Stimulus Formula Discounts Florida, GOP Says

Florida Republicans from the Tampa Bay area and elsewhere are questioning whether the state would get its fair share of the $819 billion stimulus package the House passed Wednesday.

While uncertain as to the all the exact reasons, critics say various formulas being used to calculate a state's allocation might be skewing what fast-growing Florida would get if better, up-to-date population numbers were used to calculate the state's share.

A drop since 2006 in the state funding Florida provides its schools and universities also could cost Florida billions of dollars in the rescue package.

"The truth is that on a per capita basis Florida is getting a smaller share of this pork-laden pie than just about any other state," complained GOP Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow.

Putnam and others point to a Wall Street Journal analysis of key funding categories in the House bill.

The newspaper's analysis found that Florida's allocation of $1.9 billion in transportation-infrastructure money would be the second-lowest among states in terms of dollars per capita ($108.03) - with North Carolina being lower by one cent.

By comparison, the analysis showed California would receive $4.4 billion ($121.26 per capita); New York, $3.39 billion ($173.94 per capita); and Texas, $3 billion ($125.48 per capita) in transportation-infrastructure money.

The newspaper also shows Florida would lag behind other big states in school and college modernization funding included in the House bill. The Journal analysis showed Florida would get $961 million in such funding ($52.44 per capita).

By comparison, California would get $2.4 billion ($66.11 per capita); New York would receive $1.6 billion ($83.77 per capita); Texas would get $1.7 billion ($70.88 per capita); and Illinois would get $859 million ($66.62 per capita).

Questioning The Formula

The debate reprises a familiar refrain about federal funding formulas and Florida.

The Democratic-controlled chamber on Wednesday approved President Barack Obama's rescue plan, 244-188, without any Republicans voting for it.

The legislation, about two-thirds spending and one-third tax cuts to businesses and individuals, could deliver as much as $29.3 billion into Florida through a crazy-quilt of formulas, according to estimates from the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based think-tank.

That amount is projected to be the fourth highest for any state, reflective of Florida's rank in population behind California, Texas and New York, says Will Straw, the center's associate director for economic growth.

But as the Senate is expected to start considering its version of the package next week - Obama hopes to sign it into law by mid-February - Florida Republicans from the Bay area and elsewhere are raising questions about whether their state would truly get the funding it deserves, unless they change the House bill.

In one large category of the House bill, Florida would "not even qualify" for any of the $3.5 billion portion of $79 billion to be divvied up by states, said GOP Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores.

That is because the complicated distribution formula for the "State Fiscal Stabilization Fund" - intended to help states with budget deficit problems - requires "state funds" for K-12 education and higher education to be at no less than 2006 levels.

States that cannot meet the requirement will have to forfeit their share of the money for redistribution to other states.

Problem is, Florida falls $600 million short of that requirement, at a time when the state is in the midst of its biggest drop in public school enrollment in history, with more than 30,000 fewer students than there were in 2006.

'Stuck With The Bill'

Mel Martinez, Florida's Republican senator, said he will try to amend the Senate version to allow states to use some of the federal funds allocated in the stimulus package to meet the required levels of education funding.

"I'm hopeful for an open and healthy amendment process so we can address this and other problem areas," Martinez said through a spokesman Thursday.

Others also question why Florida would rank so low in per-capita share of various other parts of the House stimulus package, including transportation-infrastructure and school-college modernization categories.

"If my constituents are forced to accept a bill that puts their children and grandchildren another trillion dollars in debt, they should at least get something out of this bargain with the devil," said GOP Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville. "Instead they get shortchanged and still get stuck with the bill."

But Straw suggests that such complaints do not fairly paint the whole picture. He said Florida does well in other categories of the House bill.

For instance, the $4.3 billion in added federal Medicaid funding for Florida is the fourth best, behind only California, New York and Texas.

Straw said his review of the entire bill shows that Florida would get a total $29.3 billion through spending and tax cuts, also ranking it fourth. California is projected to get more than $63 billion, New York more than $40 billion, and Texas more than $38 billion.

"It does the fourth best - and it's the fourth-biggest state," Straw said. "That's pretty fair, I would say.