Volume 4 Number 20
May 18, 2007

Dear Floridian,

Now that the 2007 legislative session has come to an end and we are preparing for a special session next month, I have been traveling across the state talking with Floridians about the issues important to them. Issues that continue to come up include the financial impact of property taxes, insurance and climate change.

In every instance, Floridians are looking to Tallahassee for help. As Chief Financial Officer, my aim is to help protect Floridians assets -  through fiscal accountability, education and advocacy.

I invite you to listen to my recent conversation with the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial board as we discuss the legislation that emerged from this past session as well as my ongoing priorities.

You can watch the conversation online at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/.

 

Sincerely,

Alex Sink
 

 
CFO SINK SUSPENDS PROJECT ASPIRE

Sink refuses to continue spending taxpayer dollars developing the troubled accounting system.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced she is suspending work on Project Aspire, the state’s unfinished and over-budget proposed new financial management system.

“We need to stop spending the people’s tax dollars until we have a clear strategy in place to make the project a success,” said CFO Sink, who heads the Department of Financial Services.

More than eight years ago, the state began exploring a new vision of management information systems, including accounting, human resources and state purchasing. The Legislature ordered a business case study, completed by KPMG in 2000, which recommended enterprise-wide, or universal, management information systems. Instead, the state began acquiring management systems in a piece-meal fashion, without a statewide vision for how each system would interact. CONTINUED
 

 

 

 CFO SINK ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF CITIZENS TASK FORCE ON CLAIMS HANDLING AND RESOLUTION

In an ongoing effort to improve Citizens’ policyholder and applicant services, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced appointees to the legislatively-created Task Force on Citizens Property Insurance Claims Handling and Resolution. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 21, 2007, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Citizens Claims Center in Jacksonville.

“I am pleased to announce that the task force will meet next week to begin reviewing Citizens’ claims and resolution handling,” said CFO Sink. “It is essential that we operate Citizens like a business and improve customer service for Citizens policyholders.”

The Citizens task force was created by House Bill 1A during the 2007 special session of the Florida Legislature. The task force is composed of four full members, with one appointment each by the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House. In addition there are three ex-officio voting members: the Insurance Commissioner, Insurance Consumer Advocate and Executive Director of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation or their designees. CONTINUED
 



 

CFO SINK DELIVERS NEARLY $300,000 IN UNCLAIMED CASH TO SARASOTA COUNTY YOUTH INSTRUCTOR

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink delivered a check for nearly $300,000 in unclaimed cash to a Sarasota County youth instructor along with a lesson on the importance of regularly checking the Bureau of Unclaimed Property website.

“With nearly eight million accounts, the chances are good we are holding your cash or the cash of someone you know,” said CFO Sink. “We do our best to find and notify owners, but encourage Floridians to regularly check our website, www.fltreasurehunt.org, especially after a change of address.”  CONTINUED


 

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OFFERS PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WILDFIRE SMOKE

Due to the recent wildfires affecting the state, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) is providing health recommendations to citizens impacted by the wildfire smoke. 

Smoke is a respiratory irritant, and can cause a scratchy throat, and/or irritated eyes and nose.  Smoke may also worsen conditions such as asthma and other chronic respiratory or lung conditions. 

There are many steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from the health effects of smoke: CONTINUED



 



Isabelle takes the cake from Broward Sheriff Fire Marshal’s Bureau Life Safety Educators (L to R) Courtney Palmer, LaToya Carbonell, and Pam Gorman.

FIFTH GRADER ‘TAKES THE CAKE’ IN ARSON AWARENESS WEEK CONTEST  
 Isabelle Johnson of Margate, an 11-year-old fifth grader at Ft. Lauderdale Christian School, received an award for her first place essay from Florida Division of State Fire Marshal Lt. Joe Schwartz, second from left, and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Asst. Chief Greg Holness, far right. Also in attendance was Ft. Lauderdale Batt. Chief John San Angelo. Johnson’s teacher, Heather Negen also received a certificate and a cake for the class, topped with a fire truck. The students also got a surprise visit from a fire truck.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 


CONTINUED      Photo by Mike Jachles/Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue

CFO SINK APPLAUDS 14-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE HANDED DOWN IN WORKERS’ COMPENSATION FRAUD CASE

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink applauded a 14-year sentence handed down Wednesday against Thomas Daniel King, former owner and operator of a now-defunct professional employee organization, Miralink Group Inc., which left thousands of workers in Florida and several states without workers’ compensation coverage despite collecting more than $5.8 million in premiums. One woman, facing mounting medical bills, lost her home and horse farm to foreclosure and was found living in her truck behind a convenience store while King was driving a Mercedes.

“Floridians suffered greatly because of greed, and we are determined to hold everyone involved accountable,” said CFO Sink, who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CONTINUED