State of the State Response--House Democratic Caucus--Rep. Geraldine Thompson

Hello Floridians!

I am State Representative Geraldine F. Thompson, and I represent Florida House District 39 in Orlando.

I am proud to have the opportunity to share with you the House Democratic Caucus perspective on the state of our great state.

It has been a tough year, and the problems of the economy are as severe as many of us have seen in our lifetimes. My colleagues and I are gathering in Tallahassee for the annual legislative session. We will be presented with major challenges. But the most important task before us is to find ways to shore up the economy.

Democrats in the state House of Representatives firmly believe that job creation for Floridians is job number one. That is why we have come to the State Capitol to build----to build Florida’s economy and to rebuild the people’s trust in their state government.

Though we are facing state budget shortfalls of billions of dollars, this can be a year of opportunity. We can and we should take big steps to restore Florida as a national model of ingenuity and strength. And we can and we should create high-wage jobs and economic growth.

Florida House Democratic Caucus members will present solutions, and we will work with our colleagues in the other party. Already, there are many good bipartisan ideas under review.

One strategy is to develop new markets for sustainable and renewable energy. Another is to support wise investments in important public works projects in communities throughout the state.

And I hope that we all can agree that this is a year to show a real commitment to improving education by providing adequate resources for schools.

You should know that we are listening closely to our friends in the business community. They are facing skyrocketing increases in unemployment compensation taxes—and Florida House Democrats support immediate action to bring relief.

But business leaders are also telling us that they need a quality workforce. Well folks, that means making a commitment to adequately funding schools, a big factor in why Florida House Democrats will fight those who want to destroy the progress that’s been made toward easing school crowding.

We also will stand for affordable and quality health care availability for all Floridians.

Just as importantly, we will work to earn the people’s trust. We know that the people’s trust is too often violated by abuse and corruption by elected officials and other public servants.

Florida House Democrats seek a number of changes to the legislative process as well as the ethics laws of the state in order to restore faith in the government.

Chronic outside influence by special interests and inside decay have bred cynicism and scorn about many public institutions. The situation can be rectified with comprehensive ethics reforms.

Improvements are needed to ensure that laws and the spending plan are written in a manner that is consistent with Florida’s government-in-the-sunshine traditions. We also will support legislation that encourages greater public participation in government and elections.

The reason for these actions are simple.

Florida’s challenges need more than one-party solutions.

Consider this: Only a few months ago, we were in special session here in Tallahassee on a very urgent task in which the Legislature put job creation at the top of the agenda. Republicans and Democrats worked together on an important initiative dealing with rail transit.

Passage of the rail legislation means Florida will be getting two-and-a-half-billion-dollars of federal money for a high speed rail project linking Tampa and Orlando. President Obama projects that this project will create more than 1,000 permanent jobs and at least 23,000 construction jobs in Florida.

This is good for the economy. It’s good for our transportation future. It’s good for the environment. And we did it without significant partisan sniping.

Of course, there are big differences between Democrats and Republicans. Since this is an election year, it’s important that you understand these differences.

We think Republicans made the wrong choices for our state last year. They raised taxes and fees on small businesses and the middle class. They made irresponsible budget cuts. And they raided trust funds dedicated to important public causes, such as children’s health and conservation land purchases.

By the way, have you noticed how much you are paying for drivers licenses and motor vehicle registrations? Those are increases that Florida House Democrats opposed.

But we will not let partisan bickering and finger-pointing get in the way of important priorities, like job creation, good schools, and quality health care.

Floridians expect us to be focused on helping the state rebuild.

Folks, we’ve done it before. Floridians have rebuilt after disaster, natural and man-made.

But each time we have been challenged, we have demonstrated our resolve and a determination to endure.

And so, once again Florida, let’s rebuild.

Thank you!

Don't be fooled

From Scott Maddox:

When it comes to offshore oil drilling proposals…don’t let them fool you.

When they said the new rigs would be safe, we weren’t fooled…
…we showed how a brand new rig burned out of control, spilling oil for thousands of miles off the coast of Australia, just last summer.

