Special session?

Unable to resolve major differences in assorted property tax proposals and with only three days left in the session, legislators could be forced to return for a special session this month. More here.

Comments

Wow, I didn't see that coming.

Senate, please please hang on to your positions on tax reform.
But all members should be careful not to over-play what you do like you over-played insurance reform.
You made people think there would be huge cuts, and then they got rate hikes and cancellations.
For some reason House members seem to be the worst offenders of talking big, with little back-up. Maybe it's because there's more, maybe it's lack of experience, and maybe it's some hyped-up staff (who will no doubt respond instead of doing real work).
It's cheap politics, and it comes back to bite you.

[James B. Johnson]

Here's a prediction.

We'll get a special session. We'll get a few cosmetic band-aids. Everyone will proclaim A Miracle! And your tax bill will be higher at the end of 2007.

This time next year EVERYONE will be livid with the pols. They will meet in Tallahassee and enact another MIRACLE, to take effect after the 2008 elections. And you'll eagerly buy it, just like you buy every other offering of snake-oil and moonbeams. But the 2008 Miracle wont happen, either. Buried in it will be a disclaimer that the local pols get final say on whether it does or doesnt happen.

Accept the reality that youre idgits, and get a 2nd job to keep the pols & their pets in spending loot.

[James B. Johnson]

9:32

Naaah. The pols know youre an idgit. The real fight is always to see who gets to milk you.

[eriq]

Why on earth would you want this horrible senate plan to prevail? Do you enjoy higher taxes? The Senate plan is a classic politician's bait-and-switch, they offer to lower your tax base by a tiny bit but in return they allow local governments to jack up your property values at 4x the rate of inflation so they'll have their money back in no time.

Property taxes are much too high and need to be lowered and since they've demonstrated their willingness to take our money at ever increasing rates we need to pass laws to restrict their ability to increase our taxes.

There is no way it's fair for the local government to confiscate twice as much of my income in taxes as it did only 6 years ago.

SPECIAL SESSION...the final refuge of cowards on both sides of the aisle!!

of course, when all the dust settles, guess who will be the ones getting SCREWED?

thats right, the ones without the $$$$ to send lobbyists to tally, bearing gifts and goodies!

thats YOU, mr. and ms. florida!!

9:46...i bet you are just the type of person that will be shocked when the services you love are cut. No, it won't be police or fire BUT you'll be running your own trash, buying books instead of checking them out at the library, waiting in line another 25 minutes at city hall and COMPLAINING about how long the grass is in the medians. Blows my mind how many people think things are free.

[James B. Johnson]

9:46
The issue is $400 toilet seats.

No one wants to starve orphans & widows and teachers.

The issue is: paying too much for what we get, and getting shoddy goods. Plus the millions we throw away for useless crap...like scuplture and tax incentives for business and sports teams.

[Will]

10:45

Im not 9:46, but I pay for my trash as a FEE on top of my property taxes. That will not be affected by anything they do. I NEVER go to the library. The grass in the medians on the busy roads where i live AND work are maintained by the neighborhood asociations, b/c they have already given up on the county, who only mows the medians about 4-6 times per year.

I wont miss any of the non-needed services. We even have our own parks in our communities.

[eriq]

You could just call me eriq, not 9:46 hehe.

There are people out there that would do just that but I am not one of them, I'm a true conservative that believes in self-reliance and smaller government. I've had periods of my life where I've been without income and I've made it on my own without asking for government handouts and I believe that others should do the same.

The government ran just fine in 2001, the trash was picked up, the libraries were still open, et al. There's no reason that we cannot expect the same today allowing only for the effects of inflation.

There's no reason to attack me personally unless of course you can't defend your position on the issues...

republicans don't care about libraries because most republicans can't be bothered to read anymore. the poor dears just don't have the time to read, considering all the porn sites that they visit.

Will, do you have any idea how privileged (and not in a good way, there's a better word) you sound?

[eriq]

Has anyone else noticed that liberals don't even bother to defend their policy positions anymore?

Just look at 10:45 and 11:28, rather than tell us why they believe the Senate plan is better for Florida they just resort to attacking Republicans using the same old tired rhetoric.

The question is not whether taxes are inherently bad or good, the question is what level of revenue is too much. I, and most Floridians, believe that the government is taking way too much of our income, twice what it was taking only 6 years ago and if nothing is done to stop it, in 2012 there's no reason to believe they won't be collecting twice as much as they are today. I know my income hasn't doubled in the past 6 years so why should the governments?

[Will]

At this point in my life, i would consider myself priveleged. Thats b/c of years of hard work in college, paid by myself, and 6 years of financial responsibility, to save enough to comfortably afford our home in a decent community on our own.

I didnt just luckily fall into it, and neither did my wife, who came from poverty, paid for herself through college, and 6 years later, we are doing well.

Govt. should only be providing basic services, the expansion of govt on all levels has gotten ridiculous.

Will doesn't realize, because he lives so high above us all, that some people actually do go to the libraries, public parks, use the bus service, etc. How sad it is for us that we all can't be like Will. (Said with sarcasm.)

[James B. Johnson]

I go to libraries. I also buy a lot of books.

I started life very poor. I went to Vietnam, used my GI Bill for an apprenticeship, and used my union paycheck to fund college & graduate school. When I got my graduate diploma my shoes had large holes in them, and my old car was junk. I paid cash for 8 years of college. In fact, one of my selling points to be admitted was: I'm one less burden for society to carry, and someone else can use the grants.

And I have no sympathy for those who sit on their impoverished butts and whine about Cosmic Justice.

[Will]

James,

Amen, congrats.

11:42 Bus service is NOT paid with tax dollars. The people riding the bus pay for it. You would be suprised how little property taxes pay for. Schools, fire, police, then a whole bunch of incentives and dumb programs, of which many have ballooned immensely lately.

[eriq]

once again, 11:42 can't do anything but attack others rather than promote his ideas.

you aren't persuading anyone to the Senate plan by attacking personally anyone who disagrees with your unsupported notion of neverending tax increases

Oh, Will here you go again. Check the HARTLINE website, then the Finances link. Find the last posted audit (2005) and read page 5 under "Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Assets." It says and I quote, "User charges, in the form of passenger fares, provided funding for approximately 19% of the services in both fiscal years 2005 and 2004. The cost of providing the remainder of the service was subsidized by ad valorem tax revenue collections and federal, state, and local funding." To think that passenger fares, and not tax dollars, pays for bus service is ludicrous. And Eriq, huh?? What was THAT rant all about?

Taxes don't pay for bus service? Not sure where you live, but in my town the 50 cents all four bus riders pay doesn't pay for the gas much less the driver etc. taxes subsidize public transportation in most places. Not arguing whether that is good or bad, but it is reality.

[eriq]

6 years ago the buses were still running, the libraries were open, the crime rate was roughly the same and the fires were still put out so why does it now take twice as much money from my pocket to do the exact same thing?

when will taxes be high enough for some of you? almost two-thirds of my income this year has gone to taxes, is that not enough? when i'm paying 100% of my income to taxes will that be enough?

NO SPECIAL SESSION.
GET IT DONE - NOW!!!!

STOP WASTING MY MONEY!