Latest news with #FloridaStateDepartmentofGovernmentalEfficiency
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis' DOGE Plan is a Trojan Horse
Gov. Ron DeSantis announces the creation of the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) task force to pare back state government, in Tampa on Feb. 24, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Executive Office of Gov. Ron DeSantis) Given Gov. Ron DeSantis' penchant for political theater, full embrace of a far-right extremist agenda, and need for attention, it's not surprising that he would attach himself to the Trump-Musk DOGE project. Despite the utter chaos the project has created at the federal level, DeSantis recently announced the creation of a Florida version of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) task force, which he claims will target and eliminate 'waste' in state government, save taxpayers money, and 'ensure accountability' in Florida. The Florida DOGE task force will work similarly to the 'department' created by President Donald Trump and led by Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who is unelected and unaccountable to the American people. Musk and his minions have orchestrated the slashing of agency budgets since Trump came back into office on Jan. 20. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried's response to the announcement captures the absurdity of DeSantis' action. 'Republicans have been in total control of Florida's government for nearly 30 years, and he wants to talk about government waste?' she said. 'Ron has consistently passed the largest state budgets in Florida's history, illegally spent millions of taxpayer dollars to run political campaigns to take down Amendments 3 & 4, and just allocated $250 million to fund his political stunt on immigration. Don't lecture us on wasting taxpayer dollars.' Fried argues everyone knows 'this isn't about reigning in spending — it's about Trump endorsing Byron Donalds instead of Casey DeSantis. Maybe Ron should have considered the political consequences before he decided to run against the leader of his party for president.' DeSantis said the DOGE team will likely shutter 70 boards and commissions this year to cut costs. Meanwhile, the task force will review 900 positions in state agencies to ascertain whether they should be cut. His intention to have the task force 'identify potential wasteful spending in college and university operations' should be viewed as dubious after he signed legislation last year that banned public colleges and universities from using taxpayer money to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The governor's hostility towards Black Floridians and his crusade to eradicate any programs to level the social, political, economic, and business playing fields continue unabated. It's likely that DOGE will be just another tool to eviscerate any entity deemed a threat to DeSantis' implementation of an arch-conservative imprimatur on Florida. There is also the fear that Florida will lose experienced civil servants who not only carry out critical government functions but also carry with them critical institutional memory. As it has played out nationally, the DOGE carousel will distract state employees from focusing on the people's work. If past is prologue, this political power move will increase fear among employees that they may lose their jobs, inducing paralysis among the ranks. Most of all, Florida government's best employees may seek greener pastures to the detriment to the state's people. DeSantis said the task force will use artificial intelligence to reduce 'bureaucratic bloat.' He said the DOGE team will be a continuation of the cost-cutting measures he has overseen during his six years in office. The governor boasted that Florida saved $3.8 billion in last year's budget and has paid down 41% of state debt since 2019. DeSantis' plan comes even though Florida has the lowest number of government employees per capita of any state, and the state has about $14.6 billion in cash reserves. DeSantis' plan comes even though Florida has the lowest number of government employees per capita of any state and $14.6 billion in cash reserves. Yet DeSantis is looking to slash 740 full-time jobs and scrap as many as 900 more related 'off-the-books' positions. Democrats pushed back by noting that Florida already has in place a voter-approved government efficiency task force created in 2006 that carried 'an almost identical mandate;' Florida DOGE therefore itself is an example of unnecessary spending. The effort is really an attempt to flatter Trump and Musk to restore DeSantis to his party's good graces. If Floridians are lucky, the significant pushback verbalized by the leaders of both of Florida's Republican-supermajority legislative chambers may end up with DeSantis' cockamamie plan being tossed to the trash pile. 'Let's focus on what matters. Let's pass actual reforms rather than symbolic gestures,' Daniel Perez, the Florida House speaker, told members on the legislative session's opening day. 'Let's repeal government programs instead of reshuffling them. Let's swing for the fences and not just try to get on base.' Perez turned the knife a little deeper when he said that 'DeSantis, a self-styled fiscal conservative, benefited from a 70% budget increase for the executive office of the governor over his six years in office.' Senate President Ben Albritton, a member of the existing efficiency taskforce, said in remarks to the Senate that he was proud that Florida already 'has a great framework for accountability,' and that he and other lawmakers had made a substantive number of recommendations 'to improve flexibility [and] simplify processes.' 'The fact is we are a state and nation of laws that should be created by elected officials accountable to the people who elected them, not appointed professional staff,' he said. None of this may matter though, because DeSantis has his eyes firmly set on running for the White House in 2028, which necessitates rebuilding the frayed ties with Trump and his loyal supporters, as well as positioning his wife Casey to run for governor when he sets down in 2027. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Axios
01-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Hillsborough resolution would welcome Florida DOGE to examine county's books
Hillsborough County's GOP leaders are eager to welcome a state audit. A resolution on Wednesday's agenda would have the Board of County Commissioners commit to "fully and transparently participate" in Florida's own DOGE program. Why it matters: This is the commission's second attempt to make such a commitment, though the latest stops short of explicitly requesting an audit. Catch up quick: Gov. Ron DeSantis created the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) task force in February, modeled and named after the Trump administration's cost-cutting initiative. GOP commissioner Joshua Wostal — who has fought against what he deems "budgetary waste" and called an end to property taxes since being elected in 2022 — pitched asking the state DOGE for an audit. Wostal proposed that he be the point-of-contact of the audit, but two of his Republican colleagues, commissioners Christine Miller and Ken Hagan, sided with Democrats to nix the item. Driving the news: The commission will vote on Miller's proposal at Wednesday's meeting, which calls for sending a letter to DeSantis pledging to collaborate with the state DOGE team.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Among Florida DOGE tasks: Use AI to cut unnecessary spending. 11 things to know
