Nikki Fried blasts Gov. DeSantis plan to ax 1,000 state jobs while ‘bragging’ about a surplus

A preview of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed 2024 state budget has drawn the ire of Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, who argued it does not align with the true needs of residents.

It’s also needlessly cruel, she said, for including a plan to slash more than 1,000 government jobs while the state enjoys a sizable surplus.

“Instead of addressing the real crises facing Florida, Ron is planning to put 1,000 state employees out of a job while bragging about running a budget surplus,” Fried said in a statement.

“Ron says that his budget ‘respects the taxpayers’ of Florida, but his refusal to address property insurance, the housing crisis, and the cost of living are a slap in the face to struggling Floridians.”

DeSantis previewed his “Focus on Florida” budget plan Tuesday at a Press Conference in Marco Island. He said the state will “continue to be aggressive in repaying debt,” the cost of which, in part, will be compensated by Florida having to pay more than 1,000 fewer employee paychecks.

“We are also going to be reducing the size of government by eliminating over 1,000 positions throughout the state government,” he said to applause. “That’s going to help us realign resources to focus on efficiency.”

State financial analyses, he added, found the budget will produce a $16.3 billion surplus.

Exactly 407 jobs at the Department of Corrections, 458 Department of Health and more than 100 Department of Transportation positions are headed for the proverbial chopping block, according to the budget website.

An FAQ the Governor’s Office included with the Tuesday announcement shows a net decrease of 1,024 full-time equivalent positions year-over-year. That includes 49 FTE positions in the state court system that have long been vacant.

Since taking office Jan. 8, 2019, a press release from the Governor’s Office said, DeSantis has led Florida in paying down nearly a quarter of the state’s outstanding debt. But according to Florida’s Annual Workforce Report, that endeavor has had little to do with slashing government worker rolls.

At 84 full-time state workers for every 10,000 residents, Florida had the smallest state government workforce per capita in the nation in 2021, the year for which full information is most recently available. The cost was $110 in Texas, $111 in California and $123 in New York. The national average was $171.

The state’s personnel cost of those workers — $39 per Floridian — was also lower than anywhere else and less than half that of California ($89), New York ($87) and the national average ($91).

Fried ran for the Democratic Party nomination for Governor last year but lost to former Governor and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in the Primary. She won a race to lead the state party in February, one month after Manny Diaz resigned from the post in the wake of a disastrous Midterm for Florida Democrats.