Dem CFO Candidate Loranne Ausley Takes Aim at Republican Foe Jeff Atwater

Former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the Democratic candidate for the state CFO position, took aim at the leadership of the Legislature on Tuesday -- namely her Republican opponent, Senate President Jeff Atwater of North Palm Beach.

Trailing behind Atwater in the money chase, Ausley stood in front of the First District Court of Appeals building in the southeastern part of Tallahassee and criticized the way the Legislature crafted the state budget.

The most critical challenge facing Floridas next CFO is finding a way to put an end to the pay-to-play culture of corruption in Tallahassee, said Ausley. I am running for CFO to end the wasteful, good-old-boy mentality that is crippling our states economy.

Ausley turned her fire to the budget-making process. We need transparency to expose what happens in the budget process, she said.

The former representative from Tallahassee unveiled a number of proposals to reform the system. Ausley said, if elected, she would pull the plug on sweetheart deals and no-bid contracts, and would require full and public disclosure of political contributions from state vendors.

Ausley said she identified more than $300 million being outsourced from the state government for expensive projects -- dollars she insisted would be better spent by state agencies. She also pledged to have sponsors in the Legislature listed for every earmark project and vowed to leave state trust funds intact.

Floridians are looking for their next CFO to change the culture of corruption in Tallahassee, she said. Floridians are fed up with it and so am I.