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday, Feb. 24, the creation of a Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) task force. "Florida was DOGE before DOGE was cool," a graphic posted by the governor on X, formerly known as Twitter, said. "Florida has set the standard for fiscally conservative governance, and we will work with our new DOGE task force to do even more to serve the people of Florida with responsible stewardship of tax dollars," DeSantis said. ➤ Gov. DeSantis establishes Florida version of DOGE, will cut positions, audit universities 'I'm excited about this effort to take some of what we've seen in Washington that they're doing with Elon Musk and apply it to Florida,' DeSantis said at a press conference in Tampa on Monday. The Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency Task Force will "work to further eliminate waste with state government, save taxpayers money and ensure accountability in Florida," DeSantis said. The governor said over the next year, the state will attempt to sunset 70 state boards and commissions, cut 900 positions, require universities to undergo independent reviews and audits, and look into local government expenditures. Among actions the task force will take are: Colleges and Universities: Florida will conduct a deep dive into all facets of college and university operations and spending, and make recommendations to the Board of Governors and State Board of Education to eliminate any wasteful spending. DeSantis said the state would conduct a deep dive of university operations and spending, including debt and financial management practices. It will also include examining course catalogs and staff to 'ensure that Florida students are receiving an education that will best equip them to gain meaningful employment after graduation.' State agencies: Florida will utilize AI to supplement our ongoing efforts to review operations at our state agencies and identify more ways to cut unnecessary spending and eliminate bureaucracy. "In particular, I am requiring state agencies to utilize AI as a way to supplement our ongoing efforts to produce streamlined and cost-effective government. Federal DOGE efforts have demonstrated the power of cutting edge technology, and I look forward to Florida's DOGE task force doing even more for taxpayers," DeSantis posted on X. Unused federal dollars: Florida will aid DOGE's federal efforts to save taxpayers' money by returning unused or surplus federal dollars allocated to the state. Local governments: Our state task force will look into local government expenditures by utilizing publicly available county and municipal spending records to expose bloat with local governance. Eliminating bureaucracy: Florida will abolish an additional 70 boards and commissions this year. 'Ron DeSantis needs to shut his d--- mouth,' said Nikki Fried, chairperson of the Florida Democratic Party. 'Republicans have been in total control of Florida's government for nearly 30 years, and he wants to talk about government waste? 'Ron has consistently passed the largest state budgets in Florida's history, illegally spent millions of taxpayer dollars to run political campaigns to take down Amendments 3 & 4 and just allocated $250 million to fund his political stunt on immigration. Don't lecture us on wasting taxpayer dollars. ➤ Will a DeSantis run again? Poll favors Florida governor's wife, Trump may favor this candidate 'We all know this isn't about reigning in spending — it's about Trump endorsing Byron Donalds instead of Casey DeSantis. Maybe Ron should have considered the political consequences before he decided to run against the leader of his party for president.' Among the requirements outlined in the governor's executive order were: Recommend legislative reforms to promote efficiency, maximize productivity, and eliminate waste in state and local government. Recommendations will be made to the governor, chief financial officer, president of the Senate and speaker of the House no later than Sept. 30. Each state agency shall establish a DOGE team that shall be responsible for utilizing advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, as part of ongoing efforts to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending, programs, or contracts within the agency. Each agency DOGE team shall report its progress to the governor's DOGE team on a monthly basis. The executive order became effective immediately and will expire March 31, 2026. Florida has had a Government Efficiency Task Force since 2007, after voters approved an amendment to the Florida Constitution in 2006. The agency is required to meet every four years "for the purpose of developing recommendations to improve governmental operations and reduce costs." The task force is made up 15 members, with five each appointed by DeSantis, the Senate president and the House speaker. The next meeting of the group is set for Feb. 26. According to its website, it met twice in 2024, four times in 2020, and once in 2019. In addition, two subcommittees — Government Operations and Tech & Innovation — were scheduled to meet in 2019. Contributing: Ana Goñi-Lessan, USA Today Network-Florida This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida DOGE created by Gov. Ron DeSantis. 11 things to know
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Serve the people': Gov. DeSantis signs executive order to create Florida DOGE task force
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the creation of the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency task force on Monday. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< It aims to 'further eliminate waste within state government, save taxpayers money, and ensure accountability in Florida,' according to a news release. The task force will eliminate bureaucracy, review colleges and universities, further examine state agencies, audit local governments, and return unused and surplus federal dollars. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'Florida has set the standard for fiscally conservative governance, and our new Florida DOGE task force will do even more to serve the people of Florida,' DeSantis said in the release. 'It will eliminate redundant boards and commissions, review state university and college operations and spending, utilize artificial intelligence to further examine state agencies to uncover hidden waste, and even audit the spending habits of local entities to shine the light on waste and bloat.' The task force will serve a one-year term. Click here to read the executive order. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DeSantis launches task force to boost government efficiency
FLORIDA (WMBB) – Today Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order creating the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency, or DOGE, task force. DeSantis says the task force will work to further eliminate waste within state government, save taxpayers money, and ensure accountability in Florida. The task force's goal is to abolish an additional 70 boards and commissions this year, conduct a deep dive into college and university operations and spending, and make recommendations to the board of governors and state board of education to eliminate any wasteful spending. UPDATE: PCPD releases more information on deadly road-rage shooting As well as to use AI to help review the operations of state agencies and identify more ways to cut unnecessary spending and eliminate bureaucracy, audit local government expenditures to expose bloat, return unused & surplus federal dollars, and aid DOGE's federal efforts by returning unused or surplus federal dollars allocated to the state. The task force will serve a one-year term which will sunset following the completion of the term. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
