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State To Fund Half Of Road Rangers Program

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Apr 23, 2008 11:05 am US/Eastern

State To Fund Half Of Road Rangers Program

Negotiators Agee To Half Of Programs Annual Cost

May Sell Sponsorship Ads To Close Funding Gap
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ― A scaled back Road Ranger program will be patrolling Florida's highways and byways for at least another year.

Originally legislative budget negotiators said the program would be scrapped as part of plan to cut nearly $5 billion from the state's budget due to declining revenues. Wednesday they had a change of heart and agreed to restore about half of the money needed for the Rangers who help stranded motorists 24/7.

To close some of the funding gap, state officials are considering selling advertising on the Rangers' trucks and uniforms; a move which is already done for Rangers who patrol the toll roads such as the turnpike. State Farm pays about $356-thousand a year for the ads which goes toward the program's $21 million annual cost.

In addition to selling sponsorships, the Rangers likely have to reduce or eliminate patrols in off-peak hours, said Ronnie Book, a lobbyist for three of the private contractors who provide the service.

Currently, there are 126 trucks on patrol in seven districts across the state and the turnpike. The Rangers fix flat tires, tow disabled vehicles and are trained in basic first-aid and CPR. Last year they helped more than 277-thousand stranded drivers; 1.8 million since the program went statewide in 2000.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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