When they said the new rigs wouldn’t be visible from shore…
…we shined a light on the fact that underwater rigs were not possible in the Gulf of Mexico.

When they said the drilling off Florida’s coast would lower gas prices…
…we made sure they saw the new Collins Center Study, which debunked that claim.

Now they are saying they will keep their dangerous rigs out of sight…
…and we are calling their bluff!

Help us send a message that we'll keep calling their bluff by donating today.

Experts disagree on the current bill language and through all the smoke and behind all the mirrors one thing is clear...
…this is a group that cannot be trusted to tell the truth.

Why does this matter to you?

The two bills working their way through the legislature are being sponsored by two of the most powerful members of the Florida legislature, the incoming Senate President and the incoming House Speaker.

Why does this matter to me as a candidate for the cabinet position of Commissioner for Agriculture and Consumer Services?

For starters, I care about the future of our state. I care about the families who will be hurt by those who want to destroy our precious coastline. I care about the long-term economic viability of Florida, about good jobs, about alternative energy, and about our environment.

And because the leases being proposed will be voted on for approval – or denial – by the Florida Cabinet.

Help us get there…help us take back this vital cabinet post and help elect someone who is not afraid to stand up to the big oil special interests.

Join us today and make a strong statement against near-shore drilling by donating any amount…$10, $25 or $50 today.

Thank you for believing in us.

Sincerely,

Scott

Link

Senate Democrats’ State of the State Response -- Nan Rich

Good evening. My name is Nan Rich and I’m here to talk about the plans we have to get Florida moving again.

As a state Senator from South Florida, and on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus, I’d like to thank Governor Crist for his ongoing optimism concerning Florida’s ability to emerge from this economic darkness.

Floridians have always had a can-do spirit. It’s because of that strong backbone that this state once known more for her swamplands than her pristine beaches has grown into a beacon for families wanting a better life.

I also applaud the governor for recognizing the critical need education plays in any economic turnaround, and his willingness to commit more money to our children in elementary through high school.

But I am very alarmed that the economic vision he outlines is dependent on a Republican party that has governed this state about as effectively as it has governed its own finances.

For the past decade, Florida has been at the epicenter of a disastrous political experiment known as “trickle-down economics.”

That’s the belief that by cutting the taxes of the very rich, somehow the benefits magically “trickle down” to the middle class and below.

Well, a lot of things have trickled down to middle class Florida over these years – higher and higher property taxes, fewer and fewer jobs with lower and lower pay, cuts to colleges, universities, and health programs for our senior citizens and disabled.

That’s in large part because at the same time our tax bill was getting larger, the tax bill for the very wealthy was getting smaller and smaller.

They no longer have to pay their fair share for things like police and fire protection, or maintaining a good public education system.

And Wall Street banks are still using our court system to foreclose and evict Floridians from their homes. They just aren’t paying for it.

Add it all up and the Republican leadership gave these favored few a whopping tax break of $11 billion! And, as incredible as it sounds, they’re proposing to give them even more.

Well, we think it’s time to stop the madness.

It’s time to tip the balance back to the hardworking people of Florida who are sick and tired of the party infighting.

Just as they’re sick and tired of the same old trickle down propaganda that former Governor Jeb Bush declared a success in creating a “magnificent economic engine” here in Florida, and which his father once denounced as “voodoo economics.”

If there is any doubt of the damage these policies have wrought, look around you: the hundreds of thousands without jobs, the abandoned properties, the skyrocketing demand for food stamps, unemployment assistance, medical help and job retraining, the rising number of Floridians just one pay check away from disaster.

And ask yourself this: “What has a millionaire done for me lately?”

So how do we turn this around?

There is no more pressing problem in Florida than that of job creation. We do that by retraining our workforce and by committing the needed money to community colleges and universities where that training begins. A skilled workforce is one of the biggest factors businesses look for in deciding where to locate.

We find ways to encourage local Florida-based banks to begin lending again, especially to small businesses looking to cover payroll or expand in new, more promising directions.

We get behind legislation reviewing the soundness of certain sales tax exemptions – more than $23 billion annually that special interests enjoy.

