Florida Rep. Darryl Rouson: Help fund USF with Internet taxes

State Rep. Darryl Rouson this morning tries to link the controversy over cuts in state funding to the University of South Florida to efforts to allow Florida to collect sales taxes on online transactions that originate in the state.

Here a statement that Rouson, D-St. Petersburg,, whose district includes part of Manatee County, issued this morning:

“Now is the time to step back, take a breath, and ask how we got into this situation. ... Sometimes, when you’re painfully sensitive to declining dollars yet still presented with critical needs, it’s hard to remember when the cupboards were full. The cuts to the areas of the budget and specifically to the University of South Florida are Draconian. It’s crucial to remember that we don’t live in a vacuum of cuts. Rather, we have an available safety net of laws designed to create revenues for the entirety of our state, including the University System. No one university need be the ultimate loser. 

“The reality is we are going to have to make cuts. We are not going to necessarily gain allies by making the cuts equal across the board. As we cut, we must use existing opportunities, such as the Internet sales tax and the remittance of the collected sales tax proceeds from online travel companies. In Florida Trend business magazine this morning, I found a growing clamor for enforcing the Internet sales tax as I have been advocating for years. Enforcement alone would substantially plug the gap in the state budget and eliminate all of our cuts at USF. So instead of shifting our pain to others, the Bull Nation should tell our state legislators that ‘we want to collect taxes that are already on the books and support you for doing so.”

Bill Galvano continues to draw in big money for Senate race

The campaign cash is flowing to lawmakers in Tallahassee and to those hoping to join them.

And that includes to officeholders and candidates for seats in the Manatee County delegation.

Here's a breakdown:

• Former state Rep. Bill Galvano, a Republican from Bradenton running unopposed for a state Senate seat, collected $56,700 in contributions during the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, bringing his total take so far to more than $305,000. Galvano so far has spent almost $109,000 on his campaign.
• State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, raised $19,000 in the third quarter, bringing her haul to $63,400. So far running opposed, she has spent more than $8,000 on her re-election effort.
• State Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, raised $12,350 in the third quarter for his re-election campaign, bringing his total to $19,150. He has spent almost $9,200. His only announced opponent, Republican Sharon Russ of St. Petersburg, reported receiving $140 in the third quarter, bringing her total to $290. She has spent a total of $185 on her campaign. (House District 57 includes parts of Manatee County.)
• State Rep. Greg Steube, R-Bradenton, reported receiving $7,750 in contributions during the third quarter, bringing his total take to more than $23,000. He has spent almost $8,900 on his re-election effort. So far, he is running unopposed for re-election.
• State Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, reported receiving almost $41,000 in contributions in the third quarter, bringing his total take to almost $56,000. So far running unopposed, Boyd has spent almost $2,800 on his re-election campaign.
• State Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, reported receiving more than $52,000 in contributions in the third quarter. So far running unopposed for re-election, Pilon has collected total of more than $58,000 and spent more than $3,000.