Tax deal sours; Senate calls off this week

Hopes for an agreement on a plan to cut taxes for Florida homeowners and businesses faded further this morning as Senate President Ken Pruitt told senators to stay home at least until Monday -- the final day lawmakers have to hammer out a deal for the Jan. 29 ballot. Story here.

Writes Pruitt: "After consultation with Majority Leader Webster and Minority Leader Geller, we do not intend to meet this week in Special Session. We have not determined that the Senate will return; however, if we return, it will be on Monday morning, October 29, 2007. For many, this would require making travel arrangements to be in Tallahassee on Sunday evening. Please make arrangements accordingly.  We will send another e-mail out Friday providing certainty on Monday's schedule.

Should we proceed with a tax reform and reduction package, we believe it will be important to include the basic principles that were the foundation of the Special Session call. First, we must reduce property taxes for Floridians. Second, we must minimize any negative impact to education. Finally, we must craft a proposal that will be understood and accepted by Florida voters.

Senators, these important points will be the basis of any plan that would be considered. Because our Governor and our partners in the House of Representatives have publicly shared these goals throughout the process, I believe we have reason to be cautiously optimistic.  However, there is still much work to be done, and the time clock is not our friend."

Comments

Get off your rear-ends are get to work.

You people are an embarrassment.

Get to work. That is what you were elected to do.

[Ronnie]

How stupid is this? The "time clock is not our friend", so maybe we will return on Monday. Does the Senate realize they will be seen as the reason there was no tax reform?

So some free thinkers in the House had a meaningful debate - albeit outside of the "agreed upon" package... added in provisions that would have looked really bad if they recorded a vote to exclude the items and now the Senate kicks, screams and whines about it. Get up here and take recorded votes on removing the items you don't like...

Pruitt is a Joke. he is going against the will of his Senators who a mojority of support the House Plan. but more importantly he is going against the will of the voters. big mistake I guess since he and webster dont care about how bad this failure will make the legislature look. whats even more sad is that he is holding on to his chamber by a thread. he could barely pass the crappy plan the other day with out promising a couple of D's big appropriations in next years budget. SAD!

Oh just forget it. We'll do it ourselves and see how the locals like a real solution.

Total revenue cap breakable only by voter approval, assessment cap on all properties, and no pay for local elected officials. Anyone have anything to add?

9:44 - add in growth restrictions on the state budget also...

How about voter approval for exemptions on sales tax, instead of campaign contributions and lobbyists deciding who gets subsidized.

the "time clock"? what, is this 1900?

i'm laughing as i'm sitting at my computer machine typing on my alphabet keyboard, but oh, my sound phone is ringing, gotta go.

Time clock, thought the capitol building was one big sun dial...

I'm happy with homestead and SOH and if anything, we don't need to extend tax breaks to businesses and investors when our kids need more education dollars, not less. Also, how will we pay for Citizens insurance claims when the state fund is empty?

This whole "tax reform" idea is just a political payoff to the developers who are ruining Florida. Let's just drop it!

Pls stay away House and Senate, the more you play with property taxes the worse it gets.
You've taken "we're from the government and we're here to help" to new levels of foolishness.

No thanks, we'll just throw all of you bums out of office. Please stay away, too much more of this kind of help and the patient will be dead.

Signed the taxpayers

[Robert Browne]

The whole bunch, both Senate and House should be thrown out. Real people, not fat cat politicians like the incumbents, should replace this collection of greedy, self important people.

[terminator]

typical brinksmanship.
Marco's got em right where he wants them (in his back pocket).
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to come back Thursday (then have to get out of their hotel rooms for the FSU game, then return Monday).
I have a sneaking suspicion, the Senators will meekly ride into town on Sunday night and Monday pass out pretty much what the house already passed out, then slink back out of town with their tails between their legs on Tuesday!
Pruitt knows otherwise would result in a catastrophic meltdown for the GOP, legislative campaigns, Charlie Crist, etc. etc.
Can you say backed into a corner?

