The following appeared in the Miami Herald yesterday and I can't believe how insane our legislative leadership is. The Senate "budget chief" JD Alexander clearly talks out of his butt on a regular basis. He is quoted as saying that solar panels take "as much energy to make a solar panel as it likely generates in its entire life" which is the biggest pile of crap ever blurted out of someone's uninformed mouth in a very long time.
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Energy rebates stalled amid tiff between Crist, lawmakers
There was plenty of heat over lawmakers' refusal to consider Gov. Crist's pitch to make Florida eligible for $31.5 million in energy rebates.
BY LEE LOGAN, Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
TALLAHASSEE -- Payments for two popular green energy rebate programs are stalled because of a high-profile budget disagreement between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Legislature.
Florida is in line for $31.5 million in federal stimulus money for the 2006 solar rebate program and a new program that helps people modernize their air conditioners.
Crist had asked a special legislative commission to authorize the funding as it made adjustments to the state budget Wednesday. But lawmakers ignored the request, arguing that only the full Legislature, not the budget commission, could authorize the money.
``Florida has already received federal approval to use the funds,'' Crist said Tuesday in a letter to House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater. ``I continue to encourage you to act quickly so that these funds can begin flowing into Florida's marketplace.''
Crist said $13.9 million is available for the popular solar rebate program, which ran out of money because of tight budgets and owes Floridians $52.7 million in unpaid rebates.
Crist asked for money in this year's budget to reduce the backlog, but the lawmakers ``affirmatively declined'' the request, said Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales. He argues the program rewards rich people who can afford to buy solar systems. ``It takes as much energy to make a solar panel as it likely generates in its entire life,'' Alexander said. ``I really doubt that this is a good investment for the people of Florida.''
Florida is in line for $31.5 million in federal stimulus money for the 2006 solar rebate program and a new program that helps people modernize their air conditioners.
Crist had asked a special legislative commission to authorize the funding as it made adjustments to the state budget Wednesday. But lawmakers ignored the request, arguing that only the full Legislature, not the budget commission, could authorize the money.
``Florida has already received federal approval to use the funds,'' Crist said Tuesday in a letter to House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater. ``I continue to encourage you to act quickly so that these funds can begin flowing into Florida's marketplace.''
Crist said $13.9 million is available for the popular solar rebate program, which ran out of money because of tight budgets and owes Floridians $52.7 million in unpaid rebates.
Crist asked for money in this year's budget to reduce the backlog, but the lawmakers ``affirmatively declined'' the request, said Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales. He argues the program rewards rich people who can afford to buy solar systems. ``It takes as much energy to make a solar panel as it likely generates in its entire life,'' Alexander said. ``I really doubt that this is a good investment for the people of Florida.''
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