Lame Duck Crist Demands Legislative Action to Get Federal Funds

Its fair to say that Gov. Charlie Crist has been at loggerheads with Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, all year. From the protracted fight over SB 6 to the less-than-an-hour special session of the House earlier in the summer, the Republican leadership of the Legislature and the governor who abandoned the GOP to continue his bid for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation have not exactly had a healthy relationship in 2010.

Crist took a parting shot at the Republican leadership in a letter he sent to both Atwater and Cretul on Tuesday.

I would like to bring to your attention that $31.5 million in federal funds are immediately available to stimulate Floridas economic recovery and assist Florida homeowners and businesses, wrote Crist. However, my request to include an item on the agenda for todays Legislative Budget Commission meeting was not taken up, thereby denying Floridas businesses and homeowners immediate access to these funds, which could provide rebates for installing solar panels and for upgrading residential heating and air-conditioning systems.

I am disappointed that this matter was not on todays Legislative Budget Commission meeting agenda, continued Crist -- though it could not have been that surprising, considering the tension between the governor and the Republican leadership. Florida has already received federal approval to use the funds; however, legislative authority is still needed. I continue to encourage you to act quickly so that these funds can begin flowing into Floridas marketplace and most importantly, begin providing jobs for Floridians.

Crist then focused on one of the biggest points of contention between conservative Republicans and the moderate former Republican governor -- his support of the federal stimulus backed by President Barack Obama.

As you are aware, the Florida Legislature created the popular solar rebate program in 2006 to encourage homeowners and businesses to switch to solar power, and due to the programs extreme popularity, a $52 million backlog exists, added Crist. Thanks to the good work of Floridas Energy Office, the United States Department of Energy has agreed to authorize the use of $13.9 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to reduce that backlog. Without your action, these funds cannot support Floridas economic recovery.

In addition, Florida was able to secure $17.5 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for HVAC rebates, continued Crist, still focusing on the stimulus. These rebates give Floridians an incentive to replace their heating and air-conditioning systems with more energy-efficient systems that will reduce energy consumption and create new green-energy jobs throughout Florida. Again, without your action, these funds cannot support Floridas economic recovery.

Crist ended with a plea.

In light of Florida securing federal approval to access these federal funds, it is with a sense of urgency that I again call on you to immediately ensure that the Legislative Budget Commission takes action to remedy this situation as soon as possible. Legislative authorization of these $31.5 million will benefit Floridas economy today, as well as create a cleaner Florida for future generations.

With Crist running for the U.S. Senate, Atwater running for CFO and Cretul running for the front porch to retire, all three men are lame ducks -- but their last months in office are shaping up to play out like most of 2010, with the governor and the legislative leadership on different pages altogether.