Tax commission does Jeb Bush's bidding

[seafan]

Has anyone addressed the question:


Has this commission illegally exceeded the scope of its powers when it forced these unrelated and far-reaching constitutional amendments onto the ballot?



Tax commission does Bush's bidding

St. Petersburg Times
April 28, 2008 7:30 PM

In devoting two ballot questions to school vouchers, the constitutionally empaneled Taxation and Budget Reform Commission removed any doubt about its agenda. The commission, which includes three members of former Gov. Jeb Bush's staff, placed his education legacy at the top of the list.

Never mind that the Florida Constitution directs the commission to "examine the state budgetary process, the revenue needs and expenditure processes of the state, the appropriateness of the tax structure." Forget that the public hearings held throughout Florida were dominated by talk about property taxes. In the end, two of the seven questions for the Nov. 4 ballot will be about school vouchers.

The tribute was led by a commission member, Patricia Levesque, who serves as paid director for the two foundations created to keep Bush's political fortunes alive. And let no one be fooled by what lies ahead. The commission has assured that pro- and antivoucher groups will make Florida a national battleground. The campaign will be ugly, costly, divisive — and just the kind of politics that Bush relished.

The way the commission put the items on the ballot hints at the deceptions that lie ahead. Neither question mentions the word "voucher." The first would remove the prohibition on spending tax dollars "directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination." The second would rework the constitutional guarantee of a "high-quality system of public schools."

.....

Call this Bush's postgubernatorial "devious plan." He and the Legislature repeatedly expanded voucher programs even as courts were ruling against the first program, Opportunity Scholarships. Now he gets a chance at payback, and had the familiar cheek to issue this statement on Friday: "Florida voters, not activist jurists, will ultimately decide the best way to provide a quality education for all of our students." Apparently, "activist" commissioners who go beyond their constitutional power don't bother him.

The worst part about this upcoming voucher fight is the extent to which it will again polarize the debate on education reform.

.....

That cease-fire is about to be blown apart. It's a high price to pay in pursuit of the Bush legacy.

Jeb Bush Ponders Future, Not Knowing What It Holds

January 2, 2007


.....

Small signs suggest, however, that he will have a hard time giving up executive powers. He told reporters that while buying furniture recently, he had to stifle the urge to tell the store owner a better way of doing business — a trait his adversaries say they will not miss.

“Bush was the type that if you did not agree with him, he really didn’t have time for you,” said State Senator Frederica Wilson, Democrat of Miami. “He wanted you to rubber stamp every idea he had, and he wouldn’t listen to reason.”

.....

Several of Mr. Bush’s pet initiatives in fact failed, including a school voucher program that the Florida Supreme Court found unconstitutional.

But Mr. Bush pushed through $19.3 billion in tax cuts, put an unprecedented emphasis on standardized testing in public schools, privatized thousands of government jobs and ended affirmative action in public university admissions. He also persuaded the Scripps Research Institute and other bioscience research groups to open laboratories in Florida, which he says will make the state economy less dependent on tourism and create more high-paying jobs.

And he has appointed more than a third of the state’s judges, assuring that his socially and fiscally conservative beliefs will continue to hold some sway.

While others have emoted about Mr. Bush’s departure — including his father, who wept as he described his second son’s “decency” and “honor” in a speech in Tallahassee last month — he has characteristically avoided introspection. Asked last month what he would miss most about the Governor’s Mansion, he cited its beauty, its staff — and its towels.

He never left.

[SharonAnn]

1. Of course not. There's still lots of taxpayer money that's not flowing into his pockets or into

his cronies projects.

His legacy, every "job" he's ever had, is to find a way to divert into his pocket (or that of his cronies) money from the stream of taxpayer revenue that is supposed to provide government services.

He and his siblings have never built anything, made anything, developed anything, or even marketed anything. They have all focused on "careers" that involve corrupting government processes to divert money to them.

That's all they do. Capture the revenue stream for their personal benefit.

Why? Because it's much easier work and there's LOTS more money involved.

I mean, can you imagine any of the Bush boys holding a real job? Can you?

[seafan]

2. Damned depressing. It's a curse we just can't seem to exorcise n/t