Pork barrel

Our local county commissioners should be livid over the article in this morning's Metro Section of the St. Petersburg Times. Livid because their feet are currently being held to fire to cut spending by over $9.2 million dollars and the state Legislature is oblivious to the budget shortfalls.

Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee Bureau Chief for the Times wrote an in-depth article on the Florida House leader's plan to allow the use of emergency funds before a deficit is declared at the state level. This hard hitting article detailed a plan being hatched by House Speaker Marco Rubio to give Governor Crist and the Legislative Budget Commission the ability to spend money in the Budget Stabilization Fund and the Lawton Chiles Endowment if the state's checkbook dips below $200 million.

The lawmakers stressed this amendment is crucial for us to have in our state budget. The main reason for the change is because our lawmakers would not have to return to Tallahassee for any cost cutting special sessions in an election year. It seems our lawmakers want an easy button to clear the way for their earmarks and pet projects to impress their electorate.

One item that should really impress all conservatives is the proposed $2 million regional hurricane shelter in Hudson set aside by Senator Mike Fasano. If you're not impressed with this proposed earmark then you will not be impressed with Senator Fasano who has proposed this facility be named after him. Conservatives everywhere are beginning to wonder if Mr. Fasano is related to Senator Byrd of West Virginia, the true king of pork barrel projects.

Apparently the good times will continue to roll for our Florida Legislature because they have discovered an innovative way to put their hand into the "reserve cookie jar" to pander to the public...