Category: Politics

Mike Trout is running for Congress. The 21st district includes West Boca. Here is his answer to the spending question:
I’m sorry I missed the original posting regarding the Spending Question. I’ll agree with Cesar that taking away corporate entitlements, that in the face of unprecedented profits, are not needed.
There are already eligibility tests for social programs, however, and in fact we know that these programs are, if anything — underutilized. When I say underutilized, I don’t mean to suggest that we don’t spend a significant sum on safety net programs that supplement the nutritional and health needs of children, seniors, the disabled, and unemployed — but the fact is that many more people ‘qualify’ for these programs than actually participate. What that says to me is that in this country, on this day, there are those among us who are going to bed hungry, and going without basic medical care and medicine. This, even as the corporations sit on cash reserves of historic and unprecedented proportions. We don’t have ‘money’ problems. We have a problem of committing resources where they are needed. There is a problem of greed and corruption. It’s not surprising. History is merely repeating itself. Are we listening?
Mike Trout, Vote4Trout
http://Vote4Trout.com

We received a response to the spending question from Cesar Henao, who is running for Congress in the 21st congressional district. Here is his response:
I support a balanced budget, and trimming federal spending so that budget surpluses can begin to pay off the national debt.
The simple answer I could give you would be to cut program ABC and D however our financial dilemma is much more complicated than that. What we need is a leader with a conviction to address across-the-board cuts that will lessen the impact of our senior citizens on fixed income, and the poor.
The challenge, however, is that you have two parties trying to protect their special interests and at the same time telling the American people It’s in their best interests. Taking away corporate and social entitlements to entities that do not deserve or need them, should be our Number one fiscal priority.
Budgeting for a government is far much more complex and different than budgeting for an organization or an individual family household. I would want to look at a line item by line item budget and give the president the ability to do line item vetoes. This helps to assure the president assumes much more responsibility for fiscal responsibility than the office has been given in the past.

The West Boca Community Council is in the news today in the Sun-Sentinel, including a Q&A with long time member Milton Brenner.

State House candidate James Ryan O’Hara answers our spending question:
Q: According to the Florida state budget, the State of Florida spends approximately $70 Billion a year (http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Florida_state_budget).
Do you think the state government should spend more, less, or is this about the right amount?
If more, where would you spend more and where would you get the money from?
If less, what spending would you cut?
A: The state of Florida needs to streamline government and cut spending. In order to right Florida’s financial ship we must find more efficient uses for taxpayer funds. There are many areas of the budget where spending can be reduced. Here are a few examples:
1. Health Care: Florida faced a budget shortfall $2 billion dollars this last session. Medicaid spending amounted for almost a third of the budget, roughly $20 billion dollars in 2011, by 2014 that spending is projected to be $24 billion. For the past few years Florida has tested a managed care pilot program which has resulted in savings. Expanding more privatized options for medicaid spending will result in more savings and more efficiency.
2. Unemployment: A rough economy has resulted in more stress on our states already strained unemployment system. Recently, the system has been renamed Re-employment services. However, changing the name doesn’t make it more efficient. By working with local businesses to promote internships subsidized by the Re-employment fund in order to promote long term hiring will lessen the time unemployed workers are on the roles thus reducing costs to the taxpayer.
3. Housing: Although not exactly a budget cut, legislation to address foreclosures in our state can result in a healthy housing market which is vital to Florida’s overall economic success. Last session a bill to speed up the foreclosure process for abandoned homes failed in the senate. Currently Florida’s courts are back logged with foreclosure cases and has one of the longest repossession time periods. A bill that can speed this long wait on foreclosures, while protecting homeowners property rights, can get these houses back on the market and reduce the burden faced by the state and local governments.

The second candidate to answer Question 1 Melanie Peterson, a Republican running for State Senate. Here’s the question again, and Melanie’s answer:
Q: According to the Florida state budget, the State of Florida spends approximately $70 Billion a year.
Do you think the state government should spend more, less, or is this about the right amount?
If more, where would you spend more and where would you get the money from?
If less, what spending would you cut?
A: Just as most of us must hold our spending in order to balance our budgets along with identifying cost savings and wasteful spending in order to pay for our necessities, so must our government.
We must balance the budget without raising taxes. As a fiscal conservative, I support cutting wasteful and frivolous spending. We must constantly identify waste and new efficiencies to cut spending in every corner of government.