Florida's Low-Tax/Spend-More Conundrum
"Florida Republicans swept to historic majorities in this month's elections by attacking Democrats as big taxers, but the post-campaign reality of a dour economy is splitting the state's GOP leadership on taxes," reports the Miami Herald today.

The story continues on, saying that incoming House Speaker Johnnie Byrd is "warning fellow Republicans to stick to their anti-tax principles," while new Senate President Jim King, also allegedly a Republican, is "refusing to rule out a tax increase."

The GOP holds a 2-1 majority in the Florida legislature and Republican Gov. Jeb Bush just won a landslide reelection. But voters approved a constitutional limit on public school class sizes, and meeting that mandate "could cost up to $3 billion next year," says the Herald.

In a speech to fellow Republican lawmakers, Byrd (he's the anti-ax increase Republican) ridiculed the notion that a tight state budget or the class-size amendment justify raising taxes, and that pro-tax forces are out of step with the bedrock Republican principles that gave the GOP its majority, the Herald reports. Said Byrd: "If the principles that got us here are good enough to get us here, they're good enough to take us through the challenges that lay ahead. Now is no time to take our rudder out of the water, to stick our finger in the wind. This is the time to stay the course and lead this state based on Republican principles." The Herald says he got a standing ovation.

It seems to me if the people of Florida voted for both the class-size limit and for the legislature to be held by anti-tax Republicans, the voters' will is clear: reduce class sizes, but don't raise taxes to do it. In other words, prioritize, economize and cut the rest of government down in size. It's only hard to do if you lack the will to do it.

UPDATE: The Florida Times-Union of Jacksonville is reporting that King - the allegedly Republican state Senate leader who wants government to have more money even if it means a tax increase - is supporting expanding gambling in the state to enrich government coffers.

King, a Jacksonville Republican, said senators will take up a bill during the spring legislative session that would allow video lottery games - similar to slot machines - at greyhound tracks, horse tracks and jai alai frontons.

It's unclear whether the Senate will pass the bill or whether the House and Gov. Jeb Bush would go along. But King said it could help solve budget problems that worsened this month when voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring smaller school class sizes.

Those budget problems have led state leaders, including King and Bush, to say Florida might be forced to raise taxes or slash services.

"My feeling is if we could get up to $1 billion from allowing video lottery in pari-mutuel [racetrack and jai alai] facilities, I think there are a lot of us who would rather do that than come up with $1 billion in new taxes," said King.

The good news: King is at least looking for a way to avoid a general tax increase. The bad news: he isn't talking about reducing spending or streamlining government.