We reject laying off state employees, whether they’re highway patrol officers or emergency personnel on the front lines when disasters hit, especially when the demand is still on the rise for their help. Throwing more people out of work hurts all of us in the long run.

The same is true for the one-sided cuts to critical state programs Republicans are supporting to balance the state budget. These programs keep Floridians working. With an unemployment rate hovering at 12 percent, you cannot slash your way to prosperity.

And we urge our lawmakers in Tallahassee and Washington to return to Florida the money she deserves.

For example, every time we fail to commit 30 dollars in state money for the widely popular Kidcare program, we lose 70 dollars in matching federal funds Floridians have already paid to Washington.

Crazy? You bet. This penny-wise and pound-foolish approach has not only hurt programs like KidCare and other federally matched programs, but it means our hard-earned tax dollars are going to other states to subsidize their spending, instead of heading back to Florida where they rightfully belong. It’s time we stopped donating to the rest of the country. Every time we cut services and lose federal matching dollars, we not only hurt people, we become more of a donor state to the federal government.

Anytime the status quo is challenged – like the Republicans in control now for more than a decade - there is bound to be a struggle. We expect no less as we re-focus the legislature on the people and our state’s critical needs.

But there may be a glimmer of hope. Last year, Democrats broke through the partisan gridlock in closing a tax loophole high end developers were using to dodge real estate doc stamps everyone else has to pay.

The same group of Republicans who passed a record $1 billion tax hike on the state’s drivers actually joined our efforts to end this bad tax policy.

Much as Ronald Reagan, the father of trickle-down economics, eventually reversed many of his lopsided tax policies in the interest of fairness, so too did a leading conservative Republican as he backed the loophole’s closure: “In my view, this is not a tax increase,” he said. “This is simply closing a loophole that is…giving one group of people an advantage.”

As this legislative session unfolds, it is our hope that the wisdom of that statement trickles down as well.

Thank you. And good night.

Maddox Says “No, Baby, No”… “I told you so.”

Late last November, candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Scott Maddox issued a strong statement in opposition to drilling for oil off Florida’s coasts. He stated in part that, "this drop in the world bucket would do nothing to stabilize oil prices and that there are far better and far less risky ways to secure our energy independence."

Nearly three months to the day, the Collins Center for Public Policy released its findings and essentially concluded the exact same thing stating that drilling within 10.3 miles of Florida’s coast would "have no discernible impact" on gas prices.

"This latest study further makes our case that the tremendous risk to Florida’s economy has essentially no upside. I can think of no better way to destroy our economy and hurt average Floridians than to mortgage our future on the risky proposition of putting oil rigs a few miles off our coast. Without even the promise of lower gas prices, this concept should be immediately killed."

"I would ask that the legislative sponsors of the oil drilling bills immediately withdraw their measures based on these new findings. Lawmakers have said they want new research, this should be all the research they need," added Maddox.

Maddox expressed sympathy about rising oil prices and stressed our need for energy independence but highlighted the now-confirmed reality that this move would NOT reduce gas prices.

Florida Cabinet Reinforces Rep. Janet Long's Legislation to Reign In Public Adjusters -- HB1181

After nearly five years, claims that continue to be filed against insurance companies as a result of Hurricane Wilma are being considered by the state’s top political leaders.

State Representative Janet Long (D-St. Petersburg) said “recognition of the problem by the Governor, Chief Financial Officer and Attorney General adds further importance and urgency” to a bill she filed this week that would limit the time that claims can be filed. Current law allows five years. Representative Long’s bill (HB 1181) reduces that limit to three years. The bill’s Senate companion is SB 2264 by Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton.

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today said she believes three years “is plenty of time to know if you had damage from a hurricane.” The CFO made the comment at today’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet and a subgroup, the State Board of Administration (SBA), which serves as trustees for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Attorney General Bill McCollum agreed, saying cutting off hurricane claims after some reasonable period “just makes common sense.” Governor Charlie Crist has also expressed interest in the bill.

The issue surfaced as the SBA was being asked to authorize another bond issue to help fuel the CAT Fund to cover new or reopened claims stemming from Hurricane Wilma.

