In Washington, D.C., if a lawmaker or senator wants to direct funds to a specific project, a local infrastructure project, or a particular organization, it is called allocation or pork barrel spending. In Florida, when members of the state legislature want to do the same, it is called the “Turkey Project.”
Florida Taxwatch (FTW) has released a report explaining budget turkeys, why they were identified, and how they were determined. The report says it aims to promote transparency and accountability in Florida’s budgeting process.
Their latest report lists everything you need to know about how the Florida Taxwatch can identify and determine your turkey budget, why, how, and how.
According to FTW, the label “budget turkey” does not determine the merit, value, or need of the project. While some projects may be valuable, budget turkeys usually serve limited areas (not statewide), are suitable for local or private funding rather than a core function of the state government, and often bypass competitive bidding, surveillance, and taxpayer accountability.
Budget Turkey – What?
A budget turkey is a budget inserted within the language of separate line items or terms in the final budget bill without adhering to a proper review or established legislative budget process. The label “budget turkey” does not determine the merit, value, or need of a project. While some projects may be valuable, budget turkeys usually serve limited areas (not statewide), are suitable for local or private funding rather than a core function of the state government, and often bypass competitive bidding, surveillance, and taxpayer accountability.
Budget Turkey – Why?
Florida Taxwatch identifies budget turkeys based on the principles of the guidelines that taxpayer funds must be controlled transparently and accountablely by all expenditures subject to deliberation and public scrutiny.
The Budget Turkey Watch Report aims to promote transparency and accountability in the public budget. We encourage thorough legislative review of all expenditures.
Maintain constitutional checks and balance in the budget process. Make sure Congress adheres to its own budgetary procedures.
By highlighting these budgets, this report promotes more responsible and fair allocations for taxpayer funds.
Budget turkey – how about it?
Florida Taxwatch Budget Turkey Standards identify budgets as budget turkey if one or more of the following methods violates healthy budgeting practices:
Despite completing these processes, you will avoid the established review and selection process, or receive funding prior to higher priority projects.
It will be added during meetings of the conference committee. Therefore, it does not appear in the final Senate or House budget.
Includes member projects that do not comply with the Joint Legislative Budget Project Rules.
Budgets that may have been in the House or Senate budgets but were removed by agreement at the meeting were only removed to be added at the very end through the Supplementary Budget (“Sprinkles”) list.
By identifying these issues, the report encourages lawmakers to prioritize projects that benefit Floridians most and improve their budgeting process to prevent such budgets in the future.
