Key Issues

Cutting Wasteful Spending

When it comes to their hard-earned tax dollars, Floridians deserve a government determined to weed out waste, fraud and abuse. As an experienced businesswoman and Florida’s fiscal watchdog, that’s exactly what Alex Sink is fighting to do.

Just a few months into her term as Chief Financial Officer, Alex won praise for pulling the plug on an $85 million Tallahassee boondoggle called "Project Aspire." This Jeb Bush-era computer system was riddled with cost-overruns and faulty technology. To Alex, It seemed all "Project Aspire" really aspired to do was wash more of Floridians’ precious tax money right down the drain. So Alex plugged that drain – suspending the program, and saving taxpayers millions.

In April 2009, Alex announced $300,000 in taxpayer savings from renegotiating state contracts with 27 private vendors – toughening the terms, and trimming out the fat. When she learned the state was continuing to pay the cost for cell phones and Blackberries assigned to people no longer working in state government, Alex promptly cancelled the contracts, saving taxpayers $60,000 a year.

Alex is achieving these savings the old-fashioned way – using common sense to tighten state government's belt. To Alex, getting the state budget under control is like peeling back the layers of an onion: Every day, she finds even more ways Tallahassee can be wiser and more responsible with Floridians tax dollars.

Streamlining State Government

To better serve the people of Florida, government has to be leaner, more efficient, and learn to do more with less. That’s why Alex Sink is putting her business experience and know-how to work, streamlining and modernizing state agencies and services.

Just over a year into her term as Florida’s fiscal watchdog, Alex announced plans to consolidate eleven Department of Financial Services consumer call centers into just two – saving taxpayers millions and improving customer service.

In the past, employees answering the consumer call center hotline were scattered throughout the state, without the benefit of frequent training or access to information about best practices. Now, the process is streamlined, cost-savings are being realized, and customer satisfaction is on the rise.

The call center consolidation saved taxpayers nearly $500,000 in the program’s first three months. Anticipated taxpayer savings each year: $2.25 million.

When Tallahassee’s status quo argues, “But, this is how it’s always been done” – Alex is there to say, “No more business-as-usual; welcome to the 21st Century.”

Demanding Accountability

Floridians expect more accountability from state government. As Florida’s fiscal watchdog, so does Alex Sink. That’s why Alex led the fight to hold a special session of the Florida Legislature in early 2009. The state budget is the people’s budget – and Tallahassee's politicians needed to get serious about addressing our state’s fiscal challenges in a time of global economic crisis.

Keeping her pledge to crack down on unaccountable, no-bid government contracts with private vendors, Alex has cut the number of no-bid contracts in the Department of Financial Services by more than half – setting an example for the rest of state government to follow.

Delivering more accountability to state government also drives Alex’s aggressive leadership at the Bureau of Unclaimed Property – where, from July 2008 through March 2009, unclaimed property payments to everyday Floridians have totaled $132.3 million. In March 2009, Alex’s office set a one-month record for unclaimed property returned to Florida’s citizens and businesses.

Promoting Openness and Transparency

This is the Sunshine State. And now, more than ever, Floridians ought to have an open and transparent government. Alex Sink is committed to delivering that openness and transparency.

In 2009, Alex unveiled her new “Get Lean Florida” website, enlisting the help and participation of everyday Floridians to root out waste and abuse in state government.

At www.GetLeanFlorida.com, Floridians’ tips, suggestions and firsthand experiences interacting with state agencies will finally be heard in Tallahassee.

Alex also partnered with Governor Charlie Crist to launch a new “Sunshine Spending” website where Floridians can track how state government spends our taxpayer dollars.

Updated each and every night, www.MyFloridaCFO.com/SunshineSpending allows citizens to search private vendors and other recipients of state funds, seeing exactly where their tax dollars are going. And, as an added bonus, Alex helped provide this whole new level of public disclosure at no extra cost to Floridians.

Protecting Consumers

The people of Florida deserve protection against financial and insurance fraud. Alex Sink has zero tolerance for the scammers, schemers and con-artists who target Floridians and their families.

Under Alex’s leadership, the Department of Financial Services has increased the number of dedicated fraud prosecutors working day and night to bring con-artists to justice.

Alex is also acutely aware many fraud victims are trusting seniors misled into making risky or inappropriate financial investments like annuities and reverse mortgages. So Alex created the Safeguard our Seniors (SOS) Task Force charged with finding better ways to protect Florida seniors from falling victim to financial fraud. And Alex has been fighting to pass comprehensive annuities legislation that toughens the penalties against insurance agents who prey on Florida’s senior citizens.

This anti-fraud initiative has bi-partisan support in the Florida Legislature. Republicans and Democrats have joined with Alex to fight annuities scams because it’s the right thing to do.

Alex continues battling the industry lobbyists and special interests determined to kill annuities reform. Because Alex will punish anyone who takes advantage of Florida’s grandmothers and grandfathers.