Charlie Crist: A Tax Cut & Spend Republican

Charlie Crist and the Florida state legislature will have a harder time passing that tax shift onto the counties. The housing market has cooled down. This has caused the gereral revenue estimates to be off by $466 million. The state has $2.3 billion in gerenal tax dollars. That is due to the natural progression of economic growth. Jeb Bush positively spinned it as "Revenue is going up, the state's robust economy continues to do well." Do a Google search and you find that Jeb loves to use the words "robust economy." A lot.

Charlie Crist plans $4 billion tax cuts (apparently Jeb left too many taxes uncut) and increase spending. Crist is relying on economic growth to pay for 25 percent teacher pay increase and build more classrooms to meet the class size amendment law. The $7 billion for schools Jeb boosts about pays mainly for (drum roll please) growth and the FCAT. Other needed school funding is left in the dust.

Crist want to spend $118 million on the Anti-Murder Act. The one little problem is it failed twice to pass.

Crist's tax cuts aren't a guarantee. "(Tax cuts are) doable if the Legislature chooses to recoup those lost revenues from another source," said Rep. Joe Pickens, R-Palatka. Crist's plan to allow homeowners 3 percent limits on property if they move will be popular with voters. It will also cost the counties $4 billion-a-year. The property taxes nightmare was Jeb's creation by placing burdens on the counties for revenue the state wouldn't alot. Everyone in government was involved in over-inflating property values to created more tax revuenue. With the elderly widow clause so a rich person like Rush Limbaugh got a $224,000 tax break. Now Crist will cut the counties strongest source of tax revenue without bailing them out.

Florida's 11 public universities are underfunded by $3.4 billion. There are more disturbing numbers. Only 11,000 out of 62,000 get proper mental health care.

"There are programs that serve the very poor," said Sherry Burns, chair of the task force. "But if you're uninsured and too poor to pay for [care], but not qualified to get it, God help you."

God help us, indeed. Can God understand why politicians who singing praises about helping our children feel that Florida's public education system constantly ranked below national average. 14.2 percent of babies in the state are born without proper prenatal care. Florida has one of the highest infant mortality rates at 7.5 per 1,000 babies. Those cuts pay for defense contractors getting a sales tax exemption. God knows they need it.

Crist's cuts and spending policies are all about pleasing the people who got him into office. There is no ideology. No wonkish policy knowledge. Just a guy wearing a suit.