Thursday, April 30, 2009

Florida Legislature: no budget and nowhere to hide ... by gimleteye

The Sun-Sentinel prints an excellent editorial today, "Special Session needed for Florida Legislature". Maybe what the legislature needs is special medication. It is tough being a red-state majority these days, especially in Florida where revenues fall off the cliff when real estate transfer and property taxes plummet.


South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

A "Special Session" needed for Florida Legislature

THE ISSUE: Lawmakers to miss budget deadline.
April 30, 2009


It's not like Florida's budget problems took state leaders by surprise. Yet, Gov. Charlie Crist and state lawmakers will end the 60-day, regularlegislative session on Friday without completing the one task the state constitution requires of them — crafting a new state budget.

It took the Legislature more than seven weeks just to announce an agreement on a framework for a new budget. The agreement comes too late to avoid a special session, and the key word remains "framework." There's no guarantee of a speedy resolution.

The lion's share of the blame has to fall on the Republican leadership. They control the governor's office and majorities in both chambers. Yet, they have allowed ideology, stubbornness and intra-party rivalries to stymie their budget deliberations.

--more--

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

1 comment:

Jobie Steppe said...

Talk about no money----Jobie Steppe, an artist in Coconut Grove, Florida just had a $23,100.00 lien placed on his home in March 2009 for ------------NOW GET THIS----------the Code Enforcement Board and the Miami City Attorney's Office state in court documents----"when Mr. Steppe displays his art to others he is engaged in the business of exchanging emotions, it is irrelevant that money does not change hands" And every 90 days his home shall be liened an additional $13,500.00, until the value of the liens exceed the value of his home at which time the City of Miami shall foreclose
upon. When this story originally broke in about June of 2008, everyone thought Mr. Steppe was operating an art gallery from his home in Coconut Grove, Florida. The City Attorney's Office could not prove in court that money was exchanging hands or that art was actually being sold and God knows they tried for about one year. So when Mr. Steppe appealed in Court the City Attorney's Office instructed a panel to find Mr. Steppe guilty of exchanging emotions, which the City stipulated was the same as operating a business. If you find this to fantastic to comprehend type JOBIE STEPPE into your search engine or call Mr. Steppe 305-447-6526 and he'll gladly fax you a copy of this official court document.