Speaking Of Transparency
The St. Petersburg Times does a follow-up on the Sansom/Richburg indictments: Grand jury calls on Florida Legislature to make budget process transparent
TALLAHASSEE — The grand jury that charged Rep. Ray Sansom and college president Bob Richburg with crimes Friday saved its harshest criticism for the Legislature itself — for backroom dealing and a culture dominated by special interest money that “has the potential to breed corruption.”
“The appropriation process that gives unbridled discretion to the president of the Senate, speaker of the House of Representatives and appropriation chairmen needs to be changed. This state should be guided in openness and transparency,” the grand jury report said. “This process allows taxpayer money to be budgeted for special purposes by those few legislators who happen to be in a position of power.”
Of course the Republicans say you can’t have a publicly debated budget – it would be too political.
As opposed to what? I would note that the Republicans also felt the grand jury report was political for noticing the lack of transparency.
Grand juries in Florida, and most states, have the right to investigate anything they feel like, not just what a prosecutor brings before them.
