Florida and California are on two vastly different trajectories under their respective Governors.
Now it is becoming clear which side won the blue state versus red state debate.
And a Florida lawmaker dropped one fact that sent Gavin Newsom into a fit of rage.
Florida in great fiscal shape under the leadership of DeSantis
State Senator Ed Hooper (R-FL) said that while Florida still has plenty of work left to improve things, Floridians can be proud of the fiscal health of the Sunshine State.
“The State of Florida is probably in the best financial condition of any state in the union. And that doesn’t happen by accident,” Hooper told Florida’s Voice. “That takes good planning, good leadership, in a state where people come to, move to, and want to visit.”
Florida’s budget surplus will allow money to be set aside to prepare for a rainy day.
“We have incredible reserves we’re in a position where we can put a fair amount, I think more than $10 billion in reserves,” Hooper said. “We have a nice fund called the CAT fund for hurricane preparedness and spending should a devastating storm hit Florida.”
Hooper said his priority was delivering a balanced budget to the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“We’re required to pass a balanced budget, and we do so every year,” Hooper explained. “It’s our only requirement. But we did so many good things this year like issues that were important to [Senate] President Passidomo, issues that were important to the Governor, issues that are important to the House.”
Meanwhile, in California, the state is living a fiscal nightmare despite some of the highest taxes in the nation.
California resorting to gimmicks to hide a historic budget deficit
California is trying to figure out how to cover a $73 billion budget deficit by June.
The tax and spend policies of Democrat politicians in the Golden State are finally catching up with them.
Federal stimulus money from the pandemic has run dry, and nearly 700,000 residents have fled the state from January 2020 to July 2022.
Despite a historic budget deficit, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed off on the state paying for the healthcare of illegal aliens through Medicaid.
U.S. House Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA), a former state lawmaker, ripped California for showering illegal aliens with taxpayer-funded benefits while the state is broke.
“We’re the only state that’s saying we’re gonna give every single person in this state that’s here illegally free taxpayer funds,” Kiley said. “California is a model of exactly what not to do when it comes to managing a state’s finances and managing its tax system and spending.”
So, the state’s Democrat lawmakers are restoring budget gimmicks to paper over the deficit, like spending delays and deferrals.
California is turning into the poster child of the Democrats’ failed socialist agenda.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
