Floridians Deserve an Accountable And Transparent Budgeting Process

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Categories: Op-Eds

Too few Floridians have the time to keep an eye on Tallahassee to make sure lawmakers are making prudent decisions with your money. That’s why Florida TaxWatch – the state’s premier independent government watchdog group – is on the job. It is part of our mission is to ensure that your money is invested wisely in schools, transportation and many other areas while protecting the public’s right to know.

Ports Are Creating High-Paying, High-Growth Jobs That Help All Of The Sunshine State

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Categories: Op-Eds

With four of Florida ports among the nation’s top 25 container ports and three among the top cruise ports in the world, the economic vitality of Florida’s ports should be an important focus of our state leaders. These ports are hubs of commerce and tourism that generate high-paying, sustainable jobs for Floridians while cementing our role and brand as the gateway for the Americas.

We Must Continue Fight To Protect Public's Right To Maintain A Vigilant Eye On Their Elected Officials

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 / Categories: Op-Eds

The cornerstone of our constitutional democratic republic is protecting citizens’ right to full and public notice when their elected officials are discussing or making decisions that could affect everyone’s daily lives. As a non-partisan research taxpayer research institute that focuses on promoting government accountability and transparency, Florida TaxWatch supports the use of public notices in local newspapers of record by government entities to notify citizens of meetings and votes.

It is Time to Free Professionals and Technology to Provide Better and More Affordable Health-Care for Floridians

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Categories: Op-Eds

Florida TaxWatch has been a leader in making sure residents of the Sunshine State have access to affordable health care options,‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨saving millions of dollars and countless lives.

Expanding Job Opportunities for Non-Violent Offenders

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Categories: Op-Eds

With more than‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨100,000‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨inmates‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨behind bars,‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨Florida’s correctional population is among the largest in the United States.

One of the primary causes for the high population is that more than two-thirds of offenders are re-arrested and‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨more than one-in-four‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨return to prison within three years of their release.‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨When these individuals cycle in and out of state and local facilities,‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨they run up an enormous bill that is shouldered by Florida taxpayers.‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨It costs an average of‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨nearly‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨$19,000‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨per year to house an inmate‚Ä≠ – ‚Ä¨more than three times the cost of tuition at the University of Florida.‚Ä≠

Floridians Have Historic Opportunity to Control Their Government

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 / Categories: Op-Eds

While virtually every Floridian has some interaction with state government,‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨it is easy for the average citizen to feel distanced from the political process of Tallahassee.‚Ä≠ ‚Ä¨And it can be easy for our elected leaders to feel distanced from their constituents if they do not regularly hear from the voters.

But every Floridian has a unique opportunity to share suggestions on how to make their state government more efficient and effective.

Florida Students Deserve Higher Bar for Accountability

Saturday, November 28, 2015 / Categories: Op-Eds

Florida students deserve the chance to succeed in their education, their careers and their lives.

Measuring how well our schools are doing is critical to their success. For years, Florida has had clear and transparent school grades. These grades have been used not only to grade our schools, but to provide support for how to improve them.

Florida the New High-Tech Frontier

Sunday, June 14, 2015 / Categories: Op-Eds

Silicon Valley is synonymous with global technology, but could Florida be the next frontier? A new high-tech hub being developed outside Orlando will thrust the Sunshine State into the global advanced manufacturing industry, and promises high-skill jobs, new capital and the influence of a multibillion dollar industry.

Taxpayers Deserve More Than Checking The Box

Wednesday, April 8, 2015 / Categories: Op-Eds

Florida taxpayers and their children are facing more than $10.5 billion in debt due to increasingly rich and consistently over-promised government pensions.

These obligations will be paid by taxpayers who don't have access to similar benefits in the private sector, because pension plan beneficiaries take on no risk, yet the taxpayers indemnify losses. State laws have forced hard-working taxpayers into larger losses because of their mandates to increase required local government benefits.

Recalculating Class Size Keeps Classrooms Small, Allows for Investment in Students and Teachers

Monday, March 30, 2015 / Categories: Op-Eds

A nonpartisan report from Florida TaxWatch analyzes the opportunities to reform the state’s class size restrictions to better educate Florida students. The solution would reduce class size compliance costs and increase the investment in other, proven tools to increase student achievement. TaxWatch recommends that the state uniformly employ a class size calculation that is discriminately used for only some public schools, which would result in a multi-billion dollar savings for Florida taxpayers. By adjusting the calculation of class sizes to a school level average, schools would be able to keep classes small without handcuffing principals and administrators who are tasked with creating a positive learning environment for all students.