Gov. Rick Scott said on Wednesday, he still plans on making good his campaign pledge to phase out the state’s corporate income tax and cut property taxes, beginning that process in the upcoming 2011-2012 budget. Scott was speaking at the Associated Press annual legislative session at the state Capitol in Tallahassee.
Scott, who derided the current $70 billion budget–a product of twelve years of Republican control of the governor’s office and Legislature–described it as “bloated”, saying the state spends far too much money and doesn’t do a good job of purchasing good and services.
“I’m going through every line item in the budget,” Scott said. “But I don’t think we should be spending this much money. I don’t think we do a good enough job of how we buy things.”
Scott, who plans to unveil budget proposals on Feb 4, said it will include sharp spending reductions aimed at covering a $3.6 billion shortfall caused by the end of federal stimulus dollars flowing to Florida and a three-year decline in tax collections caused by the feeble economy.
Despite Scott’s claims however, there is much skepticism among his fellow Republicans in the Legislature that the upcoming budget could include a promised property tax cut of $1.4 billion and a first-year rollback of more than $800 million in the state’s business tax.
House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, — preceding Scott at the same event – said lawmakers were struggling to close the state’s budget gap, and saw little chance of tax cuts being handed out this spring.
“If there’s a way they can be reduced and still meet the critical needs, I’m open to it, but…it’s going to be very difficult, “ Cannon said, adding that it would be up to the governor to show lawmakers the path to tax-cutting.
Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, while describing Cannon, Scott and himself as “the Three Amigos”, also echoed Cannon’s sentiment on the budet, saying he was focused on closing the $3.6 billion budget hole. Tax cuts weren’t in his plans right now, although if Scott wanted to pitch his proposals, “I’m all ears,” Haridopolos said.
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, who last spring was Senate president, defended the $70 billion spending plan that Scott blasted. Atwater disputed the characterization of the budget as “bloated,” but said, “we can do better. We can do more,” when it comes to Scott’s plan for reductions.
Scott didn’t elaborate on how he might guarantee tax breaks on Wednesday, but gave a hint of his approach to budgeting saying, “You’ve got to pick and choose. You can’t do everything. You’ve got to do the things that are the most important at the time.”
The News Service of Florida
