases.
           
“I think the policy of trying to keep taxes low is important to do, and I know that’s a policy that Florida has had for a long time. And I’m pleased about that,” Crist said. “I think we’ll need to continue with that as much as we possibly can because, if ever there was a time to make sure people have more of their own money in their pocket, that would be now it would seem to me.”

State lawmakers are due back at the state capitol on January 5th for a special budget cutting session.

Governor Charlie Crist and his new bride, Carole, made their first public appearance as man and wife today. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the new first couple spent the afternoon reading to foster children.

Here it here: mvpkg1221mp3

The Governor and his wife of 10 days sipped punch, held hands, and talked with foster families invited to the Governor’s mansion. About 30 foster kids were invited for an afternoon read along of “The 12 days of Christmas in Florida”.

Neither the Governor nor First Lady read to the children, but both listened intently and often exchanged glances as the kids read aloud such phrases as “6 gators grinning.”

Afterward the couple passed out gifts to each of the children.

In her first interview, the new first lady says she likes living in Tallahassee, is somewhat surprised by the hectic nature of the job, and says she is thinking about causes she might embrace.

“Well, I think as it relates to Florida whatever we can do, whatever I can do, to be of help to the governor’s office and administration’s agenda I am happy to help in any way I can, say the First Lady, who then added “Particularly children in Florida are very near and dear to my heart.”

and when asked about what words of wisdom she shares with the states chief executive…the Governor chimed in by saying “Okay…that was the last question….come on.

The new first lady won’t be spending Christmas here in the mansion she and the Governor will leave Christmas Eve for St. Petersburg.

Ironically, weather in the Northeast kept the first lady’s two children from being at the Governor’s Mansion.  The Governor says he and the first lady will take a couple days off for Christmas, and then he will start negotiating state budget cuts for a special session that begins Monday, January 5^th.

Unemployment in Florida inched up three-tenths of a percent in November. 680,000 Floridians are now out of work. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, there are now 200,000 more Floridians out of work than there were a year ago.

Fifty-nine thousand Floridians lost their job in November. At 7.3 percent, the state’s unemployment rate is more than half a percent higher than the national average.

For Gia Straw, being out of work over the holidays means not seeing her family.

“Most of my family has either been out of work or just having hard times,” Gia Straw, a medical technician said. “They know.”

This is the second Christmas truck driver Hakeem Shakur has been out of work.

“I have two young kids, so it’s kinda hard,” Shakur said.

What do you say to them?

“I had a little money saved up, so they’re going to have a good Christmas,” he said.

State economists expect the job market will get worse before it gets better.

“We still have gains in education and health services, primarily in the health care industry,” economist Rebecca Rust said. “That’s where we’re seeing the best job prospects.”

Workforce centers are packed with job seekers.

“One of the things we’re seeing here today is job-seekers helping other job-seekers”

For some, not having computer skills is making finding a job that much harder.

“So when I can help somebody who doesn’t know the computer, know the sites, I know the good sites to go to,” Norvis Edwards said. “It’s just from the experience of being here and using the resources.”

For the first time in this downturn, employment in the hotel industry declined, signaling a slump in the state’s biggest industry: Tourism.

If you are out of work you can search online at the state web site, www.employflorida.com.

Governor Charlie Crist is counting on both Federal and state economic stimulus packages to help boost job gains. Crist is also going to ask state lawmakers to make loans available to small businesses in hopes of creating jobs.  Some 2 hundred thousand jobs are being advertised on the state website. The governor says the web site is a good place to start looking for work.

“EmployFlorida.com is a great website to go to. I understand not everybody has a computer, but you can go to the unemployment offices around the state, through Workforce Florida, and utilize those computer,” Crist said. “There are opportunities out there and we’re going to continue to fight for the people as much as we can, and encourage them and try to bring about more hope.”

An estimated 680 thousand Floridians are out of work. 59 thousand lost their jobs in November alone.

