Voters back Everglades Amendment, Officials flip them the bird
John Hendershot was one of 4.2 million Floridians who voted for Amendment 1, helping it pass by an overwhelming 75 percent majority in November.
For him, there was no mistaking what the ballot measure meant.
"I was convinced that the purpose was to set aside money primarily for environmental lands acquisition purchases and to preserve and protect environmental lands," said Hendershot, a 61-year-old Tampa psychologist. "It was intended to add to, and not to replace, existing funds that were already intended for environmental purposes."
Expectations among Hendershot and many other Amendment 1 supporters were running high as lawmakers began negotiating next year's budget. Advocates estimated Amendment 1 would produce $10 billion over 20 years. Next year alone, the measure is projected to add $741 million in revenue.
The Senate's budget set aside $2 million for the Florida Forever program, which was created in 1999 to fund public land acquisition and was initially authorized to spend $300 million a year. The proposed amount represents an 84 percent cut from this year's budget and $118 million less than what Gov. Rick Scott proposes.
It's clear that lawmakers have gone astray reinterpreting the intent of voters. The Senate budget uses Amendment 1 money to pay the salaries of state workers for the parks and forest services, Florida Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers and employees at the Division of Historical Resources and Cultural Affairs, which frees up money for lawmakers in the state's general fund.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/voters-suggest-amendment-1-funds-were-supposed-to-be-spent-acquiring-land/2222817