Florida TaxWatch says Governor vetoed two-thirds of its ‘Turkey’ recommendations

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Florida TaxWatch is commending Governor Rick Scott for “removing from the state budget so many of the Budget Turkeys as identified in this year’s annual Turkey Watch Report.”

By its math, Scott vetoed more than two-thirds of the Budget Turkeys TaxWatch identified, saving taxpayers an estimated $71 million.

“Florida TaxWatch applauds Governor Scott for thoughtfully and properly vetoing these Budget Turkeys, which are projects that did not receive the same analysis and deliberation as the rest of the budget,” said Dominic Calabro, President and Chief Executive Officer of Florida TaxWatch. “The $71.1 million worth of vetoed Budget Turkeys that could have been used by the Legislature to fund core functions and services will now enhance our state’s budget reserves. 

Continued Calabro: “The Governor’s line-item veto power, along with the constitutional requirement of a balanced budget, is part of the system of checks and balances that help ensure our state’s fiscal situation is strong, unlike that of the federal government’s. The line-item veto is a constitutional responsibility that holds the Legislature accountable for the costs they incur on behalf of taxpayers throughout the state and we appreciate Governor Scott’s commitment to this task. By vetoing these Budget Turkeys, the Governor has protected the integrity of the budget process. 

“The Governor’s veto message echoed many of the concerns raised by our Turkey Watch Report: circumventing established processes, naming specific providers, bypassing competitive bidding, benefiting local areas only and funding non-state construction projects,” said Kurt Wenner, Vice President of Tax Research for TaxWatch.

A complete list of vetoed Budget Turkeys is available here.

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.