Senate President Mike Haridopolos told a gathering of news reporters Wednesday that “it’s very liberating not to run for office this year” but didn’t veer from his practice of offering carefully-worded answers to pointed questions.
Haridopolos' most enlightening comment came at the end when he said that the Senate may steer away from the practice last year of using 42 conforming bills to pass substantial legislation: "We can improve that part of the process."
On his push to appeal a court ruling that overturned the prison privatization plan: “We strongly believe we did it the right way...In a very simple way, here’s our choice: We can spend $22 million minimum on prisons or we can put that money on schools and health care.”
He didn’t answer what lawmakers will do if the court overturns the law that cut state worker salaries to pay into the state retirement fund so they could shift $1 billion into the general fund.
On whether legislators will approach issues more cautiously this session because of reapportionment: “It will make an already troublesome process more difficult.” He said, “Will the courts agree with our philosophy on it? That’s a whole ‘nother matter. There is contradictory information on it.”
On reprimanding Sen. Alan Hays whose comments last week insulted some members of the Hispanic caucus: "I've talked to Sen. Hays. I think he regrets it...He just didn't speak it the way he meant to...We all say things we regret."
On proposed casinos legislation: “This is not me telling people how to vote. If people have not heard we have gambling in the state it exists and we are going to do it the right way.”
On the U.S. Senate race, in which he announced he will endorse Congressman Connie Mack: "I want to see us elevate the political discussion…There has been a lot of finger pointing."
that the multiplicative eefcft of the USA lay-off will be 3:1, with eventually 21,000 jobs being affected.It seems selfish to me to complain about having to contribute 1-3% to a retirement plan that you will at least get back at some point in the future when the majority of workers will receive either nothing or must contribute 50% or greater. My income has been cut by 75% since 2008 and we have had to suspend pension fundings altogether to avoid laying off MORE people.While I find most politicians to be selfish and repulsive, I will support anyone who wants to try to stop the hell-bound train of spending and debt in this country.Good points Ronnie. Refresh my memory. Who is going to run against him?
Posted by: Rahul | April 23, 2012 at 12:10 AM