Budget Turkeys
They call the items turkeys. Parks, recycling and some health care funds have all been identified as budget turkeys.
TaxWatch President Dominic Calabro says given the tough budget year he expected to come home empty handed from his turkey hunting trip.
"I’m surprised. We were really hoping that when it was all said and done, they would just, slam it down," saud Calabro.
TaxWatch identified 133 birds totaling more than 110 million dollars.
Among the turkeys, two million dollars to finish a pharmacy school on FAMU’s campus. Senator Al Lawson says the school needs the money for its accreditation.
"To put this on the turkey list is really incomprehensible because this is a great thing for the state of Florida that helps bring in Federal dollars from the National Science Foundation," said Lawson.
In addition, funding for Family Café, a nonprofit helping families with disabled children, is also on the turkey list. Eldalee Cook’s son has cerebral palsy. Family Café helped her find help for her boy. Cook begs Governor Crist to give the Family Café turkey a pardon.
"Numbers on papers don’t show you our pain and I pray that you look at our pain and see how we’re going through this cause it hurts and cutting it back isn’t helping anyone, finding a solution will,' said Cook.
In addition, The Community Medical Care Center- ER Diversion program in Lake and Sumter Counties and the Silver Springs Water Quality Improvement Plan in Marion County are also on the turkey watchdog list.
In the end it will be up the governor to decide which turkeys get the ax.
Last year Governor Charlie Crist vetoed about 70 percent of the budget turkeys TaxWatch Identified.
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