Lawmakers are scrambling to reach an agreement on how to balance the budget as the countdown to a special session continues. Governor Charlie Crist says he wants programs that help the state’s most vulnerable protected from the budget ax. As Whitney Ray tells us, lawmakers may have to pass new taxes to keep those programs off the chopping block.

Hear it Here: Lawmakers Could Pass Taxes to Balance the Budget

As declining tourism, home sales, and consumer spending deepen the state’s budget hole, lawmakers are looking for ways to make up the lost revenue.

“This legislator personally is willing to look at every option possible,” said Republican Senator Victor Crist.

“We’ve got to look at all our options. We have to explore everything and we have to have the political courage to go where we haven’t been willing to go before,” said Democratic Minority Leader Franklin Sands.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers are using similar language, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear path to fill the two billion dollar void. Lawmakers are already looking for places to reduce government spending, but this time budget cuts may not do the trick.

Governor Charlie Crist says lawmakers need to keep programs that help the state’s most vulnerable off the chopping block. He also sent a signal taxes could be part of the discussion.

“I’m not going to stand in the way today of what the members of the house or senate want to discuss, whether it’s in the special session or the regular session. These are challenging economic times,” said Crist.

Lawmakers could vote to close tax loopholes like those on bottled water and dry-cleaning; further spending cuts could drastically change education, police protection and health care programs.

Lawmakers are being called back to Tallahassee on January 5th. Legislative leaders hope to already have a plan to balance the budget when they reconvene in order to keep the 40,000 dollar a day session short.

Opponents of expanded gambling in the Seminole Tribe’s casinos are coming out in numbers.

Thursday lawmakers began discussing a new deal to allow the tribe to continue playing blackjack and other Vegas-style games. A new compact could generate as much as 300 million dollars for the state. Christian and family groups say if lawmakers approve the games if could cause more harm than good.

“For us it always go back to holding the line, because what happens is every time you give an inch, there’s another inch. There’s always a fairness issue. There’s always another imbalance issue,” said Dennis Baxley with the Christian Coalition of Florida.

Gulf Stream Park Racing Association filed a complaint with the Florida Supreme Court today asking the court to stop the tribe from hosting blackjack and Vegas slots. Governor Charlie Crist said lawmakers need to form a new compact soon.

“The only concern I have is that if we don’t move in that direction, our friends on the federal level may allow that to happen anyway, and Florida taxpayers wouldn’t be able to benefit from it. I am encouraging that and whether its during January or March, I think the sooner than better if possible,” said Crist.

The Attorney General renewed his call for an end to the gaming. The AG sent a letter to the US Attorney in the Florida’ Middle District asking for his help to stop the tribe.

The state is one step closer to buying 180,000 acres of land in the Everglades.

Thursday Governor Charlie Crist praised a vote of by the South Florida Water Management District allowing the deal to move forward. The state plans to buy the land from US Sugar, for 1.3 billion dollars. While the purchase isn’t a done deal, Crist said getting the district’s approval is a big step.

“Without this bold first step taking place on Tuesday, this vote, this act of democracy in order to protect the environment, none of these other issues, that we will work on very hard together, would even be before us anymore, but they are,” said Crist.

US Sugar can still back out of the deal if the economy gets worse.

The Chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party is calling for a federal investigation into House Speaker Ray Sansom’s role in a six million dollar airport deal.

Last year Sansom steered 25 million dollars to Northwest Florida State College, six million was use to build an airplane hanger. On the day he was sworn in as speaker, the college hired Sansom to a 110-thousand dollar part time job. Democratic Party Spokesman Eric Jotkoff said the speaker should give up one of his positions.

“This is one of the most clear cut cases of quid pro quo corruption that we’ve seen in a long time and it’s only appropriate that federal authorities step in and look at this case,” said Jotkoff.

The embattled speaker remains silent on the issue.

Is Governor Charlie Crist angling for a specific Supreme Court appointee? That seems to be the question in emails making the rounds this afternoon. One email suggests he wants Frank Jiminez, former counsel to Governor Jeb Bush to be included on the list. Jimenez has applied and been rejected by this commission twice.

