Florida’s CFO has issued her recommendations for balancing Florida’s ballooning deficit. Not surprisingly, none of the recommendations support Charlie Crist’s call to raid the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund. (Lawton Chiles was the last Democrat to serve as Florida’s Governor. Sink is a Democrat.)
“The legislators responsibility ought to look at all those expenditures first. Every sales tax exemption ought to be back on the table and ought to have to see the light of day and somebody ought to have to stand up and defend why this is legitimate and fair or it’s not.”
Sink also believes fees for services, that now don’t cover the cost of performing the services, be raised
An area of agreement between the Republican Governor and the Democratic CFO? Raise cigarette taxes.
Filed under: Florida Politics , Alex Sink, Budget Deficit, Charlie Crist, Cigarette Tax, Florida Legislature, Lawton Chiles, Sales Tax, Sales Tax Exemptions
You might recall, that former Senate President John McKay, R-Bradenton, tried his darndest to get sales tax reform in Florida. He even got it passed in the Senate in 2002. However, his efforts died on the vine. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-5945374_ITM
He still is involved in the effort however. http://www.sptimes.com/2007/12/16/State/Sales_taxes_stir_a_fi.shtml
Somehow, I don’t think we would be in the shape we currently find ourselves in had Mr. McKay been successful in his efforts in 2002, though.