Florida TaxWatch Center for Educational Performance and Accountability Public Education Capital Outlay Saturday, April 30, 2011 / Categories: Research, Education This report shows how Florida's system of funding the capital outlays of educational facilities is complex and subject to fluctuation by circumstances unrelated to need. Read more
Expansion of Civil Citation Programs Statewide Would Save Money and Improve Public Safety Thursday, March 31, 2011 / Categories: Research, Corrections/Judicial Diverting juvenile offenders from the traditional juvenile justice model is paying big dividends in public safety and savings. This report shows how some counties are going about this and why others should create their own civil citation programs. Read more
A Billion Dollars and Growing: Why Prison Bonding is Tougher on Florida's Taxpayers Than on Crime Thursday, March 31, 2011 / Categories: Research, Corrections/Judicial Florida's prison population is growing while public safety is diminishing. This report outlines the reasons for this discrepancy and shows how other states are dealing with similar issues. Read more
Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2011 Thursday, March 31, 2011 / Categories: Research, Taxes "This symbolic date assumes that every dollar earned since January 1 goes to pay federal, state, and local tax obligations. " Read more
Florida Taxpayers Spend Millions Annually on Communications and Legislative Affairs Staff in State Agencies Thursday, March 31, 2011 / Categories: Research This report delves into the salary structure and varied job titles of communications workers and legislative affairs employees. Read more
Summary of the Florida TaxWatch April 2011 Briefing: Benefits of the Sunshine State's Investment in the Solar Renewable Energy Sector Thursday, March 31, 2011 / Categories: Research, Energy & Environment, Transportation Florida's window of opportunity to become a leader in solar and renewable energy manufacturing is rapidly closing. This briefing details the status quo and what needs to be done to make the state competitive with those states that have done more in the clean energy field. Read more
Benefits of the Sunshine State's Investment in the Solar Renewable Energy Sector Thursday, March 31, 2011 / Categories: Research, Energy & Environment, Transportation "Putting the 'sun' in Sunshine State, this report examines steps already taken in solar energy and what impact further steps would have on the Florida economic outlook. " Read more
State Competitiveness Indices & Rankings: What National Rankings Tell Us about Florida's Competitiveness Monday, February 28, 2011 / Categories: Research, Economic Development "From corporate tax to personal income tax to property tax, this report shows how Florida compares to southeastern states as well as the nation. " Read more
Mitigating Unemployment Comp Tax Increases Facing Employers Using Cost Saving Recommendations to Help Pay Federal Loan Obligations and Enacting Reforms Can Help Monday, February 28, 2011 / Categories: Research, Economic Development The high cost of unemployment hit the state coffers hard. This report shows what happens when the state paid out more in unemployment benefits than it collected in the trust fund used to provide benefits to jobless Floridians. Read more
The Governor's Budget Recommendations for FY 2011-12 First Proposed Budget a Bold Plan for Spending Cuts- Tax Relief Monday, January 31, 2011 / Categories: Research, Budget/Approps, Taxes "Just weeks after being sworn in as governor, Rick Scott released his first budget which called for several billion dollars in spending cuts and the layoff of thousands of state workers. " Read more
Florida Remains a Donor State Even Through The Great Recession Friday, December 31, 2010 / Categories: Research, Cost Savings Florida receives less money in federal grants to state and local governments than nearly every other state. This report examines the reasons why the Florida pays more than it gets back. Read more
Briefing: Corrections 2.0: A Proposal to Create a Continuum of Care in Corrections through Public-Private Partnerships Friday, December 31, 2010 / Categories: Research, Corrections/Judicial "Many current correctional systems operate under policy decisions made decades ago, a leading factor in persistently high recidivism rates. This report shows how private sector involvement could be the key to improved inmate outcomes. " Read more