Citizens For Fairness President issues statement on Florida's budget for 2011-2012

Today the final revenue-estimating meeting of state economists will take place to discuss and release the general revenue total for the 2011-2012 Fiscal Year budget. The budget deficit is expected to be close to $4 billion. Jim Smith, President of the Citizens for Fairness in Florida, issued the following statement regarding a pot of money the state has yet to tap into:

"As the state legislature faces tough decisions about programs to eliminate and spending to cut, an untapped resource is readily available to help fill the hole's in the state budget. For the last 14 years, Dosal Tobacco has skated by without making the same contributions to the state's health care fund as their competitors. The Florida Legislature should end this bailout now.

"Dosal pays in other states and it's time to close this loophole. The Florida Legislature needs to step up, treat every tobacco company the same and give Florida's budget the boost it needs.

"If Dosal paid the same 52-cents per-pack as its competitors, there would be at least an extra $90 million available for the state budget. It is unconscionable to leave this money on the table."