Broward's Budget "Crisis"
Another Story Blown by the Media
Yeh. I posted this before, but the data is so essential to understanding the current budget crisis for local governments that I'm posting it again.
Long ago in a galaxy far, far away where I worked for a small town newspaper, I was taught "news" was less about what happened and more about what it meant to my average reader – who, I was taught has a seventh grade education and the patience of an early adolescent.
And so I learned it was not enough to report City Councilman Paul Yacavona wanted an additional $39,700 for street resurfacing in his district; it was also my task to list each of the pothole-ravaged streets that would be repaired by the city work crews....and the total cost per resident.
In short, as I was told by my editors, context and meaning were just as essential as the basic Who,What,Where,Why and How of my newspaper craft.
But that, as I said, was light years ago when I had all my teeth and I could drive all week on a buck's worth of gas.
So now we have today.....and the very real crisis in local government funding which is causing draconian cuts in next year's budgets.
Which, we're told, has been caused by a huge drop in ad valorem tax revenues
However..
What the local media are missing:
(A) The legacy of the Republican leadership in Tallahassee, which resulted in major funding cutbacks* (and jobs) in state services – and a subsequent increase in local government services and jobs.
(
Local governmental officials spending like drunken sailors, thanks to a flood of advalorem tax revenues generated by skyrocketing real estate values during the past 10 years -- followed by a crash of these same over-inflated values..
*NOTE: The telling numbers below were easily obtained in my dotage from the University of Florida's Statistical Abstract.
Government Employees
…............................1997..............2007.............% change
Total Florida
Population..............14,712,922...18,680,367.....27%
Federal...................120,303.........127,960..........6%
State........................203,842........186,973.........(9%)
Local........................595,984........762,910..........28%
Local Property
Tax Collected*....... $12,885.2.....$31,009.
Per Capita..............$876..............$1,660............89%
2007 dollars**........$1,130...........$1,660............47%
Total Broward
Population...............1,423,729......1,765,707......24%
Federal....................6,998..............7,761.............11%
State........................7,958..............6,233............(22%)
Local........................63,506...........89,510............41%
Local Property
Tax Collected*.......$1,589.3........$3,520.9
Per Capita.............$1,116...........$1,994.............79%
2007 dollars**.......$1,439...........$1,994.............39%
Total Miami Dade
Population...............2,070,573......2,462,292......19%
Federal....................18,086...........19,692.............9%
State........................17,500...........14,385............(22%)
Local........................97,048...........115.588..........19%
Local Property
Tax Collected*......$2,101.3.........$4,774.7
Per Capita............$1,015............$1,939...............91%
2007 dollars**......$1,309............$1,939..............48%
Total Palm Beach
Population..............1,003,798......1,295,033........29%
Federal....................5,735.............6,455...............13%
State........................8,377.............7,529..............(10%)
Local.......................38,855............51,061..............31%
Local Property
Tax Collected*.....$1,306.6.........$3,103.1
Per Capita...........$1,302.............$2,396...............84%
$2007 dollars......$1,679.............$2,396..............43%
*Ad valorem taxes in millions rounded to hundred thousands of dollars
**Based on CPI of 29 percent
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