The 2001 Turkey Watch Report

This year, Florida TaxWatch has identified 528 items placed in the budget valued at $282.8 million. Of the total appropriated for budget turkeys, $129.9 million were found in General Revenue and $152.9 million in trust funds. This year's budget turkeys cost $46 for each Florida family and cost every man, woman and child in Florida $18. (Please see Attachment A for a county-by-county breakdown of turkey dollars that could be more wisely spent.)

In the 18 years of Florida TaxWatch Turkey reviews, this year sees the largest flock of turkeys, exceeding the previous record of $234.7 million set in 1999. In number, this year's 528 just passes 1999's total of 526. This confirms that turkeys are back in full force after a few years of relatively small turkey numbers in the early 1990s (see chart).

What Is A Budget Turkey?

"Budgeting Without Discipline" "Florida voters who place greater importance on projects within their community, at the expense of what are clearly more critical needs of the state majority, must share in the responsibility of the turkey fiasco. Legislators, however well-intentioned and noble when first elected, learn very swiftly that petty parochialism pays off when voters tally the score of the legislative sessions. Those who reward turkey-prone lawmakers with re-election are no less guilty of abuse of the state's trust than are the lawmakers themselves." -- Florida TaxWatch

Florida TaxWatch has been declaring war on budget turkeys since 1983, and the battle continues. As in previous years, it is important to note that the "budget turkey" label does not denote condemnation of a budget item's worthiness. The term merely suggests that, with the state's vast and pressing needs and limited resources, the question must be asked, "Is this the best use of Floridians' state tax dollars?" The priorities of all citizens must be considered. This and previous Turkey Watch reports are not attempts to record only government waste or inefficiency. While in some cases that may be a factor, this report offers an independent assessment about the honesty, integrity and public review of the state's $48.3 billion 2001-2002 budget.

Turkeys are added onto the budget during the legislative process, some very late in the session. This maneuver circumvents normal planning and budgeting processes which, by necessity, require close scrutiny by state agencies, the Governor's Office of Planning and Budgeting, legislative committees, staff and meaningful citizen input. Florida TaxWatch's Turkey Watch criteria make allowances for a considerable amount of legislative initiative. Too often, the normal processes are bypassed or given less than full consideration.

Parochial projects may or may not have merit, but such spending can undercut the spirit of true performance-based program budgeting. Moreover, such spending circumvents accountability, disrupts logical program prioritizations and subordinates statewide concerns to the localized needs or desires of exclusive areas of the state.

What Else Could a Turkey Buy?

One of the best arguments for stopping turkeys is the many urgently needed state services that the funds spent on turkeys would otherwise purchase. Florida TaxWatch investigated other funding opportunities for the revenue appropriated to this year's turkey crop. To show the magnitude of this spending, $282 million could be used to purchase any of the following critically needed social service, educational and statewide needs:

Such projects crowd out legitimate, prioritized items that did compete in a merit-based process. They reduce citizen confidence in the appropriations process and equitable methodology (Whoever has the most votes, wins, regardless of merit, when "political might makes right.").

A merit increase of $500 for the state's top 25% teachers ($18.6 million)

Hire 10,000 new teachers ($263 million)

$120 in additional funding for each K-12 student

Double the number of children being fed in subsidized day care ($71 million)

Fully serve the 170,000 Healthy Start clients ($25.5 million)

Add 50,000 elderly persons to Community Care for the Elderly ($133 million)

Provide a general tax reduction of $46 per household

On June 15th, Governor Bush delivered his veto message on the 2001 - 2002 Budget. On the Governor's list were 302 items (57.1% of the total items) identified by Florida TaxWatch for a total amount of $179 million (62.7% of the total amount).

"That most delicious of all privileges--spending other people's money."
- John Randolph, Early 19th Century Member of Congress

Public money ought to be touched with the most scrupulous conscientious of honor.
It is not the produce of riches only, but of the hard earnings of labor and poverty."
- Thomas Paine