Here’s the text of the email:

Despite the fact that the Supreme court JNC has sent the Governor five names including one woman (Gill Freeman) and one Cuban man (Jorge Labarga), the Governor has asked the JNC to send him a more diverse list. There are many who wonder if the governor is really looking for the JNC to nominate a particular candidate. If this is true, it shows great disrespect for the judicial nominating process and the members of the JNC – not to speak of the nominees.

The Florida Supreme Court JNC will be having a conference call tomorrow, (today) Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 7 p.m. EST to discuss what to do in response to the Governor’s letter. At least part of the call will be open to the public.

All interested persons may listen in. The call-in number is 1-866-525-9515 and the pass code is 78298331

It is anticipated that the JNC will discuss Gov. Crist’s request for additional nominees for the Justice Anstead seat.

Law enforcement officers are telling state lawmakers that more budget cuts could jeopardize public safety. The legislature is in Tallahassee today discussing ways to reduce criminal justice spending. As Whitney Ray tells us, more cuts could cause the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to close 14 offices and drop some drug investigations.

Hear it Here: FDLE and DOC Face the Budget Ax

Law enforcement budgets are on the chopping block and the heads of criminal justice departments are pleading with state senators for protection from the budget ax.

Department heads are calling for an end to across the board cuts, saying if criminal justice budgets are reduced at the same rate as other departments, safety will be jeopardized.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has plans to close 14 field offices, stop some drug investigations, and end the missing persons program, if it’s forced to cut its budget by 10 percent.

“If that whole 10 percent list is implemented, you will see a different FDLE, we will not be the same agency,” said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey.

More cuts to the Department of Corrections could cause the state to house inmates in tents.

“We’ve got tents at three or four of our institutions that are assembled and constructed. Fortunately we haven’t been placed in a position that we have actually had to place inmates in those tents, but that are available for use if necessary,” said Richard Davison, the Deputy Secretary of DOC.

Lawmakers may have to adopt new sources of revenue to save criminal justice programs, but for now they are looking at cutting the departments to the bone, hoping they don’t risk public safety in the process.

Florida is losing two to four billion dollars a year in taxes it is already owed because state lawmakers have failed to pave the way for the collection of taxes on remote or internet purchases. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, most everything you buy online is subject to the state sales and use tax, but only about half of what’s due is ever collected.

Hear it Here: Collecting What’s Owed

The internet is the fastest growing sales sector in the state and nation. There is something for everyone.

“I buy clothes, shoes,” Tashalee Billings, a student, said. “I just bought my grandmother’s gift.”

“So I’ll buy sheets online and that sort of thing,” online shopper Amanda Wallace said.

Did you know that if you bought from somebody that didn’t charge you tax, you still owe it?

“No, I did not know that. I still owe tax?” Retiree Allen Ricketts said.

And that’s the problem. Few people know they are supposed to submit a form to the state and pay the tax they owe on internet purchases.

The tax on this 60-dollar watch should be $3.60. Florida Taxwatch says not collecting that at the sales point is costing the state a bundle.

“We’re losing two to four billion dollars a year,” Dominic Calabro with Florida TaxWatch said. “And what this means is, not only is it the rule of law but we’re actually hurting Florida jobs. We’re hurting millions.”

Tax experts say if Florida were already collecting everything it’s owed from internet purchases, there would be no budget deficit and no budget cutting.

Part of the problem is states tax items differently. Florida lawmakers have turned downed efforts to streamline our tax with other states. The Florida Retail Federation is working hard to get that done this year.

“That’s money that’s owed to the state of florida that’s simply not being collected, not being payed. And we need that money,” Rick McAllister with the Florida Retail Federation said.

Last year, just 3,400 forms were filed to voluntarily pay the tax. Remember…some people file more than one form, especially Department of Revenue employees.

Here’s the chart of how many have paid the tax since 1994:

Congress will still have to authorize a state to collect taxes from sellers in other states, but given the budget problems nationwide, opposition is starting to thaw.

