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Death by a Thousand Cuts

March 28th, 2011 by flanews

Educators, seniors and state workers are offering a warning tonight. They say budget cuts proposed by the legislature and the governor would leave the state’s most vulnerable with no where to turn. Lawmakers are looking at cutting nearly four billion dollars from the state budget, but as Whitney Ray tells us opponents of the spending plans says lawmakers can balance the budget without cutting a thing.

Students, seniors, and service men and women will likely absorb the blunt of the blow from the state budget axe. Florida has 3.75 billion fewer dollars this year than it did last. Lawmakers want to cut spending to fill the gap.

A group of students, seniors and state workers say there’s a better way. They’ve found five billion dollars in tax breaks given year after year to corporations, investors, and sports teams.

“Do you see them here justifying why they need to continue to have those subsidies? No you do not. They are done in the name of economic development, let me suggest to you that when we spend money on our Medicaid program it’s the largest economic development program we have in our budget,” said Karen Woodall.

State lawmakers are looking to cut a billion dollars out of the Medicaid program, a billion from the state pension plan, and more than a billion from education.

“The proposed cuts in education come after three straight years of reductions. The last two years stimulus dollars protected the basic tools students needed to learn, but now schools say they can’t bend their budgets any more and if theses cuts go through they’ll break the bank.”

In two separate rallies last week students and education advocates begged lawmakers to spare schools.

“I understand the budget situation however it’s about priorities,” said Linda Kobert, with FundEducationNow.org.

Social Service advocates say their plan simply closes tax loopholes that favor the rich. But Republicans say it’s a tax increase, which leaves little chance any of the ideas will be explored. There’s also talk about streamlining the state sales tax code so the state can start collecting sales tax on internet purchases. That plan could bring in as much as two billion dollars a year.

Posted in Business, Children, Education, Health, Legislature, State Budget, State News | 1 Comment »

Lawmakers plan budget cuts for controversial State Attorney

March 28th, 2017 by Mike Vasilinda

Orlando based State Attorney Aramis Ayala lost a bid in court today to have an accused cop killers case returned to her circuit. Governor Rick Scott has ordered the change after Ayala refused to seek the death penalty. Now, state lawmakers are looking to cut the prosecutors budget.

State lawmakers don’t have the power to impeach State Attorneys, but the Speaker of the House has said they would have already started the process against Orlando based Aramis Ayala if they had the authority. Instead they are looking at cutting the circuit’s budget by at least one point three million. Rep. Bill Hager is the House Justice Appropriations Chair.

Q:Is this a message to her” we asked?

“Absolutely not” responded Hager. “And in fact, as we reviewed the budget, we determined that they prior fiscal year, there had been more money, more dollars appropriated, as it turned out, were necessary.”

Senator Aaron Bean says the Senate is looking at similar cuts or more, anticipating more potential death cases will be transferred out of the Circuit.

“Using that reduction to set up a fund to cover the additional case load to other circuits” says Bean

Senator David Simmons calls the cuts appropriate.

“ I think that its a statement that is made concerning the conduct of that State Attorney” says Simmons.

All of which has Democratic leader Oscar Braynon calling foul.

“Retaliatory. I hope that’s not what it is, but if they say its an administrative thing I would argue that they should change that” Braynon told us.

Protestors are expected here at the Capitol Thursday to deliver petitions to the Governor, asking him to send the death case back to the prosecutor.

Organizer Christine Henderson told us to expect as many as a thousand people.

“There are people who don’t support the death penalty. There are also people who feel that Governor Scott had a bit of an overreach” said Henderson.

Governor Rick Scott had recommended a small increase for Ayala, but that was before she said she would not seek death sentences.

House leaders call the reductions “a repurposing”.

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Caseworkers Lie on Reports, Lose Foster Kids

July 13th, 2009 by flanews

Seventy caseworkers hired by the Department of Children and Families to keep track of foster kids lied about monthly visits.

Some kids went six months without seeing a caseworker. As Whitney Ray tells us, the caseworkers have been fired and DCF is hoping a new GPS system will help keep better track of who is skipping visits.

Over a two year period, the Department of Children and Families lost track of six foster kids and left 14 in dangerous homes. The kids’ safety was jeopardized because 70 DCF caseworkers were lying about monthly visits. DCF Secretary George Sheldon was outraged when he found out about the lying caseworkers.

“I think it is totally unacceptable. We have an aggressive effort with in the agency to investigate and document falsification. I have zero tolerance for that,” said Sheldon.

The 70 caseworkers have been fired and could face felony charges. Children Advocates say getting rid of the bad apples doesn’t solve the problem.

“We have had children that have gone missing. We have had deaths and there is always this big flurry around doing something and generally what is done is not the long term solution that is needed,” said Karen Woodall, a child advocate.

Budget cuts and large caseloads are at least partly to blame for the mix up. Child Advocacy groups say caseworkers should handle no more than 15 foster kids at a time. Some DCF caseworkers have more than double that amount.

Secretary Sheldon said a new mobile tracking device will help keep better tabs on caseworkers.

“It will go in and say this visit did or did not make it, and then we would also have alerts in that system so that if a visit didn’t occur with in the 30th day it would go to the supervisor,” said Sheldon.

Caseworkers will begin using the new devices this fall. DCF has a team of investigators charged with uncovering false reports from caseworkers. There are more than six thousand caseworkers in the state, with just 70 caught falsifying documents over a two year period.

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