Hurricane Wilma hit Florida on Oct. 24, 2005. Wilma-based claims have lagged far worse than claims after even Hurricane Andrew, the most expensive hurricane in insured losses in Florida history. Almost daily, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and private insurers receive new or reopened claims from Hurricane Wilma. Roughly 90 percent of all claims from Hurricane Andrew were received within six months of when the hurricane made landfall August 1992; about 95 percent were received within nine months; and between 98 and 99 percent were received within a year.

A cottage industry known as public adjusters has sprung up in recent years, enticing thousands of homeowners to reopen claims against insurance companies. Using mailers and campaign-like flyers and door hangers, public adjusters lure homeowners with promises of extracting more money from insurance companies if the homeowner allows them to re-open or even file a new claim against insurance carriers.

The problem has become so pernicious that several companies have gone bankrupt in the past two years and CAT Fund officials have been forced to float two bond issues to raise the cash needed to cover its debt. With the continued wave of re-opened claims, CAT Fund officials returned to the Florida Cabinet today requesting a third bond issue to cover the growing debt that SBA Director Ash Williams admitted his agency is still trying to understand.

Director Williams told the Governor and Cabinet members that the SBA is trying to “understand why that claims experience is surprising us on the upside.”

Governor Charlie Crist asked, “What is going on, you think?” Williams cited three factors, including what he termed “the explosion in the public adjuster industry.”

The Hypocrisy Continues: How Many Recovery Act Dollars Have Florida Republicans Requested From The Federal Government?

From FDP:

Republicans have had a hard time explaining themselves in the last few weeks after it was found that more than 120 of them have been complete hypocrites on the Recovery Act. They vote against it and rail against it in Washington, then go back to their districts and attend ribbon cuttings for projects funded by the Recovery Act or they write federal agencies requesting Recovery dollars for projects in their districts, saying the projects will "create jobs."

We know that many Florida Republicans have been found to be hypocrites - Reps. Brown-Waite, Stearns, Mica, Young, Putnam, Posey, Rooney, Ros-Lehtinen, and the Diaz-Balart brothers. Some of them have had their letters to federal agencies released as a result of inquiries by news organizations. But what about the rest of the Republican delegation?

We call on Reps. Miller, Crenshaw, Bilirakis, Buchanan, and Mack to release all the letters, emails or other correspondence they have sent to federal agencies requesting Recovery Act funding, or letters of endorsement for projects they have provided to other groups or branches of government.

"It's time to clear the air on this -- economists from all walks of life and the CBO have said the Recovery Act worked to save or create more than 2 million jobs and kept our economy from falling into depression. And it was passed with only three Republican votes," said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff. "It's now time for Republicans to show their hand - are they attending ribbon cuttings for projects and requesting funding from the bill they voted against and continue to decry? Or are they playing politics with their constituents' economic security and turning down job creating projects that would stimulate their local economy?"

On the Day of Bipartisan Jobs Vote - Where Are Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio's Plans to Get Florida Back to Work?

From Kendrick Meek:

As the Senate voted on the HIRE Act this morning, a commonsense job creation package that will create thousands of new jobs across Florida and more than a million jobs across the nation, the Kendrick Meek For Florida campaign is asking where Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio's jobs plans are. The bipartisan bill that the Senate voted on has four key provisions, including a payroll tax holiday for businesses to encourage hiring, additional funds to help small businesses expand, an extension of the Highway Trust Fund to allow more infrastructure investments, and an expansion of the Build America Bonds program to allow states finance infrastructure projects. Will Rubio and Crist lend their support to this bipartisan bill? If not, when will they release their own plans to get Floridians back to work?



"As the Senate voted on a jobs creation package, where are Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist's plans for getting Floridians back to work?," said Abe Dyk, campaign manager for the Kendrick Meek for Florida campaign. "Rubio and Crist should tell Florida voters if they support the bipartisan job creation bill in the Senate and if not, why they don't."
 


According to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which created over 2 million jobs last year, has boosted the US economy by 3.5%, and has lowered the unemployment rate by up to 2.1%. The CBO projects that the stimulus will have an even greater impact in 2010.