State Senate staff growing more conservative

The once-moderate Florida Senate is growing more conservative under incoming leader Mike Haridopolos in the wake of high-level staff firings and resignations that have thinned the ranks of Democrats in the upper chamber.

The shakeup could leave the ``New Senate'' filled with the most Republican members and staff members since Reconstruction, which paves the way for swifter approval of budget and tax cuts, pension reform and conservative social issues.

``We are rightsizing the Senate -- saving taxpayers money,'' said Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, adding he hopes to trim $1 million from the Senate's budget by consolidating staff positions and shedding highly paid staffers.

``I want to have the credibility when people ask, `Are you tightening your own belt?' And I can look them in the eye and say, `Yes we have,' '' Haridopolos said.

But to some, the effort resembles a political purge as well. And they worry that an overly partisan staff could fail to give the neutral, expert anaysis needed to properly vet legislation ranging from taxes to criminal justice to the environment.

A number of Senate staffers grew so worried about job security at the end of last year that many thought their party affiliations, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter posts were being monitored. Haridopolos, who is set to assume the Senate presidency from Jeff Atwater after the Nov. 2 election, said the fear resulted from a false rumor.

Still, an unprecedented number -- 15 -- switched their party registrations this year out of the 44 high-level posts Haridopolos reviewed for cost savings, according to a Herald/Times analysis of voter data since 2000. Nine staffers became Republicans; the rest no-party-affiliation voters.

A total of 10 Democrats left their party. No Republicans did. Of those who switched their party registration, five were dismissed anyway.

In all, 13 staffers were let go. Only one of the dismissed -- an independent voter just days before switching to the GOP -- was a Republican. Nine more staffers are leaving of their own volition, most of whom are Democrats or independents.

Haridopolos has hired 11 replacements so far. Six are Republicans; three Democrats; the rest aren't registered with either party.

Haridopolos said he knew nothing of all the partisan issues. He said he didn't know of any rumor that he, his staff or anyone connected to him was checking party registrations.

`NO IDEA'

``I have no idea what anyone's political affiliation is,'' Haridopolos said.

Some insiders thought ideology mattered in Haridopolos' hiring decisions.

Rick Watson, a conservative activist and lobbyist, e-mailed Haridopolos' incoming staff chief, Steve MacNamara, and recommended they hire Tim Leadbeater, ``a solid conservative with excellent credentials.''

The next day, Aug. 17, Leadbeater followed up and wrote in his own job-application e-mail that his interest in a job was ``less about money for me than supporting the GOP Senate leadership in achieving their goals.''

Leadbeater was soon hired to serve as the budget-committee counsel for $105,000, a relatively low amount for such a highly regarded tax lawyer. He had initially applied to be the Finance & Tax Committee's staff chief. In his e-mail, he said he was ``puzzled, perhaps frustrated, over the years since the GOP gained control of the legislature'' that some staffers didn't have a ``world view'' that reflected mainstream Republicanism.

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