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Florida Government Spending Report
OBJECTIVE OF REPORT
by Michael Hodges
- notice > updated March 2004 -
- a chapter of the Grandfather Economic Reports - |
- Being concerned about the economic future faced by my children and infant grandchildren,
I am studying various historic data trends both nationally and of the Florida state and
local government level. The approach was to compare various economic conditions facing the
young to the conditions existing when my generation was much younger.
- It is my belief that the future economic well-being, standards of living, and freedom of
choice are highly dependent upon a larger private sector not dependent upon government.
Therefore, government's share of our total economy should not be larger for the younger
generation than it was when I was young. And, ideally, it should be smaller.
- The report has two series:
- the National series of nation-wide data, the Big-Picture, called the Grandfather Economic Report
(https://grandfather-economic-report.com/). The national report covers many economic subjects,
showing comparisons between generations: federal and state & local government spending
nation-wide, regulation costs, foreign trade, family incomes, social security, foreign
exchange, productivity, debt, inflation, private sector size, and education.
- the State of Florida series, called the Grandfather Florida Government
Spending Report ( https://grandfather-economic-report.com/florida.htm ), which you
are now viewing. The Florida report in the first release will include state & local
government spending vs. private sector size trends, with a format similar to the national
series. It is possible the Florida report will later be expanded to include education
quality-cost trends and productivity compliance costs, similar to the format used in the
national report.
(a reading of the National series is advisable to better understand the
implications of the Florida series)
What I found, at the national level and at the State of Florida
level, made me concerned and ashamed of the potential legacy of my generation to that of
our children and grandchildren.
- My objective with this report is to communicate the findings to others . The need to
address significant reductions in the share of Florida's economy made up of both state and
local government spending is indicated. Revenues are not the problem. The problem is
spending as a share of our Gross State Product and the number of government employees in
relation to our State population - - - compared to the past - - - and the trends.
- It is my wish that this information will receive its highest and best use by those in a
position of leadership, who have the will, courage and intelligence to promptly take
effective corrective action. Our children and grandchildren depend upon it. They deserve
it.
THIS REPORT IS INTENDED AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO HIGHLIGHT GOVERNMENT SPENDING DOMINANCE
AND EFFICIENCY ISSUES. IT IS HOPED A STATE OF EVEN MORE ECONOMIC VITALITY, WITH A MUCH
LARGER SHARE OF THE ECONOMY DEVOTED TO THE FREE-MARKET PRIVATE SECTOR, MAY BE REALIZED FOR
THE NEXT GENERATION - which includes the author's four, Florida-born grandchildren.
[Certain Florida data in this report is from the Division of Economic
& Demographic Research, Joint Legislative Management Committee, The Florida
Legislature, Tallahassee, Florida. Other data from Chief Analyst State Office of Planning
& Budgeting, Tallahassee. Additional data is from the U.S. Census Bureau, Government
Division and the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Commerce Dept. Several general
conceptual approaches, and some data for certain nation-wide charts, have been provided by
Nobel Laureate economist Milton
Friedman]
The presentations, charts and text are by the author. Suggestions,
corrections and updated data should be forwarded to the author to help make this report as
accurate as possible, and to further assist open communication and distribution to others.
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