Among John Ellis Bush's more obnoxious legacies - and there will be many - will be his having presided over a dramatic increase in the state's debt. In a must read AP wire story getting wide circulation today, "New budget pushes state debt past ceiling", we are told that the 2003-4 budget, which includes an additional $600 million in bonds, is "above the target limit set by law". Florida's debt will now exceed $20 billion. Before the latest spate of borrowing, Florida ranked second worst "among the 10 largest states in the percentage of its revenue spent for debt payments." Moreover, Florida carries merely "a middle-of-the-road" rating with Moody's, primarily because of its reliance on sales taxes.
This borrow and spend approach is a familiar GOP device. The irony (for the political party that claims to be fiscally conservative) is that piling up debt is itself financially irrresponsible, yet "Jeb!" like his brother at the federal level, have no compunction about doing it. The media has said little about "Jeb!"'s conduct on this critical issue. Indeed, "Jeb!" has been permitted to portray himself as above the petty King - Byrd / Senate - House budget squabbles; our "Jeb!" sits on his throne and awaits arrival of a budget from the riffraff in the Legislature, which he will reluctantly sign (after a handful of symbolic line item vetoes). In reality, of course, "Jeb!" runs the Florida GOP - it seems the party has dissolved into a cult of "Jeb!". Moreover, "Jeb!" and Byrd are two peas in a pod, and Bush has driven the entire budget process, indeed he has driven a steamroller over poor Senator King and the adults in the Senate. This budget - and this debt - is "Jeb!"'s debt.
A final note - Bush says "there's no immediate cause for alarm". the problems will begin to manifest themselves "four or five years from now". By then - 2007 - 8 - our "Jeb!" will be off to greener pastures, a run for the U.S. Senate or, we hope and pray, a run at the GOP 2008 nomination for prez.
And It's A Problem At The Local Level Too - "Abuse of bonds"
The Real Insurance Problem - Thanks to FlaBlog for this: "One elite group of state workers fares better than its peers by receiving raises earlier and getting free health insurance. The group: 160 Florida legislators. In the budget they recently approved, lawmakers gave state employees a 2 percent raise while increasing their health insurance premiums 16 percent. The state workers won't get their pay raise until December, but lawmakers will receive the same raise in July. And legislators and their staffs pay nothing for health insurance." See "Capitol Insurance Policy Askew?"
Toxic Waste Alert! "The so-called 'vast right-wing conspiracy' has touched down in Palm Beach County. The Scaife Family Foundation moved its home office here last month to continue its mission of strengthening families and promoting animal welfare". See "Foundation's move to area concerns liberals".
"Sugar Growers . . . own . . . Gov. Bush" - "Sugar growers -- who showed their power by ramming through a law that delays Everglades cleanup for 10 years -- already own Florida's Legislature and Gov. Bush. Now, the industry wants to "get" the judge who has protected the fragile ecosystem for more than a decade." See "Hoeveler's only bias is for the Everglades". See also "Leaving a bad taste".
Off Topic - We hope our troops read "Promises made, broken" the next time they are required to serve as props for the next Dubya photo op at a military facility. And by the way, doesn't it bother the folks in the military troops that "Mr. Bush learned to fly in the National Guard at a taxpayer expense of $1 million, then proceeded to become absent without leave — also known as AWOL — for which many service personnel have received jail sentences." See "Bush 'flyboy' act blithely obscures truth ". And while this is satire, it does make a point. 6:26 AM
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