Florida tax amendment may not give relief to those who need it.

This amendment will be on the primary ballot January 29 in Florida. I keep seeing ads to vote yes, and I get mailings to vote no from firefighters and other groups funded by municipalities. It claims it will double our homestead exemption, but that does not appear to be the case.

I get the feeling it is another step on the road to privatizing Florida's infrastructure and public services.

No one comes out and says it, but if you cut taxes and pass the bills on down to the municipalities who maintain the services and infrastructure....then it does sound like that is what will happen.

Florida TaxWatch's report says relief won't go to those who need it most.



Many fear that the amendment would harm the Save Our Homes policy, which limits the rise in property taxes.

I rather expected the Democratic party in the state to come out against this amendment. There is little real discussion that is helpful to people like me who are not that informed about property tax ins and outs and who could easily be duped. It sounds good on the surface, but it could, I hear, actually put our treasured homestead exemption in jeopardy eventually.

Here is a link with details. I have read it twice, and I still do not understand it. I am voting no on it because I don't see any good way to run a state without taxes.

The file is in pdf format.

Changes to the State Constitution relating to property taxation.

See, they get it one way or another...!

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Not an economist or tax expert (only a Florida citizen), but a 2 percent income tax could probably go a long way.

Great to see you again, madfloridian. :hi:

despite the talking points from the County Democratic Party (which coincidentally echos our Republican Mayor's talking points against the Amendment, word for word). The talking points are not substantiated very well, by either side, to convince me that this will not at least be a start to fixing the problems with property taxes in the state.

If funding would change that drop out rate to something more indicative of a working educational system I would be all for it but I rather doubt that would be the case if the schools were to receive more funding. The people who are on fixed incomes and the lower income class with homes are the ones who need the exemption. No one seemed to mind when property values went up at an over inflated 36% of the national average here in the Tampa bay area. Now what happened to all that tax? Did it help the school system? NO. With home insurance going up 400% and more in some cases combined with property taxes I am paying over $300 a month just to cover that. I need a break. Make the rich bastards pay more and quit taxing and penalizing the poor and lower income (16k yr) people. What do fire fighters make a year? What do the police make a year? What do teachers make a year? They make much more than I do so why should I care? You call the cops and they don't show up for a hour as it is now. The fire department charges for coming to put out a fire so where's the taxes going for that? Taxes are fine but they need to go for what they were intended to go for and not to the back pockets of the government thieves in control.

Remember the lottery which was suppose to fund our schools? Another example of the lies these cronies tell us. Now they want more money for schools because they took too much of it for themselves and their pet projects like the St Pete Forum and other sports auditoriums.

homestead exemptions in jeopardy. as a product of a republican led legislature, it has 'privatization' written all over it. sorry, but i do not trust the republican legislature to do what is in the best interests of the little guy.

even though it will reduce my taxes, i will vote 'no'.

i believe in the services bought by our tax dollars. republicans do not. what will happen to your property when you have to pay for privatized police and fire protection right out of your wallet? do you think you can buy the same protection that the wealthy can afford? i can't.

florida republicans may vote this republican plan in, but i will not help them.

ain't it grand that the same guys that brought out this plan also pushed the 60% vote rule? i hope to see them hoisted on their own petard!

btw, you know that insurance premium cut we were supposed to get this year? my insurance WENT UP. did yours? great job these guys in tallahassee are doing.

ellen fl

Every concerned Floridian should vote NO. I've lived in South Florida my entire 50+ years, and this state needs two things:

A limited state income tax; and true, Las Vegas casino gambling. Unfortunately no one has the cojones to suggest an income tax, and between the christo-fascist rednecks, the cruise ship lobby, and the native American lobby, real gambling isn't going to happen.

The educational system stinks, the infrastructure, like everywhere else, is in dire need of work, more people move in-state every minute, development runs rampant sans any real planning, and all we hear is "cut taxes."

This proud liberal Floridian says "raise my taxes, and gimme some casinos."

And remember, the status quo in Florida is nearly doomed to last FOREVER, since the stinking repubs a few years ago convinced everyone it would be a GOOD thing amend the constitution to require a 60% (instead of 50%) vote to amend the constitution in the future. Business folks loved that. Ironically, I believe the amendment passed 58% to 42%. Funny stuff. Idiots.

http://www.itepnet.org/stateinfo.htm#fl

"Given the particulars of the Legislature's latest plan, a different approach would certainly be warranted. As the St. Petersburg Times observes, the Legislature's latest plan "... takes what's wrong with the current property tax system and amplifies it. The unfair advantage long-time homeowners have over more recent home buyers would be extended. The shifting of the tax burden from homesteaded property to non-homesteaded property would be exacerbated. And the cost for making matters worse would be indefensible.""

1. School taxes are the largest part of my bill. They are exempted.
2. The way they figure the exemption is not helping those that need it most.
3. Allowing people to transfer their Save Our Homes savings is nuts.
4. User fees, a form of taxation, will be raised offset the loss of revenue.

It will probably pass, but I have convinced a number of people to vote against the bill.