Rick Scott looses big time against state workers!!!

[Sancho]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/03/judge-rules-against-the-state-orders-legislature-to-stop-collecting-from-employee-salaries.html

"In a dramatic defeat to the Florida Legislature's effort to close its gaping budget hole, a Leon County court judge declared Tuesday that lawmaker's decision last year to cut state and local government worker salaries three percent was unconstitutional and ordered them to return the money with interest.

Circuit Court Judge Jackie Fulford said that the legislature's decision to turn to state employee salaries to help them close their budget gap was an "an unconstitutional impairment of plaintiff's contract with the State of Florida, an unconstitutional taking of private property without full compensation, and an abridgement of the rights of public employees to collectively bargain over conditions of employment."

Lawyers for Gov. Rick Scott and the House and Senate refused to comment on the ruling although Senate President Mike Haridopolos said Monday that if Fulford ruled against the state it would be the "ultimate case of judicial activism" and predicted they would immediately appeal the ruling.

The ruling leaves a $1 billion budget hole in the state budget for this year and another $1 billion hole for the 2012-13 budget year. It also has a $600 million impact on county governments whose employees are in the Florida Retirement System. An appeal, however, would postpone the impact on the budget."


Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/03/judge-rules-against-the-state-orders-legislature-to-stop-collecting-from-employee-salaries.html#storylink=cpy

[HockeyMom]

1. I quite working for the state of Florida

It was bad before Scott, but now with him as Governor, it is intolerable. I would rather clean toilet bowls than work as a public employee under Scott.

[Sancho]

2. Debbie and I have taught in three states...

at least Florida has collective bargaining. I'll always be a union member, and this court case is why we have unions! It's worse in states without unions.

[LiberalFighter]

3. If they had an income tax they could possibly resolve part of the problem.