Dear Fellow Floridian,
It is my continuing honor and pleasure to serve as your State Senator.
The past year has been an unprecedented rollercoaster ride for energy – and, more specifically, fuel – prices. While costs have recently decreased and we all can breathe a little easier around the gas pump, the volatility in the energy markets has given us a clear picture of how important the goal of energy independence is.
To preserve not only our environment, but our national security, we must find the courage to transition from our petroleum-based economy to newer technologies. One of the most promising solutions in this vein is cellulosic ethanol, which utilizes plant wastes ¬– rather than corn – to produce more energy with lower emissions than traditional ethanol. With cellulosic ethanol, we can:
- reduce our dependence on foreign oil,
- reduce the cost of fuel,
- reduce potentially harmful emissions,
- increase economic activity in our agricultural areas, and
- provide surplus electricity to our power grids through the combustion of plant residues.
In addition, the Legislature has adopted incentives for the sale of biofuels, the use of renewable energies – including solar power – and the purchase of energy-efficient appliances. We must also encourage the safe use of nuclear power, which has minimal carbon footprint and already produces approximately 15 percent of Florida's energy. In 2006 we streamlined the approval process for the construction of nuclear power plants, and applications for at least three new sites are expected in the near future.
As we all know, government doesn't have a revenue problem – it has a spending problem. When it comes to keeping the state budget under control, most legislators are more than willing to cut programs – as long as the programs are not theirs. We must begin to limit the growth of state spending to no more than a combination of population growth and the rate of inflation. With these new methods, the budget will be nearly self-balancing, providing a standardized, automatic limit for the legislature to work within.
I can't wait to hear your input on these and other topics. Please contact me any time at mike@senatormike.com.
We've been tremendously successful in making our great state better over the last few years and I can't wait to see what the future has in store!
Oct 8, 2008 - Sen. Haridopolos Kicks Off Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Sen. Haridopolos helped to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month earlier this week at the unveiling of the commemorative "Fund the Fight. Find a Cure."
Sep 22, 2008 - TCPalm: State senator wants budget increases tied to personal income growth
An amendment to limit city, county and state government spending to family personal income levels is in the works by two Florida legislators who are in line to be House and Senate leaders in 2010.
Aug 25, 2008 - Making Capitalism More Creative
Capitalism has improved the lives of billions of people — something that's easy to forget at a time of great economic uncertainty.
