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As the national recession continues to impact Florida's economy, our recently concluded 2009 Legislative Session was marked by the worst budget crisis in our state's history. And I can tell you for certain that balancing the state budget with an unprecedented fiscal deficit of $6 billion made this year the most difficult and challenging session since I was elected to the Florida House of Representatives.
The budget problems we addressed in Tallahassee are no different from what all Floridians are now experiencing in their own budgets as a result of the economic downturn. But rather than dig a bigger hole financed on the backs of Florida's families and small businesses during these tough times, I fought hard to make certain that we focused on strengthening Florida’s economy while prioritizing spending on what is truly important.
A stronger economy helps all Floridians, and will also fund our state's critical needs into the future. That's why I remain laser focused on the innovations needed to help recharge Florida's economy – as well as streamlining government bureaucracy, fixing our workers' comp and property insurance and providing additional property tax relief for all property owners. And I am honored to be recognized for my efforts this session by receiving the 2009 Champion of Business Award from AIF, as well as a 100% voting rating from the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business.
To balance the budget, we made some very tough spending decisions while preserving level funding for the core missions of government – providing our children with the opportunity for a world-class education, ensuring access to critical health care services for the most vulnerable among us and keeping our families safe.
Floridians deserve a government we can afford, and I am proud that over the past two years I have led the way to safeguard these priorities while reducing government spending by more than $5 billion. We were thoughtful in our use of the available federal stimulus dollars and we did not use these funds to increase program spending that would create larger deficits in future years. And for the second year in a row, I made sure that we cut our own legislative salaries by 5% because it is the right thing to do. Unlike Washington, we can't print money or deficit spend - and that's a good thing.
Most importantly, by stopping drastic tax increases that some proposed and implementing a fiscally responsible, long-term budget approach, we are positioning Florida to lead the recovery when the economy turns around.
After several long months in Tallahassee, I am glad to be back home. It truly remains an honor and a privilege to serve you, and I thank you for the opportunity to be your voice in the Capitol on the critical decisions that impact all of us.
All my best,
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