FL Cities Struggle with State Funding Cuts
(Posted July 5, 2011 07:29 am)
By Les Coleman
ORLANDO, FL - The massive budget cuts passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature, and signed into law by Tea Party-backed Gov. Rick Scott, are coming home to roost in Florida's municipalities. Municipal leaders say their cities are being hit hard, with cuts in social services, public jobs, and education funds.
In the shadow of Disney World, 500 homeless kids
crowd into 67 motel rooms, their parents victims of the
depressed job market and home foreclosures. And this
week, their plight gets even bleaker, as state cuts to
social services and education go into effect.
Mayor Buddy Dyer says Orlando is feeling the pinch.
"That's in terms of our citizens and how they are
affected, in terms of a lot of those social programs
that took substantial hits. We're going to see the
effects of the cuts in education."
Even in the heart of Tea Party territory, Panama City
faces a 10 percent cut in school spending, amounting to
$17 million. Throughout the state, programs that serve
children, the disabled, and seniors are feeling the
across-the-board budget axe.
In the state capital, Tallahassee, Mayor John Marks says
the cuts in state spending had an immediate effect. Some
400 of his constituents, all of whom are state workers,
got their pink slips July 1.
"Well, obviously, it's going to hurt; I mean, we're
going to lose about 400 jobs to state government. And I
guess it's our responsibility at the local level - and
my responsibility, and my commission's responsibility -
to see if we can do something to fill those lost jobs in
our city."
The Scott administration has laid off 4500 public
employees statewide. Those layoffs, combined with cuts
in programs that serve 7000 premature babies, at-risk
pregnant women and the homeless, as well as massive cuts
in education. Florida's government services face an
uncertain future.
More information is at the
Florida Coalition for the Homeless.