(BLACK PR WIRE) MIAMI, Fla. – During debate today on the House floor, Representative Cynthia Stafford (D-Miami) made the following remarks:

“I oppose the budget, and specifically a gross inequity that exists. Miami-Dade’s state attorney and public defender offices are being punished. This budget disproportionately hurts Miami-Dade and shifts money elsewhere. Throughout the entire state, Miami-Dade has one-third of the workload, yet we took a massive cut while some other circuits without proportional workloads got an increase. In this case, Miami-Dade seems to have received unequal treatment.

“I know we represent not only our districts but all Floridians. However, in representing all Floridians we need to be fair to all Floridians, and this budget is not fair to Floridians in Miami-Dade County.

“This budget is bad. It’s bad for our children, bad for our schools, bad for working people, bad for the sick, and bad for the poor. Why do I mention them? Because that is who will suffer and lose out under this budget. The only ones who benefit in this budget are businesses, not people.”