Local Issues - Local Topics
Everyday new issues crop up in our area. Here are some of the most
pressing.
The Power Pyramid
Elections
The Homeless
FPL Rate Increase
Volusia County Teachers and
support Pay
Beach Driving
CRA
Taxes
Medical Marijuana
Other current topics
DON’T TURN AWAY
What Big John might call the “least worst” session of the Florida Legislature
in recent years has closed its run, with final judgement on its
accomplishments awaiting the results of possible veto actions by the
Governor. The media attention now turns to some of those outcomes, but
the spotlight dims on the way legislation really is created.
For those concerned with the way government impacts our lives and
pocketbooks, the end of the session should mean the start of planning and
action for the next one. That’s the way the lobbyists and big money players
work, and the way people can actually make a difference in whether actions
taken in Tallahassee are done TO us or FOR us.
For example, the rule of thumb is that legislation tinged with controversy
usually takes two or three sessions to win approval or be permanently
shelved. What current members said during this session and what
candidates will say between now and the November election will tell a lot
about what happens in 2017 and beyond.
For example, if you care about education, looking at the positions of
legislators and candidates on the issue of taking money from public schools
to fund the growth of Charter schools and move them further from local
controls. There are 251,000 youngsters enrolled in 650 Charter schools and
2,7 million in more than 3,600 District schools, but some house members
pushed hard to provide $90 million of capital funding for the charters and
only 50 million for all the rest. Good charter schools are generally
applauded for contributing to quality education. But how much tax dollar
funding they should have is a real question and the time to get it discussed
is during elections, when candidates listen, and before the next Legislature
convenes.
Don’t think that gambling issues are dead. Or the tug of war between taxi
companies and the ride-share operators like Uber and Lyft are sidelined.
The National Rifle Association saw pet legislation shot down, but don’t think
their efforts are stalled. A ban on providing public funds for organizations
associated with abortion clinics passed late in the session, assuring
candidates for the House and Senate will hear about those issues during the
summer and fall.
Other issues that have the potential to affect lifestyle and taxes that you
may want to form and express an opinion on include:
· Planning for the impact of ocean rise, which in the next decade will
impact some 60% of Florida’s population living within 10 miles of the
coastline.
· The related impact of salt water intrusion on the water table, and the
availability of fresh water to sustain the current population, and
support continued growth.
· Florida’s connection to the national concern with lead contamination,
more here from pipes in older homes than water systems. Whose
responsibility is it to detect and correct problem areas?
· Expansion of gambling. From the Seminole Compact to adding more
card rooms, many dollars ride on outcomes.
· Environmental Protection. The Governor and Legislature have
diverted Department of Environmental Protection funds for operation
and acquisitions that citizens had been assured were “locked in” for
operating expenses of other departments replacing general revenue.
In the current session those who care didn’t make enough noise to
stop the pickpocket practices.
· Judicial Reform. From inequities in bail bonds from county to county
to uniform sentencing to deteriorating prisons, the system is generally
considered in need of major overhaul. Do taxpayers support that
effort?
· Infrastructure. Bridges. Water and sewer lines. Waterways vital to
tourism and commerce. Public buildings. The wheels on which
government provides public services are shaky and starting to fall off.
Piecemeal patching is costly and inefficient. Planning isn’t apt to
happen unless taxpayers demand it.
· State vs. County. The Legislature has moved in the current session to
usurp a variety of controls long considered the province of the
counties. Control of transportation services (i.e. Uber, et al); county
control over fracking; setting election dates and a variety of other
“nibbles” at prerogatives that counties, especially those with Home
Rule charters like Volusia, have considered their responsibility. The
trend does not seem likely to go away and those who care should
speak out while they can still be heard.
These are just a few of the issues that will benefit from discussion during the
election season and before the next legislative session. Use GovGripes on
this site to share with us items that concern you. Too few of us realize that,
thanks to committee work and year-round lobbying, major issues are often
largely decided before the Legislature is called to order. Tallahassee is a
stage on which actions are formalized, but those actions are shaped by the
input Legislators and decision makers deal with at home.
USE GOVGRIPES AND COMMENTS
If you have an issue on which you’d like more information or information
you’d like to share with others who care about keeping government
responsive, use the GovGripes/Comments tab at the top of the page to let
us know. We’ll seek answers, if the interest is wide, we’ll suggest Big John
discuss it on GovStuff Live!, or take your comment to an appropriate official
or bureaucrat to see what they say. If you have a violation of a city or
county code in your neighborhood, or see one elsewhere, grab a picture and
send it to us to add to our Code Red tab. The goal is to make it hard to
ignore the many violations that foster blight when ignored. It’s another way
YOU can make a difference.