[Will]

Termie, do you really believe that. I hope you are right.

Maybe they should up the non-homestead cap to 6% or 7%, and leave the rest alone. Then the schools can shut the hell up.

Lay off the bong, Housies. Pruitt doesn't have the votes for the plan that passed his chamber. He needs the time to find out if anything is possible.

No no, not the FSU game 10:04

The Senate is off this week to prepare for the FL-GA game.

If Republican senators want to use their time wisely this week, I recommend reading all the national articles on the upcoming Tim Tebow of Republican conservatism; Gov. elect Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana. Solid and fearless leadership moored with properly formed conscience.

If Florida senators have lost their way, (ya think?) and want to know how to act with a backbone, read bout Bobby Jindal.

The intellectuallly brilliant, uncompormising new Republican hero- Bobby Jindal, who you'll not find mired in scandal, is your man.

Watch this 36 year old rock star closely, he is on his way up.

Go Gators, beat Georgia!

Rubio's lies killed property tax reform. His word means nothing.

Where is Charlie Crist? Its not like this is medical malpractice insurance or workers comp, this is about cutting taxes. Cutting taxes used to be a Republican issue. Why can't Charlie Crist demonstrate some real leadership for once in his life and get two Republican chambers to agree to real tax cuts?

What good is a 65 percent approval rating if you are wasting it at photo ops and giving felons their voting rights?

The Senate just wants bigger governments. At least the House wants property tax relief. Even the Governor does not want real tax relief. Rubio for Governor

10:42 - what a moron.

I am sick and tired of House Republicans arrogantly believing that they are the only true Republicans. Read the polls, kids - your antics have only lowered the opinion of the legislature overall. Way to go Marco. Keep trying to take it all for yourself. You won't only lose, but you take the whole ship down with you.

They "fixed" property insurance and my property insurance continues to go UP.

They "fixed" property taxes and my property taxes went UP.

They "fixed" PIP and now my car insurance is going to go UP.

I'm sure whatever "fix" they come up with now simply means higher taxes for me.

Republicans - read the writing on the wall - your time in charge has passed. You abandoned your constituents and now they are abandoning you - we will either vote DEM or we'll stay home. Either way - you've earned it.

[Kim]

Pruitt and the rest just do not want us to get a tax reduction. I got a two dollar reduction. Wow! They had no problem these pass nine years giving all kind of tax cuts for the Rich. They are taking the pension fund to fund the state. Our pension fund is getting like the Fed Social Security-just on paper. I guess we have no choice but to go with "Cut Property Taxes Now, Inc." Constitutional Amendment Petition. Where are these people who do not want to cut school taxes? Our school taxes are higher then our city taxes and county taxes. New schools are being built and yet only 57% of children graduate from high school. That means 43% or almost one to one of our children do not graduate. Your child flips a coin in Florida. If your child is in a class of 25, 11 will not graduate. Also only one of the twenty five will finish college.

The House members who voted 108-2 are starting to question their product. Check out the Orlando Sentinel's political blog "Non-homestead cap begins to take fire."

Gelber basically says that the House couldn't do the math and needs help with its homework from the Senate before turning it in.

[tess]

If this was something to increase taxes it would have been done months ago. I am embarrassed by the bumbling fools we have in Tallahassee. They have completely crippled the Florida real estate market.

[Lifelong Republican]

The Legislature:

BRILLIANT!

It looks like the Chamber and Tax Watch, representing Big Business, have taken over the process in the House.

It was right there for the taking:
-doubled homestead exemption;
-portability of Save Our Homes;
-25% added exemption for 1st time home buyers;
-another $100,000 exemption for low income seniors;
-$25,000 TPP exemption for business;
-removal of property appraisers' presumption of correctness if challenged on the assessment.

What do you have now?

[RC]

It is the will of the people to lower our taxes. Our elected officials will not listen to the will of the people. We MUST do it ourselves. Visit http://www.CutPropertyTaxesNow.com to help the grassroots campaign and show these politicians we don't need them!

