Why Not Ask Us?

If you folks in the Legislature are having such a difficult time figuring out how to close this budget chasm; if you really can’t tell a good idea from a bad one…

Then may I suggest you ask us, the people who gave you your jobs?  The people for whom you supposedly work?  At least that’s what we hear during campaigns:  “I want to go to Tallahassee to represent my constituents, my people.”

If that’s still the case, here’s a little advice from the people:

We don’t want to see funding for our schools cut even further.

We don’t want to see state employee salaries cut. Times are tough enough already without making it harder for these families, especially when there are other options.

And what are those options?

We, the people you work for, don’t understand the resistance to increasing the cigarette tax.  In fact, Quinnipiac University’s January statewide poll showed that 72% of Florida voters support a full dollar increase.   Why is it that so many of you in the Legislature care more about Big Tobacco than our children and families? Maybe sometime you can explain that.

And we, the people, don’t share the dogmatic objections to approving the Seminole Gaming Compact.   For us the logic is simple – gaming is already happening and the state can either get a share or not. What exactly is the logic to not taking our share in a time of economic crisis?

Sorting out the good ideas from the bad ones isn’t really that difficult, at least outside of Tallahassee.

So whenever you need help, just ask us.   We don’t seem to have the same difficulty figuring out the difference.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Permalink: Why Not Ask Us?