Last Call for 10.30.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Florida’s ongoing audit of local government spending found its worst offender yet — Miami-Dade County — in terms of total dollars exceeding proper budgeting, CFO Blaise Ingoglia announced.

Until this week, he said, the state’s DOGE initiative had uncovered $1.2 billion in wasteful spending across eight local governments.^[1]

Adding DOGE’s numbers for Miami-Dade pushes the total past $1.5 billion.

In the last fiscal year, Ingoglia said to a roomful of gasps Thursday at Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay Campus, Miami-Dade spends $302 million more than it should, even after accounting for inflation and population growth.

That’s also not counting the $400 million budget gap Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioners tangled with during the budgeting process for the county’s spending plan for fiscal 2026.^[2]

“Functionally, I don’t understand,” he said. “How do you go from announcing you have close to a $400 million deficit, when we think that you’re overspending by $300 million? How does Miami-Dade argue with the Sheriff here (who is saying) she needs more money to keep the community safe … when we’re seeing the government has more than enough money; they’re expanding their own bureaucracy, but they’re not giving fire and police the amount of money they need in order to keep you guys safe.”^[3]

Ingoglia added that, as a percentage, Manatee County still outspends all other local governments by inappropriate levels.

“But this is an awfully big number,” he said. “This is the biggest number we have seen in raw dollars in the state of Florida.”

As they did with other localities to determine spending bloat, DOGE compared Miami-Dade’s general fund budget and staffing activities from the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 — “when governments were somewhat sane,” he said — to Fiscal Year 2024-2025, the most recent period from which full numbers could be examined.

Read more on Florida Politics.^[4]

Evening Reads

—“Donald Trump’s crypto pardon delivers immediate payback” via Judd Legum of Popular Information^[5]

—”This might be the most brazen Trump scam yet” via Chris Cillizza of So What^[6]

—“Federal workers are barely making it through the government shutdown” via Vittoria Elliott and Makena Kelly of WIRED^[7]

—”Top Trump officials are moving onto military bases” via Michael Scherer of The Atlantic^[8]

—”We may never get bird flu — or egg prices — under control” via Kenny Torrella of Vox^[9]

—“‘A lot of us have made wills’: Anti-fascists dig in as Trump cracks down” via Jack Crosbie of Rolling Stone^[10]

—“Florida lets big companies pollute with impunity. Waterways suffer.” via Bethany Barnes, Shreya Vuttaluru and Zachary T. Sampson of the Tampa Bay Times^[11]

—”Florida Chamber poll: AI is booming, Floridians are ambivalent” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics^[12]

—”Free speech or threat of violence: Judge hears arguments over UF law student’s expulsion” via Delia Rose Sauer of Fresh Take Florida^[13]

—“Tom Leek files legislation to establish Black History Museum Board” via Florida Politics^[14]

Quote of the Day

“I say this as someone with 10 fingers, five toes. Math wins.”

— Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, on ‘measuring thrice’ before a potential Governor bid.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

‘Tis the season for a Fall Back … just don’t wait until 2 a.m. Sunday, put in your order.^[15][16]

Sen. Tom Leek’s signature drink will be The Historian if his bill bringing Florida’s Museum of Black History to St. Johns County wins approval next year.^[17][18]

Legislative funding or not, the show must go on. While they wait on the check, send a round of Showbizzes to Chris Brown and the cast of “Goosebumps: The Musical.”^[19][20]

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Gators in flux entering meeting with Georgia

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party kicks off on Saturday as the annual Georgia-Florida game takes place in Jacksonville (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

Florida (3-4, 2-2 in SEC) is staggering into Jacksonville after firing head coach Billy Napier following a three-and-a-half-year tenure and a 22-23 record. Wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez has taken over as the interim head coach. It’s the third time that Florida has fired a head coach midseason since 2017.

Florida’s problems have been many this season. The offense averages 22.4 points per game, ranking 105th in the nation. The Gators’ schedule has been challenging. Losses against LSU, Miami, and Texas A&M, all top-five teams at the time, are excusable. The loss to South Florida was the coup de grace, although the season hasn’t been buried completely yet.

That could change on Saturday against another top-five team. Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) comes in with their eyes on another season in the College Football Playoff. A home loss to Alabama last month still stings, but last week’s comeback victory over then-fifth-ranked Ole Miss has the Bulldogs back on course. If Georgia beats Florida, the remainder of the regular season has few speed bumps. Only formerly #1 Texas remains as a real challenge in the SEC. Then, the annual meeting with Georgia Tech, a top 10 team this season, remains to close the year before the SEC championship game and the playoffs.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.