Governor seeking help in swaying feds on stimulus
TALLAHASSEE (AP) – Gov. Charlie Crist urged Floridians to help persuade the federal government to release $3.4 billion to the state in recovery money for education Thursday as he announced Florida’s stimulus Web site is up and running.
Florida needs a waiver from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to get the stimulus money because the state is spending less on public schools than it did three years ago. Crist recently met with Duncan in Washington.
“I’m encouraged that we will get the waiver,” Crist said at a news conference. “But I would also encourage our fellow Floridians to e-mail the secretary and ask our members of our congressional delegation to weigh in and ask for his support for the waiver.”
The stimulus Web site – www.FlaRecovery.com – was launched to report how an estimated $13 billion in federal money will be spent in Florida over the current and next two budget years.
Crist has proposed using the stimulus money to help offset potential deficits in this fiscal year’s $65.5 billion state budget and next year’s, which will go into effect July 1.
State officials had hoped they’d have the waiver by now, but Crist’s budget director, Jerry McDaniel, said he’s now been told a decision may not come until the end of the month.
Lawmakers, meanwhile, have begun writing the 2009-10 budget and are considering some major spending cuts to keep it balanced. They are facing a gap of about $6 billion between expected revenues and spending to keep current programs going.
The stimulus may fill only half that hole. Increasing taxes on cigarettes and other ways to raise money have been proposed including the repeal of some sales tax exemptions. Crist, though, continues to say tax increases aren’t needed because of the federal money.
“I’m a stimulus fan,” Crist said, but he acknowledged more spending cuts also will be needed.