September 2015 Archives

Editorial: Find ways to make housing affordable

Herald Tribune  |  September 18, 2015

An important, 28-page report released this week can be summarized in two points:
1. Sarasota County doesn’t have enough affordable housing.
2. Many workers in Sarasota County don’t earn enough to pay for housing.
Some folks who read the report, or this editorial, might sarcastically state: “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

Nevertheless, the report — produced by the Florida Housing Coalition and commissioned by the Gulf Coast Community
Foundation — provides information that underscores the scope of the problems and reinforces the need for multi-level solutions.
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Editorial: Lawmakers sweep trust funds clean

Leesburg Daily Commercial  |  September 10, 2015

Florida’s budgeting devices have become more sophisticated, thanks to technology, but state legislators and the governor rely on a simple tool — the broom — to balance the budget.
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Editorial: Lawmakers sweep trust funds clean

Lakeland Ledger  |  September 6, 2015

Florida’s budgeting devices have become more sophisticated, thanks to technology, but state legislators and the governor rely on a simple tool — the broom — to balance the budget.
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Editorial: Breaking trust

Ocala Star Banner  |  September 5, 2015

Another example: This year, the Legislature swept $67 million from environmental trust funds. That harm was compounded by the fact that the Legislature failed to heed direction from voters who approved constitutional Amendment 1 during the 2014 general election. That amendment, supported by 75 percent of voters, was intended to ensure that one-third of documentary tax revenue would be directed to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. Some $244 million should have been budgeted for that fund but, according to TaxWatch, only $52 million was dedicated to land acquisition, although “another $15 million went to conservation and rural-lands easement and $20 million for the Kissimmee River restoration.”
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Editorial: Lawmakers sweep trust funds clean

Herald Tribune  |  September 2, 2015

Florida’s budgeting devices have become more sophisticated, thanks to technology, but state legislators and the governor rely on a simple tool — the broom — to balance the budget.
Read More>