TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida’s Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, is making its approach to the Bay Space.
Governor Ron DeSantis and Chief Monetary Officer Blaise Ingoglia are demanding that cities and counties present entry to their buildings, finances data, and knowledge methods. However some lawmakers contained in the statehouse wish to flip the script on the administration.
“Initially, Governor Ron DeSantis must DOGE himself,” State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) stated.
State Democrats are calling Florida DOGE efforts political retaliation.
“Manatee County has additionally been focused, however each Manatee County commissioner that’s elected presently are his opponents. These are Republican, conservative commissioners that aren’t endorsed by Ron DeSantis,” Eskamani stated.
However DeSantis presents a special image, saying cities are failing to justify their spending.
“There have undoubtedly been some native governments who I’ve seen had nice alternatives to offer reduction for taxpayers, and so they simply won’t do it,” DeSantis stated.
DeSantis and Ingoglia have additionally teased a potential identify change for this initiative. Each officers responded to a post on X from Politico about “Florida DOGE” being re-branded as “Florida Company for Fiscal Oversight.”
Nevertheless, regardless of the identify change, critics have raised crimson flags, saying DeSantis needs to maneuver the magnifying glass away from himself and as an alternative onto native governments.
“That is an administration that has engaged in simply unfettered spending, whether or not it is on the Hope Florida scandal, the place public cash was siphoned for a political election, or it is the Everglades detention facility, the place greater than half a billion {dollars} is being spent on a tent metropolis,” Eskamani stated.
Ingoglia, nevertheless, had a special perspective on the spending within the Everglades.
“I do not wish to hear anybody speak in regards to the cash that have been placing up for Alligator Alcatraz to be able to really deport the felony unlawful aliens and those that are pouring over the border, as a result of I did not hear them say crap about spending two billion {dollars} on resort rooms in New York Metropolis for unlawful immigrants,” Ingoglia stated.
A DeSantis spokesperson, Brian Wright, shared an announcement with 8 On Your Aspect: “The Florida DOGE Activity Pressure has been happy by the diploma of cooperation, notably following the appointment of Chief Monetary Officer Blaise Ingoglia and the enactment of SB 2502, which expanded potential penalties for noncompliance.”
