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State Needs Budget Bravery, Not A Fixation On A Miracle

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By ERNIE PADGETT

Special to the Tribune

Published: December 13, 2008

In most challenging situations where a major problem is the issue, do-nothing-and-hope-for-a-miracle is not an option.

Gov. Charlie Crist and the majority of the Florida Legislature have elected to take the miracle-hoping route with the state budget. Financially, our state is approaching crisis territory.

The revenue is not there to cover basic services needed in Florida. Crist's response is to continue borrowing from trust funds to fund general operations.

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has asked the governor and legislative leaders to call a special session to address the financial crisis. I agree with her. Doing nothing until next March, when the Legislature is due to go into regular session, is not an option.

New House Speaker Ray Sansom shares the governor's lack of leadership approach in raiding trust funds and spending down the reserves. Sansom recently stated, "My hope is we'll have enough money in trust funds to keep the budget balanced for the entire year."

They are using nonrecurring dollars to fund recurring operational expenses. This is budgeting at its worst. A prime example of do nothing and hope for a miracle.

Funding for education, health care, law enforcement and corrections is being cut to unacceptable levels, compliments of the do-nothing officials in Tallahassee who are hoping for a miracle.

Their lack of action relative to Florida's financial crisis is similar to the do-nothing U.S. Congress in the past 30 years.

Washington's inaction has brought our country to the point of having to borrow money every year from the Social Security Trust Fund, fight a war with borrowed money, bail out Wall Street with borrowed money, possibly bailing out the U.S. automakers on borrowed money, and sending out stimulus checks to taxpayers on borrowed money.

Our national debt is nearly $11 trillion and starting to increase at an exponential rate. Washington is practicing do-nothing-and-hope-for-a-miracle policymaking.

These federal and state officials seem to be taking a concept from one of the Apostle Paul's writings when he said that he is all things to all people that by all means some might be saved. These elected officials are all things to all people that by all means they may be elected and re-elected.

Three months ago state economists warned that Florida would have a $1 billion shortfall for the 2008-09 budget year. Crist's response was, "It's not a fact and I have to deal with facts." He and the Legislature chose to do nothing and hope for a miracle.

Last week, budget forecasters reported there will be an additional $1.4 billion deficit. This brings the projected shortfall to $2.3 billion for the year. These same budget experts predicted that next year's state budget will have a $5.8 billion revenue shortfall.

Regardless of all the bobbing and weaving, rope-a-dope tactics by state officials, they will at some point soon be forced to do their job and take action.

The Florida Legislature is going to have to consider additional revenue from taxes on Internet sales and/or removal of some sales tax exemptions.

Our policymakers have, in fact, instituted a policy of avoidance.

City and county governments and local school boards are being severely impacted by the state's inaction. Unfunded state mandates continue to be pushed on these local governments.

Publicly funded education, health care, and the criminal justice system (police, courts and corrections) have requirements and needs that increase in bad economic times.

The state cannot budget-cut its way out of this crisis. Elected officials must take responsible actions to protect our state. The do-nothing-and-hope-for-a-miracle road should be closed because it leads over a cliff to disaster.

Some of the remedies needed will not be politically pretty. This is because the state must take a two-fold approach. Cuts must be made and money reallocated to the more important basic services. At the same time, the need for additional revenue must be considered.

This is where leadership and honesty have to prevail. Let us all hope that our leaders take the road that leads from do-nothing-and-hope-for-a-miracle to leadership and honesty.

Ernie Padgett is a former county administrator and commissioner with more than 30 years' experience in Florida government. He retired to Marianna last year after 12 years as Manatee County administrator.

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