20 YEARS OF SAVING TAXPAYERS MONEY
Published: Sunday, October 24, 1999

In this state, the taxpayers have a really good friend in Tallahassee.

He carefully minds how every r tax dollar is raised and how effectively it is spent, working to get more bang for the buck.

He digs deep into state budgets, laws, amendments and public policies, rooting out waste and inefficiency, unfairness and bad judgment.

He finds innovative new ways to measure performance of government leaders and hold them more accountable.

The friend isn't one person; it's a privately funded nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, Florida TaxWatch. All this year, Florida TaxWatch is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and all Floridians should express applause and appreciation for two decades of sustained excellence and achievement.

Under the leadership of President Dominic Calabro, formerly of Hollywood, TaxWatch has become one of the most respected independent government watchdog agencies in America. Its accuracy and integrity are impeccable.

Governors, state Cabinet officers, state lawmakers, government department heads and state employees listen closely to what TaxWatch has to say in hundreds of research reports. This often leads to adoption of state laws, constitutional amendments, budgets and new programs.

Reporters, editorial writers and other government observers make regular use of its in-depth, on-target analyses of complicated public policy questions.

TaxWatch's leadership led to creation of Performance-Based Budgeting, which offers a yardstick to measure how well government agencies do their jobs as a guide for future funding.

Its annual Davis Productivity Awards have paid out up to $100,000 each year to honor 4,000 unsung heroes among state employees and agencies whose work measurably increases productivity, promotes innovation, saves money or adds taxpayer value, amounting to $3 billion over the last 10 years.

Its annual "Turkey Watch" helps spot state budget turkeys -- questionable appropriations -- for possible vetoes, and encourages more responsible budget decision-making. Past governors have vetoed more than $400 million in items from the Turkey Watch list.

TaxWatch's impact has been felt in various areas of government: taxes, spending, budgeting, accountability, operations, education, health and social services, public safety and transportation.

Over 20 years, TaxWatch has documented an astonishing success record. An independent review by researchers at Florida State University and resolutions by governors and Cabinet officers acknolwedge that nearly three-fourths of TaxWatch's cost-saving recommendations have been adopted, saving taxpayers more than $6.2 billion. This translates into $1,067 in added value for every Florida family.

TaxWatch is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan and independent budgetary research agency supported by tax-deductible contributions from many businesses, labor unions, associations, private individuals and foundations. Its official anniversary party and annual meeting will be held Nov. 30 in Tallahassee.

Long ago, TaxWatch learned to go beyond the role of noisy watchdog nipping at politicians' heels. Instead, while retaining its independence, it magnified its influence by partnering with state government, as well as business and civic leaders, in implementing significant reforms.

It's easy to see TaxWatch is an excellent, long-term friend, dedicated to its mission to promote efficient and innovative government, to better inform policy makers and to save money for taxpayers.

Job well done, very well done. Keep up the good work, for at least another 20 years.