Florida taxpayers are stuck munching on some carpet bills. Even while their cutting budgets, the offices of state lawmakers are getting costly upgrades to their carpets and other amenities. Governor Rick Scott's office just got a near $80,000 facelift. Two hundred thousand dollars has been spent on legislators' offices this year, and more than $100,000 (including almost $86,000 for carpet) was spent upgrading Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam's office.
Meanwhile, budget cuts this years have been made to many community services, including hot meals for seniors and drugs for HIV patients.
The $80,000 on Scott's office was spent replacing carpet, painting walls, and expanding his Chief of Staff's office. Granted, all offices do need an upgrade every once in a while. The Times/Herald uncovered the bills, and were sent a set of pictures detailing the horrible stains on Scott's carpet. The department of managerial services ordered the work.
"The carpet in the governor's office received above average foot traffic and the carpet seams were in a frayed and worn condition, which would soon have become a tripping hazard," the DMS's chief wrote in a letter to the Times/Herald.
Oh, dear Lord, a tripping hazard! Well, clearly taxpayers don't want Scott to suffer a broken ankle. We subsidize his health insurance after all.
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