Governor Crist: Slow down Haitian relocation

Tampa, Florida -- They are coming to Florida in record numbers, like the Haitian children with severe injuries who landed at Tampa International Airport earlier this week.

David Simpson, who is heading up the relief effort here, says the children that came here this week had crushing injuries to their extremities, torso burns and even amputations.

Since the earthquake in Haiti, the state has taken in 15,411 Haitians: 436 have been admitted to hospitals, and 25 percent are under 18 years old.

Governor Charlie Crist says the state's hearts and prayers go out to Florida's neighbors in Haiti. But in addition to hearts and prayers, Floridians are spending money as well.

The governor wrote a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and told the President Thursday that other states have to help as well.

We asked the Governor if the President understood his plea, and Crist told us the President did somewhat indirectly, through his Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security.

While the Governor says the state wants to do everything it can to help Haitians like the ones brought to Tampa International the other night and then sent to the hospital, he says Florida is in a budget crunch and can't foot the bill.

Initially the state spent $1.7 million on the relief effort. That has gone up to $7 million.

As the federal government says it is planning to move between 30 to 50 critically ill patients a day for an indefinite period of time, the governor says Florida does not have the capacity to support such an operation.

In addition to asking other states to help in the effort, the Crist is also asking the feds to reimburse Florida.