The biggest target of the veto pen: $305 million targeted for environmental land buys. Scott also cut $169 million in college projects and vetoed scores of hometown spending lawmakers earmarked for their districts. Scott blamed “special interests” for the “shortsighted, frivolous, wasteful spending” — thereby irking some of his fellow Republicans who control the Legislature. Some accused him of hypocrisy, others of inflating his veto amount with financial gimmickry. Below a banner that read “Promises Made, Promises Kept,” Scott brandished his red Sharpie veto pen and called on legislators to use some of the freed-up money to bolster education. “I’m confident that most of us agree that school funding is far more important than spending those dollars on alligator marketing, or boat racing or anything else that the Tallahassee insiders think is so important,” Scott said, pointing to a few of the line items he vetoed. Scott never mentioned the fact he originally called for a bigger cut to schools than the Legislature ultimately approved.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/27/2237989/gov-scotts-615-million-budget.html#ixzz1Nh4TYfNQ
