Here's some ammunition. From what I can determine, FL is running roughly a $2billion budget shortfall, losing 4400 state jobs, losing $500million in federal education funding match because not enough state funds to get the match. Surely a treasure recovery even with a 50/50 split would be beneficial to the state and citizens of FL....in fact, might even save some of the jobs of the very officials you're dealing with. Money talks.
Good luck!!
Florida state budget - Sunshine Review Florida budget shortfall: Lawmakers warned of $2 billion-plus budget shortfall - Orlando Sentinel
Florida state budgetGF
Florida operates on an annual budget cycle. Its fiscal year begins July 1.
The Florida State Legislature passed the $69.9 billion FY2013 Florida state budget on March 9, 2012.[SUP][1][/SUP] Gov. Rick Scott signed the budget into law on April 17, 2012, after vetoing $142.7 million in spending.[SUP][2][/SUP]
Florida has a total state debt of approximately $139,156,956,000, when calculated by adding the total of outstanding official debt, pension and other post-employment benefits (OPEB) liabilities, Unemployment Trust Fund loans, and the budget gap. [SUP][3][/SUP]
See also: The Florida State Budget on State Budget Solutions
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2011 State spending & deficit in billions[SUP][4][/SUP]
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$59.1
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$6.7
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$21.7
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$9.4
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$7.7
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$4.9
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$5.9
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$39.4
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$3.5
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2011 Local spending & deficit in billions[SUP][4][/SUP]
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$95
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$1.2
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$9.7
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$34.9
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$3.6
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$12.7
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$7.9
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$95
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[edit] FY2013 State Budget
The Florida State Legislature passed the $69.9 billion FY2013 Florida state budget on March 9, 2012.[SUP][5][/SUP] The budget passed by the legislature can be found here. Gov. Rick Scott signed the budget into law on April 17, 2012, after vetoing $142.7 million in spending.[SUP][6][/SUP] The veto list can found here.
A highlight of the budget is a $ increase in K-12 education funding, which was a priority of the governor.[SUP][7][/SUP] The additional funding bring the state funds to education to a total of $17.2 billion, equal to an increase of $150 per student.[SUP][5][/SUP]
Other budget highlights include:
- closing six prisons;[SUP][5][/SUP]
- eliminating 4,400 jobs, nearly 3.6 percent of the state’s work force;[SUP][5][/SUP]
- Cuts Medicaid payments to hospitals by 7.5 percent;[SUP][5][/SUP]
- Raises child abuse investigators’ pay by $4,000 a year;[SUP][5][/SUP]
- Increases Medicaid budget by $305 million for new cases;[SUP][5][/SUP]
- Pay freeze for state workers for 6th year in a row[SUP][5][/SUP]
[edit] Legislative proposed budget
On Feb. 28, 2012, legislative leaders announced that the House and Senate reached a compromise on the state budget, including using $300 million from higher education reserves, and that a conference committee would be convened to finalize the details of the budget.[SUP][8][/SUP] The conference committee reached an agreement with both chambers of the legislature passed HB 5001 on April 6, 2012, and passing it on to the governor.[SUP][9][/SUP] The governor said he did not anticipate making anywhere near the $615 million in budget vetoes that he made the previous year.[SUP][10][/SUP]
Senate's proposed budget
The head of the Senate's Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services Appropriations proposed a $70.5 billion general fund on Feb 8, 2012. It would slash general revenue spending on Medicaid by $218.7 million and cut $86.5 million from adult mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. The House and Governor's budgets increased funding in these areas to restore cuts made last year.[SUP][11][/SUP]