Florida Chief Financial Officer donned her hat as State Fire Marshall today to dispense holiday safety tips. For starters, don’t leave your tree or outside decorations on when you leave the house, water your tree, make sure the light cords for your tree aren’t frayed, and don’t forget to blow out any candles before going to bed or leaving the house. Sink says the most important item you need could save you if you don’t heed the safety tips.

“Well, you’ve heard some very valuable tips, but if there’s one most important thing that a family can do it’s this little thing right here, the smoke detector,” Sink said. “First of all, that you have smoke detectors in your homes and secondly, they don’t do any good unless the batteries are operational.”

Sink says to check the batteries in smoke detectors at least once a month.

A broken compact between the Seminole Tribe and Florida is depriving the state of millions of dollars. Lawmakers have formed a select committee in hopes of reaching a new agreement, but as Whitney Ray tells us, this go round, other casino owners want a piece of the action.

Hear it Here: State Gambling on Gaming Compact to Increase Revenue

In July the Florida Supreme Court ruled the governor’s compact with the Seminole Tribe void. Despite the ruling, blackjack and full blown slots continue. Florida’s Chief Financial Officer said the state is missing out on millions.

“It’s an opportunity for the state to get 300 million dollars to help us close this 2.2 billion dollar deficit that we have,” Sink said.

Lawmakers have formed a committee in hopes of reaching a new agreement with the tribe.

Representative Bill Galvano will help negotiate the deal. He said deciding how much money to collect isn’t the only obstacle the state has to tackle.

“It can’t be driven solely by fiscal incentive. There are bigger issues out there. What are the relationships between the branches of government and how do we deal with this type of thing in the future,” said Galvano.

A coalition of horse and dog track executives says the original compact hurt their business.

“All we want is fairness and equity,” said Barbara Havenick, President of Flagler Greyhound Racing and Poker

The track owners won’t say specifically what they want, but as the negotiations continue, Florida is leaving millions on the table.

While some say a new compact with the Seminole Tribe could generate up to 300 million dollars a year, the South Florida Gaming Coalition says changing the state’s gambling laws for all casinos could raise twice as much.

The maker of a popular vitamin and herbal supplement advertised to stop colds is coughing up cash to Florida and 31 other states.

Airborne Health Incorporated will pay a total of seven million dollars for claims the supplement can prevent colds and fight sore throats. Deputy Attorney General Bob Hannah said the company misled customers.

“Their claims were made without any scientific evidence at the time they were made, so they would advertise them as a cure or a remedy or it would help diagnose or somehow treat a cold or flu or an allergy, when there’s no scientific evidence to that effect,” said Hannah.

As part of the agreement, Airborne has to stop making claims not backed by the FDA.

State House members are in Tallahassee today and tomorrow looking at ways to cut more than 2 billion dollars from the state budget. As one of the largest items, schools face some of the largest cuts, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, school officials from around the state are at the Capitol pleading for mercy.

Hear it Here: School Administrators Seek Help From Lawmakers

Florida spends 140 million dollars a year recognizing A and B schools. The schools use the money for everything from ice cream socials to clowns and fairs. But in tight budget times like these, CFO Alex Sink says the non mission critical budget items need to go.

“If we get down to making a decision, or the legislature has to make a decision between cutting teachers out of the classroom or continuing to fund a program that’s not mission critical, I know where I would make the choice,” Sink said.

The call for reexamining the budget comes as school officials from around the state are walking Capitol hallways looking for relief. Miami Dade’s Superintendent told state house members firing people could actually make economic conditions worse.

“If we begin downsizing by the thousands, and that’s what a 100 million dollar or 200 million dollar reduction will result in, these people will go on welfare and these people will not find jobs in the current economy,” Miami Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.

One school official here working the hallways commented only partially in jest that what the state budget really needs is CPR.

State Education commissioner Eric Smith is warning school boards to brace for the worst.

“Further cuts are going to be very difficult to manage at the district level, at the community college level,” Smith said.

Legislative committee meetings on the cuts are just beginning. The tough decisions begin when lawmakers come back in early January.

One idea to offset school cuts is to allow local districts to use tax money earmarked for construction in the classroom, at least temporarily.