11:36 - all that adds up to 200 bucks.

We can either take 200 now, watch Crist slap himself on the back and our state sink deeper into recession.

Or we can hold out for something better.

But understand, If you take the 200 now, that's all you are ever gonna get.

11:33

with all due respect, it was commercial property owners who FIRST raised the issue of out of control property taxes almost 2 years ago, before being shoved out of the picture by Legislators and Governors pandering to the homesteaded masses...

[Omega83]

Anyone know what's the latest with the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.

Isn't their Constitutional duty to be asking these questions?

[Tom]

Please I wish you guys would try to email Fasano. He is quoted like he knows what is in his email. Truth be told he does not even read his emails! I wonder why the paper even bothers quoting this guy. He replies to his emails with an automatic response for you to send him snail mail. We might as well keep him at home and let him call in his yes vote when he is told to do so. He has nothing at all to do with representing anyone. He is completely out of the loop.

[John B]

If these legislators fail to get something on the Jan 29th ballot I wouldn't even want to wait til the next election to throw them all out - I'd be all for starting an immediate recall that would get rid of this group of losers and complete faiures right NOW!

11:44

Its even less for me, because you and I are not the ones who need help because of SOH. I want my kids to be able to buy a house. Its not just about us.

11:51/Tom... You are the one out of the loop. Fasano is one of the few senators that actually checks his email himself. Some of those jokers can't even turn their computers on (i.e. Geller). Many elected officials have auto responses so you can be assured your email got delivered... They have some strict filters so sometimes emails get stuck in junk mail. Doesn't mean they aren't looking at it. Fasano is actually well known for responding to constituent emails himself, and he often forwards emails that tell stories of outrageous insurance hikes, etc. to other officials and the Governor's office.

[Tom]

Respectfully no name. Try emailing Mr. Fasano and get back with me. I beg all of the readers to do so as well and get back with both of us. With all due respect.

Fasano's office sends an AutoReply, but that means nothing. I have e-mailed him several times and he has e-mailed me back after I get the AutoReply. He has always been accessible via e-mail. You're off on this one Tom.

10:07
I believe I already said as much (increase non-resident and commercial cap to 7%) thus allowing the Senate to save face if that's what it takes to get the deal done.
Marco's still the winner here.

[louis f]

if they were voteing on a pay raise for them selfs it would be done but since it is something important lets take the rest of the week off

"They have completely crippled the Florida real estate market."

Cap Realtor profits to 2002 levels. Lower their money-for-nothing sales percentages to 3%.

Problem Solved.

vote out the Democrats & Senate fatcats protecting local government's drunken spending!!

[John]

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

CITIZEN'S INITIATIVE FILED WITH STATE: 1.5% plan similiar to Calif. Prop 13

http://www.cutpropertytaxesnow.com

sign up now

...because Prop 13 has worked so well:

California public schools, which in the 1960s had been ranked #1 nationally in student achievement,have fallen to 48th in many surveys of student achievement.

Cities and localities have become more dependent on funds from the state, which transferred to the state more power over local towns and cities than they otherwise would have had.

In addition, cities have turned to an increase in fees to make up for the shortfall, with particularly high fees levied on developers creating new houses or industrial outlets.

I could go on...

[Brent]

Tom
Senator Fasano promptly answers his emails. He even called me personally when I advised him that I wanted more info. than I got in his response. Say what you will about him, but I don't think anyone can legitimately complain that he is not responsive. He is.

Hey, he responded to my request within 30-seconds... and gave me a $20 to boot!

[Ronnie]

11:51am, I have emailed Senator Fasano a number of times and he has responded to just about every email. He reads mine, so I assume he reads others.

9:57am, You don't know what you are talking about, businesses and investors drive our economy. Unless you work for a government, then you work for a business/investor. If you tax us out of business, who is left to pay for your schools and all the services you don't have to pay for?

The House dog won't hunt.

But it will bite the Senate!