The Senate passed its $71 billion budget, SB 7050, on Feb., 2012. The budget as passed raises college tuition by 3 percent and permits universities to raise tuition up to 15 percent. The budget provides no across-the-board pay raises for state workers for the sixth year in a row and the elimination of 3,800 full-time jobs in state government, most of which are unfilled. It also reserves $2.2 billion for emergencies and contingencies.[SUP][5][/SUP]
The Senate vote sets up negotiations with the House over the next 10 days to seek a budget compromise to bring the 2012 session to a timely end by March 9.[SUP][5][/SUP]
House of Representatives proposed budget
On Jan. 27, 2012, the Republican-controlled House released its $69.2 billion proposed spending plan, HB 5001, which was $3 billion more than the governor's proposal in part because it rejects some of the extensive cuts in health care programs that he recommended.[SUP][12][/SUP] The House passed its plan on Feb. 9, 2012.[SUP][13][/SUP]
Education
The House budget increases spending on public schools by more than $1 billion, which is 2.27% increase in per-student funding. It sets aside nearly $400 million to provide construction money for universities, community colleges and for charter schools. It includes no money for school districts. It recommended an 8 percent hike in higher education tuition, whereas the the governor's budget kept tuition flat.[SUP][12][/SUP]
Environment
The House budget includes $35 million for Everglades restoration, although the Senate budget does not. The House budget also does not include the governor's $15 million for the state’s land-conservation program, Florida Forever, which the Senate also did not include that, either.[SUP][13][/SUP]
Cuts
The House budget includes the closing of driver license officers, a reduction in the number of probation officers, and even the elimination of a handful of investigators who handle arson and consumer fraud cases.[SUP][12][/SUP]
Governor's proposed budget
Highlights of the governor's proposed budget as outlined by his administration can be found here.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott proposed a $66.4 billion budget that includes a $1 billion increase in K-12 education funding despite the fact that lawmakers must address a $2 billion shortfall.[SUP][14][/SUP] The governor hopes to get the money for schools by cutting Medicaid payments to hospitals. The proposed budget cuts 4,500 state jobs, raises monthly medical premiums for highly-paid state employees as well as lawmakers. It also continues privatization of the prison system despite legal challenges to that plan.[SUP][15][/SUP] The proposed budget can be found here.
In October 2011, state economists predicted that the state's tax collections will fall short by $1.3 billion to $1.7 billion over the next two years.[SUP][16][/SUP] That is a big departure from forecasts by Florida's Office of Economic and Demographic Research in August 2011 that the state could see a surplus of $300 million in FY2013. At the same time, economists cautioned that forecast was shaky because growth over the next year could be undermined by recent economic woes and said it was likely that the forecast would be revised downward.[SUP][17][/SUP] That became reality when the revised forecast was released the following month, with predictions of a deficit, not a surplus.[SUP][18][/SUP]
Lawmakers requested that state agencies submit proposals for FY2013 that show 10 percent budget cuts by September 2011.[SUP][17][/SUP] Some agencies, however, requested more money, not less. For example, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services requested $7.2 million for new firefighting equipment.[SUP][19][/SUP]
The Legislature also plans on setting aside at least $1 billion in a reserve fund for emergencies.[SUP][19][/SUP]
State economists said growth in Florida's once-exploding Medicaid program is slowing and predicted Medicaid spending will increase by $1.3 billion, or 6.3 percent, next fiscal year. That translates to the state likely paying an additional $900 million more in FY2013 than it did in FY2012, for a total of nearly $5.2 billion spent on Medicaid in FY2013.[SUP][20][/SUP] Gov. Scott said he hadn’t anticipated a FY2013 deficit, partly because he expected to get a federal waiver letting the state expand its use of managed care for recipients of Medicaid, but the federal government has not granted the necessary permission for the waiver.[SUP][21][/SUP] Projected Medicaid costs for FY2013 are at $21.6 billion.[SUP][15][/SUP]
Florida will lose approximately $550 million in federal education stimulus funds, according to the governor.[SUP][22][/SUP] 
Also, what about someone with the Army Corp of Engineers?? Do you have any connections with your Army Background?? Best Wishes!!! Maybe you need a Single Female from SW Florida to attend one of those meetings with you......There's your Minority......
