The subhed in this morning’s headline in the St. Pete Times provides a perfect example of the stuff that bugs me about the boneheads in Tallahassee working hard to destroy what’s left of this wonderful state.
The hed:
Subhed:
“The deal cuts money to classrooms and nursing homes. Only state troopers get raises.”
Kinda says it all. You cut money for education, you’d better increase money for police.
I love and respect cops, glad we’ve got em, believe they deserve more money and bennies than they currently get to do a damn tough job. However, I honestly believe that if we took better care of our kids, we would need fewer troopers and prisons. As for cutting aid to nursing homes, remember that old saying about the measure of a civilization being the way it treats its most vulnerable members? What’s next, are we gonna launch the elderly into the Gulf on rickety rafts to we don’t have to bother with them anymore? Maybe we can put them to work selling lottery tickets to support our schools.
jason
1 year ago
flat enrollment in hillsborough and dropping enrollment in pinellas should take some of the pressure off though. At least we are no longer scrambling to build schools that aren’t needed.
The legislature is a joke though, previous sessions never tried to look at where all the money was coming from and ask if it was wise to make financial commitments based upon revenue that might not continue. Kind of like buy a new car because your Christmas bonus was good last year.
Lara Diamond
1 year ago
Great analogy, Jason. And yet so many people do exactly that. Did you see the article in one of the papers last week about the couple who had not yet gotten their tax rebate but had already spent it on a new sports car they couldn’t afford that gets lousy gas mileage? But, the guy said, they loved the car and always wanted a sports car, so they’re going in debt for it because they’re getting a one-time windfall that will pay probably not even a tenth of the cost.
jason
1 year ago
Well school budgets are one thing but I can understand the car
I have dropped credit cards on bars when women were involved that I had no way to pay either. (the cards not the women)
Clyde
1 year ago
The consequences of our continuing to elect our village idiots to the legislature.
John F
1 year ago
BNow Charlie Crist — whiel teh budget has been a slash, slash,. slash prodcution — wants a Gas sales tax holiday. Washing Carlie trumping hsi green credential sin the past? What a hypocrite. A short sighted one at that.
Oh, a tax holiday will be popularism — but it does little or nothing to solve Florida’s economic problems or tax structure problems or any other problem the legislature has neglected.
Painterskip
1 year ago
Maybe they can build another sports stadium with the money they save on education? Also tax incentives for companies that might move here regardless.
I’ve always felt that if the government actively policed it’s own overspending, on consultants, for instance, they could possibly cut taxes….don’t hold your breath.
Junior
1 year ago
Forgive me but you people must not have any children or any relatives in nursing homes. Have you been to schools where they have portables,with not enough desks for the overcrowded rooms. The price of food is skyrocking and the price of lunch parents will not be able to meet. Gas is over the top will there be enough buses to get the children to school. What willthey learn when they are limited in what they want to take. Why should not the troopers get more money/ Now for the people,children,elderly-should they be thrown in coccentration camps if they are not able to earn a living,make more than a minimal wage,be productive. A major problem and take up space. Is this the end game of the chess game-KING AGAINST KING.
John F
1 year ago
Junior, my remarks aren’t overlooking other travesties of the Florida State Legislative session. Quite the opposite – it’s highlighting one of them and generalized others.
The Legislative body has no new ideas and they keep rehashing ideological ones while undermining the people of this state. Their proposals for “tax reform” are nothign short of political handouts, while they are more concerned about “Truck Nutz” and low pants than they are about making up for budget shortfalls.
Lara Diamond
1 year ago
Junior, I think we’re pretty much all agreeing with you.
Jason, what bar do you and your credit card hang out at?