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With State Money Tight, Families And Businesses Must Come First
by Rep. Will Weatherford, special to the Tampa Tribune, 03/23/08


It should come as no surprise to anyone making a living in the Sunshine State that experts say the Florida economy is suffering alongside the national economy in this recent downturn.

In fact, state economists told us earlier this month what many of us already suspected: Due to the slowdown in the real estate market and the problems in the mortgage market, Florida's economy dipped before the national economy.

As the state economy slows, family budgets tighten along with it. In fact, Florida's families feel the pinch before government does. As a result, Florida's consumption tax-based budget is going to have less revenue this year than last.

As a state representative and someone who believes in fiscal responsibility, I understand that when Florida families have less to spend, so should state government.

Recently, state leaders received the sobering news that our budget shortfall for the 2008-2009 fiscal year could now reach as high as $4 billion. A shortfall of that size is unprecedented in our state. But, even though this slowdown presents dilemmas for government, we should worry more about the problems it means for families who are struggling to pay bills and small businesses trying to keep their doors open.

If we are going to get Florida back on the path to prosperity, we are going to have to help make the state affordable again. That starts with a government that lives within its means and is not bigger than taxpayers can afford.

State government must tighten its belt and root out wasteful spending. State leaders must use this opportunity to make careful revisions to Florida's budget, prioritize how we spend precious taxpayer dollars entrusted to us and set a course for economic revitalization.

That economic revitalization starts with making Florida an affordable place to live, raise a family and retire again. It means making Florida an attractive place to open a business and create jobs.

As a start, I am sponsoring a new markets tax credit this year to help encourage job creation in the urban and rural parts of the state that have too long been overlooked by Florida's growing economy.

If we can help grow our job base, then we can restart Florida's economy. It's not going to be government that gets Florida's economy back on track; it's going to be the private sector and the creation of new jobs and more investment.

But government can make foolish decisions that will hurt Florida's future and stunt our economic return. That's why Republicans in the Florida House have been outspoken about their opposition to raising taxes, weakening the state's financial safety net that we rely on for events such as hurricanes or other disasters, or expanding gambling to try to finance government expenses.

A look at the current fiscal disasters in states such as California, Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut and Nevada shows that the quick-fix approach only leads to even larger budget holes down the road.

Unfortunately, some people are advocating the exact opposite approach. They are using the slowing economy as an excuse to push for increased taxes on everything from small businesses to charter fishing trips. They also want to tear apart Florida's financial safety net to continue to pay for bigger government. It's a road that will only deepen our financial problems long-term and will make future recoveries even harder.

The Florida Legislature has difficult budgetary decisions ahead. We are going to be judicious in our choices and set meaningful priorities for Florida's future. Florida voters elected us to make these difficult decisions and confront Florida's challenges, not to pass along today's problems to future generations.

For all the troubles facing us, we all should remain optimistic about Florida's future. This is still a great state that millions of people dream of coming to, and we are still the envy of much of the country. But our optimism must be grounded in realism.

Our continued success depends on our leaders being prepared to right-size government and doing their part to help make Florida affordable again, so our state will recover from this current slowdown even stronger than before and regain its place as a national economic leader.

The writer, a Republican who lives in Wesley Chapel, represents District 61 in the Florida House of Representatives.


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