Now that Florida voters have mandated property-tax relief, they want to cap government spending, the state's largest business organization said Thursday.
Gov. Charlie Crist thanked the Florida Chamber of Commerce for its support of his constitutional amendment in the Jan. 29 primary. Crist said he will work with the business community in the 2008 legislative session onfurther tax relief, insurance rate protection and economic development incentives.
'As soon as the House and Senate do the implementing bill, we're off to the races,' Crist said of the property-tax amendment.
Traveling the state in the referendum campaign, Crist said, he sensed a big victory was at hand even though polls showed the amendment was in trouble, or might barely make the 60 percent requirement for passage. It wound up getting about 64 percent.
'There was a lot of discussion about this thing not passing,' said Crist. 'How can you think that, if you just listened? As I've said to people, the more I listen, the smarter I get.'
At its annual pre-session conference, the Chamber presented a poll indicating 77 percent support for a cap on government revenue collections, as a means of reining in spending. The poll of 600 likely voters also showed 61 percent of voters wanting continued property-tax reductions.
The survey was conducted Jan. 31-Feb. 1, immediately after the referendum that passed Crist's amendment increasing the homestead exemption and providing portability for the Save Our Homes assessment limits when owners sell their homes.
In a letter to the Tax and Budget Reform Commission, which is preparing recommendations for the Legislature and items to put on the November ballot, Chamber President Mark Wilson said a revenue cap 'puts government on notice that the solution isn't just to tax people more, but to make tough decisions on how to spend taxpayers' money.
'Passage of a government-revenue cap also protects taxpayers from irresponsible governments who raise other taxes and fees to make up the difference in lost property tax revenue.'
The Chamber also called for a 3 to 5 percent cap on non-homestead property tax assessments, more than the 10 percent cap included in Amendment 1.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce, holding its annual pre-legislative session meeting at the State Capitol, presented a 16-point 'Agenda for Jobs.' The statewide business group's wish list for 2008 includes state investment in matching grants to attract innovative new businesses, to capitalize on technological research going on in Florida, and continued efforts to hold down property insurance rates and property taxes.
Crist's Health and Human Services Policy Coordinator, Bob Brown-Barrios, echoed the 'bridge to the future,' line when he appeared Thursday before a Senate budget panel. He also acknowledged that with the weakening economy, it was appropriate to tap reserves since it was foolish for rainy day funds to sit idle.
'It's raining,' Brown-Barrios said.
House leaders have already blistered Crist's approach. But Thursday even the usually Crist-friendly Senate wasn't buying his plan to spend cash available only one-time on services like Medicaid that need funds year after year.
'I realize that rainy day funds ought to be used when it's raining,' said Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. 'But when you meet a recurring obligation with non-recurring funds, that creates lightning in the future.'
Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, said it was time for lawmakers to begin exploring increasing the state's cigarette tax, or closing sales-tax exemptions benefiting some business interests, as a way to pour more money into the budget.
Although Crist has ruled out tax hikes, Rich warned, 'Before you know it, this money is gone. We need to look at other options other than just raiding trust funds.'
Where is the law that prevents politicians from raiding trust funds for purposes other than what they were intended for? When will a visionary step forward and overhaul the sales tax system in this state?
Many times I have read studies that show that if they took away the special sales tax exemptions on goods and services most of us could see an overall drop of 2-3 percentage points in the sales tax rate. And with all the talk of tax relief, such a sales tax reduction would be a nice savings for all.
I hope Gov. Charlie Crist budgeted for many special sessions later on in the year as well. Once the smoke clears from the mirrors, it will be quite evident we will be a billion or two short again in 2008/2009. Sometimes you have to listen for what's not said. When announcing the proposed free-money program, did you notice the absence of even a hint of spending it on American-made products? I can't imagine a previous administration foisting this sort of new debt on us without at least a nod toward putting the money to work at home. It would have been mostly political lip service anyway due to the lack of American-made big-ticket items.
The lack of a suggestion to use the cash this way speaks loudly about the origin of the free money.
The $150-billion or more won't come from our treasury. We are borrowing it from the countries that made the stuff we are supposed to buy.
Our sovereign creditors don't mind letting some of our rapidly deteriorating currency circle back through the mill, so they can wring out every drop of value to them.
So do our leaders believe it's vital to our economic future to keep our creditor nations afloat by incurring new debt? I don't pretend to understand macroeconomics or the global economy, but I know when we are owned. Problem needs addressing Feb. 2, letter on Social Security Someone needs to remind the letter writer, a 'soon-to-graduate' USF student, of a few facts. Those soon-to-retire boomers have been diligently paying their Social Security and Medicare taxes for their entire careers. The Social Security tax he pays also protects him and his family against disability in case anything ever happens to him.
And the university education he received at the lowest cost in the country is a result of those same boomers who have been contributing substantially through taxes to his university for nearly 50 years. It is exciting his generation wants to focus on Social Security, but don't bite the hand that fed you. Problem needs addressing Feb. 2, letter on Social Security The letter writer is justified in being concerned about Social Security's future and lack of attention to it by the presidential candidates.
But he is seriously mistaken to see Social Security payments as merely 'the transfer of wealth from the younger generation to the older generation.' It was designed to be operated as a pay-as-you-go system. Current recipients have paid payroll taxes for their entire working lives. The problem is that the federal government for the past 40 years has been raiding those funds to finance such budget-breakers as the Iraq war even while lowering income tax rates.
There are two ways for politicians to remedy the problem: One is to raise the limit on payroll taxes to apply to all earned income so that those making a million per year pay Social Security taxes for more than just a month or two each year (no income above $102,000 is currently subject to the tax).
The second way would be to curtail federal expenditures so it is no longer necessary to use Social Security as a piggy bank. Unfortunately, recent history is hardly a cause for optimism that our politicians will lead the way toward a solution. I worked all my life and paid Social Security every week I worked. I resent the 'new crop' of Social Security payers saying that they have to pay my way.
Most people do not know or realize that the government kept borrowing against Social Security. If the government had not done that, the baby boomers like me could be paid with the 'interest' from that account. I paid for the people retiring before me, as the 'new crop' should for me. When are we, the people, going to make our government accountable? A sad excuse for a veterans charity Jan. 22, editorial Thank you for exposing the shameful actions of persons using our combat-injured military veterans to line their own pockets. Roger Chapin and his cronies are traitors to America.
I think Gen. Tommy Franks should distance himself from these rogues by donating the $100,000 he received to some worthwhile charity, certainly not one run by Chapin.
I cannot think of anything more deplorable. All of these liars should be in prison and made to pay restitution. It really upsets me because I have donated to hospitalized veterans several times. Wining and dining Mr. and Mrs. Chapin was not my intention.
Keep up the good work and don't let this issue get swept under the rug. The writer of this letter condemns Roger Chapin for being a leech in running a scam, masquerading as veterans charity. Fine. But how can he use this as a jumping off point to bash VA medical care?
I have been provided with excellent medical care by the VA for several years now and I'm really, really tired of the whining of some vets.
When I hear people dissing the VA, I wonder how much of their medical problem is the result of poor health choices, such as prolonged use of illegal (and legal) harmful substances, poor diet, no exercise, refusal to participate in preventive care, etc. Crist pulls one more rabbit from hatFeb. 3, Howard Troxler column Howard Troxler correctly said that 'it is still a bad idea to pay the light bills and buy the groceries with it.' 'It' being the money that would come from gambling.
I agree. I heard someone call the lottery the poor man's tax. Some forgo paying their light bill or buying groceries for the family in order to feed their gambling addiction.