Highlights of Scott's budget proposals

 STATE GOVERNMENT

The governor's budget eliminates 8,681 jobs from a state workforce of 126,765. Scott said about 2,000 of those positions are empty now.

Scott's budget cuts include:

$179 million and 1,849 jobs from the Department of Children and Families
$82 million and 1,690 jobs from the Department of Corrections
$668 million and 318 jobs from the Department of Community Affairs, essentially eliminating the department that has 358 positions now.
One of the few areas to see an increase in state employment is the governor's office itself.

The Executive Office of the Governor is slated to gain $343 million in funding and 91 positions. Scott intimated that much of that would be in economic development efforts. The governor seeks about $300 million this coming year and $500 million in 2012-13 for a fast-closing fund to attract businesses to the state.

TAX CUTS

Scott's budget includes tax reductions of $4.1 billion. Of that, $1.7 billion would be realized in 2011-12. Over two years, the governor's office said tax savings would average $540 per household in the state.

The tax cuts in 2011-12 include:

$459 million cut from the corporate-income tax. Scott's budget reduces the corporate rate from 5.5 percent to 3 percent in the first steps to his promised elimination of the tax
$508 million cut from property taxes in required local effort for schools
$301 million cut from unemployment-compensation taxes paid by employers
$346 million cut from fees charged by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Florida Capital News article found here 

BY KATHLEEN HAUGHNEY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Florida's public schools and universities will take a more than $3 billion hit under the budget proposed Monday by Gov. Rick Scott, with public elementary through high school spending dropping by nearly $300 per student.

Scott said, essentially, that's not really his fault. He isn't cutting state money to public schools, he simply is choosing not to replace federal stimulus money that is no longer available.

Former Gov. Charlie Crist and lawmakers used stimulus dollars to prop up the state's budgets the past two years, and now that money is gone. Trying to find a new one-time source of cash to replace it doesn't make sense, the governor said, likening that to a lottery winner spending all his winnings on the assumption that he'd win again next year.

"We're not going to take federal money and believe it's going to be there forever," Scott said.

Budget officials in the governor's office said the loss of federal stimulus money accounted for some of the cuts to education, but didn't provide details on how the governor planned to achieve all of them.

Read the text of Gov. Scott's speech to the Tea Party

Gov. Rick Scott is speaking to a Tea Party gathering in Eustis. His office has released the text of his prepared remarks as well as the details of his state spending plan.

You can see it online at www.letsgettowork.net

Below is the text of Scott's address:

Today, I'm proud to present Florida's first "jobs budget." A budget that is designed to reduce state spending, lower taxes and hold your government accountable. When I ran for Governor, I offered Floridians a specific, detailed plan - 7 steps to 700,000 jobs in 7 years. This budget puts that 7-7-7 plan into action. As I promised to do during the campaign, this budget reduces state spending by over $5 billion while returning $2 billion directly to the taxpayers. After 35 years in business, I know the importance of focusing on clear goals. This "jobs budget" is focused on the goal of shrinking government, reducing your taxes, creating private sector jobs and holding government accountable.  

See the remainder of Gov. Scott's speech here 

Gov. Rick Scott backs away from universal school vouchers

TALLAHASSEE - A flurry of legal questions on top of an already ambitious education agenda has helped persuade Florida Gov. Rick Scott to back away from a controversial plan for universal school vouchers.

Instead of creating new ways to send students from public to private school, Scott will push lawmakers this year to increase the number of charter schools.

"That's my focus right now," he said.

Scott also wants more students taking online classes in virtual schools; to expand eligibility for existing voucher programs; and to make it easier for school districts to fire poor-performing teachers.

To help push that agenda, Scott enlisted the help Wednesday of controversial education expert Michelle Rhee.

Continue reading this St. Petersburg Times article here. 

"Waiting for Superman" educator backs Florida teacher pay bill

TALLAHASSEE - The drive to tie teacher pay more closely to student achievement got a boost Wednesday from the former chancellor of the school system in the nation's capital, who gave a qualified endorsement in front of the Senate panel that will vote on the measure today.

Senate Education Chairman Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, said his committee will vote on Senate Bill 736 at the end of a meeting where lawmakers have scheduled up to five hours to hear testimony. It will likely be approved and passed on to at least two other committees.

The bill has been compared to Senate Bill 6, the emotionally charged 2010 legislation that sparked statewide protests and drew the veto of then-Gov. Charlie Crist, who later had to bolt the GOP over a rift with Republican leaders in part because of his decision.

Continue reading this Florida Times Union article here