"Unfortunately, the process prescribed by the House Republican leadership is fundamentally flawed. We ask you to join us in a more meaningful approach. We need to review our state's critical mission and priorities, and its ability to finance these programs and services. The majority party's budget exercise fails to take a common-sense approach of simultaneously evaluating both the state's revenues and expenditures. We ask that you work with us in creating a more meaningful method of reviewing the state's priorities and its ability to fund critical programs and services. Conducting joint meetings of the House Finance & Tax Council and the House Appropriations Council will yield a more productive discussion about the state's budget process."

Legislative Committee Meetings Continue on Budget -- Legislators are in Tallahassee for a week of meetings that focus almost entirely on Florida's economy and the state budget for fiscal year 2010-11 and beyond.  According to state economists who addressed the Senate this week, Florida will take longer than other states to come out of the recession.  In fact, unemployment may be higher in 2011 than it was in 2009.

In spite of indications of a $2 billion to $3.5 billion revenue shortfall, Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach) pledged that his chamber will not rely on tax increases to pass a budget for next year. With revenues still sagging and a reluctance by the majority party to increase taxes, another round of budget cuts is almost a given.

Health Care Reform Will Increase Medicaid Program Staff  --  Medicaid Deputy Secretary Roberta Bradford told legislators last week that the heath reform proposal pending in congress will add between $12 million and $20 million to Florida's Medicaid expenditures for staff alone. The estimates do not include federal dollars that the state may receive to offset the costs of additional staff. Currently 625 people work in Medicaid. In addition, the Department of Children and Family Services will need to hire 623 new staff to process applications for the increased number of people who will qualify for Medicaid.

Transparency Web site Created -- The Florida Legislature created Transparency Florida to provide the public with access to state government spending information by posting Florida's operating budget and associated expenditure records online. Transparency Florida is designed to provide a current, continually updated picture of the state's operating budget as well as daily expenditures made by state agencies. The numbers are updated nightly as funds are released to agencies, transferred between budget categories, and payments are written for goods and services. This site is a work in progress; in the coming months more information will be added regarding individual expenditures, vendor payments, and other levels of government spending.  The Web site will increase fiscal accountability by providing citizens with a useful tool for understanding how their tax dollars are being appropriated and spent.

Senate Chairman Lends Support to Remove Housing Cap - Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman J. D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, agreed to support efforts to lift the cap on the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund, which has seen its resources diverted in recent years to fill other budget gaps. By using affordable trust fund money for upgrades to existing housing and down payment assistance, it could create jobs and homes for Floridians. . This time around, Alexander said he'll back the effort to remove the cap, which went into effect in 2007, because it will help the Florida construction industry, which has been reeling the past few years after an unprecedented building boom went bust.
 

Last fiscal year, lawmakers took nearly $440 million from trust funds and spent it elsewhere. The remaining $30 million that went into the account was earmarked for a federal first-time homebuyer program. 

Senior Crimestoppers continues to be a major interceptor of potential litigious events against participating facilities. All information relative to tips received is immediately forwarded to the appropriate facility to be dealt with in the most effective manner for that specific facility.

For more information about becoming part of this program, please contact Kay Joest, Vice President, Senior Crimestoppers at (800) 529-9096 or email her at kay.joest@seniorcrimestoppers.org.

 

Third Age, Inc. Joins with LarsonAllen