Last week the Florida Senate passed a $69.8 billion budget that will slash funding for the medically needy program, education, and increase tuition for state colleges and universities by 8 percent.
Both the state House and Senate are attempting to close a nearly $4 billion dollar gap in the state’s budget by cutting spending instead of raising taxes.
The Republican controlled Legislature passed SB 2000 (the Senate’s budget bill) by a pretty hefty margin, 33 Yeas and 6 Nays.
Now, here is where the water gets a little murky.
For weeks Democrats have been talking about Republicans and their attempts to balance the budget on the backs of public employees and the working poor, yet within those 33 who voted yes were a few Democrats, like Senator Gary Siplin D – Orlando.
Siplin voted yes for the Republican controlled Senate’s budget that will keep prescriptions from patients who need them to, you know, stay alive. Under Florida’s medically needy program, patients who cannot afford anti-rejection drugs after receiving a transplant, receive assistance through the program to purchase the prescriptions.
The Senate’s budget will no longer cover that service, which in turn may kill more people.
The bill will also cut $1 billion from public schools and raise tuition to a point where low-income students will only dream of going to college instead of actually making it there.
In essence, the state of Florida will only continue its downward slide into a massive puddle under the leadership of the Republican controlled Legislature.
In regards to Democrats and their position on this budget, I spoke with Senator Siplin and asked him why he voted for the budget.
“I represent the Orange County school board and the Osceola County school board and without the money, they close down the school system,” stated Senator Siplin.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong but we vote for politicians who we hope and believe will have our best interest at heart. I mean, that’s one of the foundations of our democracy, right?
So, if Senator Siplin represents a bloc of voters in Orlando who have openly rejected Tallahassee’s right leaning leadership, held rallies in support of unions and education, then please tell me why he believes that if he votes no, county school boards will shut down?
In my want and need to give the Senator another opportunity to explain himself regarding his vote, I gave him another shot. Since the final version of the state’s budget isn’t ready I thought that maybe, just maybe, this was a ceremonial type of vote for Siplin.
Sadly, I was wrong.
“I have an obligation to vote for a budget so that the state of Florida’s needs are met and I’m hoping that they won’t cut anymore from education, but I have to vote so that the budget exists and that we have schools for our kids,” stated Siplin after I asked if he would vote for a budget with deeper education cuts.
Pardon me while I step outside and scream a little.
The Senator is basically stating that he’s afraid if he votes no then Republicans will shut down schools in Orange and Osceola County.
Last I checked a few of his Democratic colleagues voted no and kids still got on buses, went to school, and prepared to take the un-necessary and inept test called the FCAT.
Senator Siplin also said that he has concerns over cuts in the medically needy program, but at the end of the day Florida has to make cuts to fill the $4 billion dollar budget hole.
At this point in the game we’ve reached the Rory McIlroy juncture where no matter what type of shot we hit its not going to affect our score at the end of the day. We’ve already lost but we’re only playing because there is still time left on the clock.
Unfortunately for those voters who are served under Senator Siplin, that clock just has too much time left on it.
When the final version of this budget is put to a vote Senator Siplin plans to vote yes.
Call me Charlie Sheen crazy but that type of Democratic logic just doesn’t add up at the end of the day.
