3/31/08 www.thelemieuxreport.com
Cutting back on info…..take this opportunity to use the link to sign up for your weekly email…as stated before…it’s free…and worth the time …less than 30 seconds to start it….
Topic 1 ….Budget Cuts Target Health Care Spending…
cutting process 2008- 09 budget began…big cuts …
bottom line….health care for poor will have to be reduced to balance expenditures with decreased revenues…
Topic 2…. Hitting Bottom?
Nat. Assoc. of Realtors …report sales up 1st time in a year….existing Fl. homes dropped 25% from 2/07….sale prices falling… 16% median price $237 thous. to $197 thou. Sarasota/ Ft. Meyers saw increased sales…
Agency for Workforce Innovation… reported seasonally adj. employment rate held steadyin 2/08 4.6% rate represens 422 thou. unemployed out of 9,211,000
bottom line….jury still out on where economy heading…
Topic 3…. Recommendations to Revamp Investment Pool…. in previous post…(news.)… new guidelines…suggestions to audit, train and expand board…
bottom line….state should end involvement with LGIP once all prudent steps are taken by local governments… state should get out providing banking services for local government….
Topic 4….Education on the Ballot Nov….
previous post… going against voters…. Board of Governors…Senate passed legislation ….would give power to a elected Comm. of education…
Taxation and Budget Comm…favored constitutional amendment to remover Blaine Amendment fro Fl. State constitution…a provision Supreme Court interpreted using taxpayer funding to support religious based institutions…. yep…vouchers…
bottom line…numerous proposals before voters will impact Florida going forward…Florida residents need to choose wisely for changes in Florida constitution
Topic 5…Insurance Rate Hold, But Will Citizen’s Reserves Be Redirected?….
in previous post… Senate Banking and Insurance Comm. agreed to continue the rate freeze on Citizens ..through 2009…
bottom line….changes made last year to expand the cat fund and allow Citizens to compete …have led to decrease of more than 15% statewide and more competition have entered Fl. insurance market…
Things to watch…
Florida Taxation and Budget passed proposal for constitutional amendment to give working waterfronts a tax break…
4/4…TBRC final recommendation due to Gov. Crist…legislature winding down…
several important proposals left on the table….look for “Taxpayers Bill of Rights”…. still undergoing modifiations…
will also consider proposal to recalculate Fl. classroom size amendment…giving districts more time to meet voter mandated cap…
to decide if Fl. should join 22 other states in agreement to tax some internet sales….
The 2008- 09 budget proposed by Fl House would cut $200 million funding to rstore Fl. Everglades/ Lake Okeechobee …last month Bush recommended $215 million investment by Fed. government…Fl. has invested $2 billion in the project….
Fl. Senate passed a plan to change FCAT …..
finally…a proposal to end daylight savings time passed the Senate Governmental Commission this week….
Tags: State Politics
