March 2014 Archives

Editorial: Fingers Crossed

March 1, 2014 | Miami Herald

The recent report by the LeRoy Collins Institute on Florida’s future minced no words: The Sunshine State is near the bottom of the barrel on a wide range of issues affecting Floridians’ daily lives. Whether it’s public transit, housing, education, the tax and pension systems, employment, access to healthcare — chances are Florida is doing badly.
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Editorial: Legislature in Session

March 4, 2014 | Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Florida’s annual legislative session gets underway today, an occasion that fills many lawmakers with anticipation and many of their constituents with trepidation.
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Editorial: Put SHIP money back where it belongs

March 5, 2014 | St. Augustine Record

As our state legislators return to Tallahassee and hash out partisan politics — hopefully better than their brethren in Washington, D.C. — here’s an idea whose time has come … and gone … and needs to come again.
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Dedicate funding for homeless

March 11, 2014 | Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Florida has tens of thousands of homeless people but no dedicated state funding source for programs that help them stabilize and improve their lives. State lawmakers — meeting for their annual session in Tallahassee — should change that picture for the better.
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Lawmakers must help homeless: Editorial

March 11, 2014 | Orlando Sentinel

People for decades have flocked to Florida. Many envision opportunity along streets of gold, warmed by eternal sunshine. Yet, gobsmacked by the global economic crash and the plodding recovery, rising numbers of Floridians have learned, sadly, life on Florida’s streets hardly is golden.
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An assessment of the governor’s budget

March 12, 2014 | Florida Times-Union

As government programs go, the state’s trust fund for affordable housing works.
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Florida Homelessness: Reliable Funding Needed

March 17, 2014 | Lakeland Ledger

Florida has tens of thousands of homeless people but no dedicated state funding source for programs that help them stabilize and improve their lives. State lawmakers — meeting for their annual 60-day session in Tallahassee — should change that picture for the better.
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House budget would sweep affordable housing funds

March 18, 2014 | Florida Current

Despite pressure from low-income housing advocates, the construction industry and business lobbies like the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the House transportation and economic development budget proposal released Tuesday would sweep $136.8 million in affordable housing trust fund money into general revenue funds
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Affordable housing cut in House budget that’s big on transportation, public safety

March 18, 2014 | Tampa Bay Times

The House released details on its $11.5 billion budget on transportation, tourism and economic development on Tuesday, and it’s heavy on spending for road projects, public safety and cultural projects, but skimpy on spending for affordable housing.
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Opinion roundup: Protect trust fund revenue

March 24, 2014 | Florida Times-Union

Florida’s leaders have gotten in the bad habit of sweeping trust fund revenues into the state’s general fund.
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