Politics

Blaise Ingoglia backs bill with penalties for local government overspending and taxation

Published

11 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer has bashed nearly a dozen local governments for what he calls overtaxation and overspending in the past several months. Now, he’s shifting his focus to propose a bill that would institute more state controls over municipal finances.

CFO Blaise Ingoglia held a news conference in Tampa where he outlined several elements of legislation that will be taken up by the House and Senate when the Legislative Session begins Jan. 13.

“Almost every local government we have reviewed … has shown zero fiscal restraint,” Ingoglia said. “They just took the tax money and they spent it.”

To bring some of that spending under control, the legislation would establish what he calls the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight as a permanent initiative and agency.

The move comes after Ingoglia began analyzing local government spending in different municipalities in the Summer. He concluded his tour of different counties and cities on Dec. 4 in Palm Beach County, where he blasted that government for “wasteful and excessive” spending.

Ingoglia said that across all 11 local governments he has analyzed, he has exposed “$1.87 billion in excessive spending in just one year alone.”

The legislation he’s proposing would also give “whistleblower” protection for municipal employees, contractors, subcontractors and taxpayers who want to report local government waste and irresponsible spending to the state. Ingoglia said his Office already gets complaints from local government functionaries and they shouldn’t be afraid to come forward.

“A lot of the information that we were getting … we’re getting tipped off by people in the government themselves,” Ingoglia said, adding that contractors may also be hesitant to report government irresponsibility because they might be retaliated against by not being awarded more contracts.

Ingoglia also wants more public records available for budgets, salaries, contracts, spending on nonprofit agencies and more. That could result in a penalty of fines up to $1,000 per day for local governments who do not respond to public records requests and state funding for various projects could be withheld.

The proposed legislative measure would also establish a data bank with all contracts and the system would be easily searchable. “We think everything should be online,” Ingoglia said, adding that taxpayers want to know how much cash local governments have on hand, exactly who they are funding and salary information.

Ingoglia went further and said the proposed legislation could include a recommendation from the CFO to the Governor and Cabinet to remove any elected officials from office if they don’t respond.

“Government grows when (officials) forget it’s not their money, it’s our money,” Ingoglia said. “The taxpayers have had enough.’

The proposed legislation, which has not yet been filed, is being sponsored by Rep. Monique Miller, a Palm Bay Republican. She said she’s all in with Ingoglia’s proposal.

“This is a problem statewide in both urban and rural communities,” Miller said at the news conference with Ingoglia. “This is not punitive. This is accountability.”

Ultimately, Miller said local governments that don’t engage in irresponsible spending and taxation have nothing to fear as they are already serving the taxpayers appropriately.

Ingoglia said he has discussed the measure with Gov. Ron DeSantis. “He loves the legislation.”

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Politics

Ashley Moody, Rick Scott diverge on rescheduling pot

Published

5 hours ago

December 17, 2025

May Greene

Florida’s U.S. Senators are split on President Donald Trump potentially rescheduling cannabis.

While Rick Scott signed a letter opposing the move with GOP colleagues, Ashley Moody did not.

“Rescheduling marijuana to a Schedule III drug will undermine your strong efforts to Make America Great Again and to usher in America’s next economic Golden Age. The only winners from rescheduling will be bad actors such as Communist China, while Americans will be left paying the bill,” the letter claims.

The Senators argue that changing cannabis’ classification would harm America’s attempts to reindustrialize, would have health consequences, and would give a “massive tax break” to companies in the space.

“While supporters of rescheduling argue that extending tax benefits to marijuana businesses will create economic growth, the costs of workplace and vehicular accidents caused by increased marijuana usage far exceeds any perceived benefits—not to mention the moral costs of marijuana advertising that could reach kids.”

Scott has called marijuana a “gateway drug” and says his own brother died after a lifetime struggle with drugs that began with it, so his opposition to relaxed laws continues.

While Attorney General, Moody opposed legalization initiatives in Florida. However, rumors are that the White House is considering rescheduling to Schedule III, which would permit medical research but wouldn’t immediately make it more commercially available.

12.17.2025-Letter-on-Marijuana-Rescheduling-

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Politics

Florida military installations to divvy up nearly $1B in federal funding act

Published

7 hours ago

December 17, 2025

May Greene

10 military installations in the Sunshine State will get a cut of the funding approved by Congress.

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody is touting approval by Congress of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will bring nearly a billion dollars in funding for several military installations in Florida.

The measure passed along bipartisan lines in the Senate and covers defense funding for the next fiscal year. It authorizes about $900 billion in total for defense spending across the U.S. The House signed off on the measure last week.

The act earmarks about $851 million for Florida installations. It will also fund expanded shipbuilding and prioritize development of the “Golden Dome” missile defense system.

“The passage of this year’s NDAA is a victory for the strengthening of our national security and Florida’s military bases. It is vital for the protection of our great nation that our military has the resources needed to deter evil and stay mission ready. Sadly, just this week we lost two National Guardsmen and an interpreter far too soon at the hands of an apparent ISIS attack in Syria. My heart breaks for their families’ unimaginable loss. It is a stark reminder that we must continue our efforts to secure peace through a robust national defense,” Moody said in a news release Wednesday.

“Florida is proud to be the home of three combatant commands, including SOUTHCOM, CENTCOM and SOCOM, as well as 21 military installations which all play a highly important role in the United States’ military strategy. I will always fight for their interests, because a strong military is essential for a strong nation.”

Ten different military installations in Florida will get a partial cut of the funding including, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Eglin Air Force Base, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Hurlburt Field, MacDill Air Force Base, Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Naval Air Station Key West, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Naval Air Station Whiting Field and Tyndall Air Force Base.

Florida is home to more than 90,000 active military personnel in the state, and about 1.5 million military veterans reside here.

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Politics

New College Foundation announces $1M gift for ‘Socratic Stage’ program

Published

7 hours ago

December 17, 2025

May Greene

The New College Foundation has announced a $1 million donation from Dr. Michael C. and Ling Z. Markovitz to establish a new campus program centered on debate, classical learning and public discourse.

The donation, made directly to the New College Foundation, will help the college establish the Markovitz Socratic Stage, a signature forum dedicated to revitalizing civil discourse, classical learning and the free exchange of ideas on campus.

“We believe deeply in the power of ideas — and the courage it takes to explore them openly,” Michael said in a statement. “New College is leading a movement to bring back real dialogue, real debate, and real education. We are honored to support this mission and help build a program where students learn to think for themselves, speak with conviction, and engage with the world in meaningful ways.”

The donation will support a series of debates, lectures and discussion-based events meant to bring together students, faculty, visiting scholars and community members for debates, dialogues, books discussions, lecture series, public forums, intellectual events open to the community, and student-centered opportunities.

The program will be integrated into New College’s Logos/Techne curriculum and is expected to launch as a recurring campus initiative open to the public.

College President Richard Corcoran called the gift a “defining moment” for the institution, saying it aligns with New College’s emphasis on classical education and intellectual freedom.

“Michael and Ling Markovitz have made a profound and visionary commitment to New College,” he said. “Their gift strengthens our mission to revive rigorous classical education and restore the humanities as a force for intellectual freedom. The Markovitz Socratic Stage will impact generations of students by giving them a place to think deeply, debate boldly, and seek truth fearlessly.”

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