Simpler is better on homestead. Or is it?

In terms of gaining public support, the now-defunct super homestead exemption amendment had two big problems: It was hard to understand. And it failed to protect funding for schools, which turned educators into instant opponents.

"It was going to be a hard sell," Sen. Dan Webster, one of the plan's primary authors, conceded Friday.

The Legislature's new amendment is simpler and specifically shields schools from tax cuts. And, Webster said Friday, new Republican Party polling shows the new plan is well above the 60 percent margin needed for approval.

But is a popular plan shepherded by a popular governor the best plan?

House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-Miami, who spent the past few days artfully dumping on ("tuna sandwich") and praising the proposal, seemed to be speaking for many Republicans when he said much more work needs to be done. Rubio talked about a woman who has a rental home with annual property taxes approaching $10,000. Neither the old or new plan would give her any tax relief.

"When I'm sitting across the table from her, she's not going to care what the polls say about this plan," Rubio said. "She's going to want to know how much does this plan save me?"

Comments

Rubio is once again showing his youth and inexperience. One has to wonder what would have happened if the Republican led House hadn't lost 6 six under Rubio...those extra votes would have come in handy when trying to get a supermajority to pass deeper tax cuts.

Yeah they would have been very helpful where they are really needed you fool, in THE SENATE. The house only needs 72 vots and they have 78 Republicans.

Rubio is right on on this one.

I think it will poll well, until people realize what the plans actually means. Then they may vote for it but they will be upset. It does nothing to drop taxes like a rock.

3:59 they need 80 votes to get the amendment on the ballot in January.

After this gets passed, the FL Legislature needs to roll back taxes to 2001-2002 levels & cap them. Ths will help businesses as well as homeowners.

This can be done statutorily with a majority vote. As Gov Crist & Speaker Rubio said, this is just the start of property tax cut.

Let's get it done!

This new proposal will hardly lower property taxes. It is clearly a "TALLAHASSEE SPECIAL" so they (especially Gov photo op Crist) can pat themselves on the back and declare victory. Speaker of the House Marco Rubio needs to ensure relief help go to the people of FL.

Either do it right or not at all.

They need to pass a rollback of taxes to the pre-real estate bubble and cap these local fatcats from overspending.

Rollback taxes and spending to 2002 levels, and extend SOH to all property, residential and commercial.

Problem Solved!

[John]

DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO BLOCK RELIEF AGAIN:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/sfl-flfsession1013nboct13,0,5482337.story

Portability would be HUGE for the real estate market.

Hey Rubio: "rental property" = "I bought a second home during the boom and now I can unload it for a killing" waa, waa, waa. No sympathy. Relief for real homeowners - not investors!

Here's fairness for you - since developers caused this mess, let's give no homestead and no SOH to any home or condo built in the last 5 years. Let's drive the developers out of Florida now!

Something that doesn't pass, isn't tax relief. Wake up.

Why aren't Republicans in the majority giving us tax relief? Vote out everyone in charge and start over.

It's the Democrats that are blocking tax relief led by the fatcats Geller & Gelber.

Gov Crist & the Republican sould orce the issue & tke it to a chamber vote.
That way if the Dems. vote against relief, it would be cearly noted.

It's the Democrats that are blocking tax relief led by the fatcats Geller & Gelber.

Gov Crist & the Republican should force the issue & take it to a chamber vote.
That way if the Dems. vote against relief, it would be cearly noted.

To the previous posters who are throwing around "idiot" titles while having incorrect information and the other posters who didn't correct them:

Actually, they need 3/4th of the House and the Senate in order to get the vote for January 29th. That would be 90 in the House and 30 in the Senate. If they just want to put amendments on the ballot for next November, it only takes 3/5 of each House. That would be 72 in the House and 24 in the Senate.

SECTION 1. Proposal by legislature.--Amendment of a section or revision of one or more articles, or the whole, of this constitution may be proposed by joint resolution agreed to by three-fifths of the membership of each house of the legislature. The full text of the joint resolution and the vote of each member voting shall be entered on the journal of each house.

SECTION 5. Amendment or revision election.--

(a) A proposed amendment to or revision of this constitution, or any part of it, shall be submitted to the electors at the next general election held more than ninety days after the joint resolution or report of revision commission, constitutional convention or taxation and budget reform commission proposing it is filed with the custodian of state records, unless, pursuant to law enacted by the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the membership of each house of the legislature and limited to a single amendment or revision, it is submitted at an earlier special election held more than ninety days after such filing.

If the newspapers cared about the entire Constitution the way that they care about one small section, more people might actually know what is in it.

exactly

It takes 75% to get it on the Jan ballot. The Republicans look like they will support tax relief, but the Democrats are crying that local government could get hurt, blah blah blan.

It looks like the Democrats idiot fatcat monikor fit.

Let's get it to a chamber vote and make sure those that votes against relief gets flocked.

[John]

Time to play hardball with the Dems.

As I have said in the past, Dan Webster is running the show in the Senate. Can anyone tell me why that is?

[Boo Boo]

OK John 5:21. I read the article did you? Taxes will "drop like a rock" on your head. Local government will be squeezed and forced to raise the caps.
" Legislators didn't get a draft of the bill until late Friday afternoon, and still don't have a financial analysis on its ramifications". This the FOURTH special session and they bring crappola to the table...again.
"As Democrats voiced concerns the bill might be too harmful to local governments". Rubio fiddles stuck in fingers in his ears and went YAYAYAYAYAYAYA. Wiping out local governments that will only have to raise the revenue someplace else is not the answer.

Don't wait for the pols. Sign up for simple tax cuts at

www.cutpropertytaxesnow.com

25-50% cut for everybody by capping property taxes at 1.25% of TAXABLE VALUE--Assessed minus Save Our Homes and Exemptions equals TAXAABLE VALUE.

[Ronnie]

6:42, you have no idea what you are talking about! I am a landlord and have been for about 15 years. Investors (a four-letter word) like myself, business owners and snow birds have been carrying the tax weight because homestead property is protected by SOH. Don't get me wrong, I like SOH, but it does make it easy for you to sit there and criticize those of us who take the risks. So lets talk about investors, how many people work for an investor? That would be everyone who does not work for the government. Even if you are self employed, you are an investor. Homesteaders do not provide jobs, investors do.

As for landlords, our profit margins have been steadily decreasing since the boom. Taxes and insurance are more than 50% of our expenses. These costs are passed on to the renter, who is least likely to be able to afford the increases. I suppose you have no sympathy for them either. But landlords are faced with raising rents or losing money. What would happen if your employer was to start losing money? He/She would close their doors and you would have to find a new investor to work for. So how about give us investors a break!

Portability would be HUGE for the real estate market.

Posted by: | October 13, 2007 at 06:18 PM

Yes, a HUGE mistake!
What about my taxes? I have a place and have been coming to Florida for 18 years! Portability is the dumbest most ego centered idea I have ever seen. Now the Governor is supporting it because of a campaign promise. Governor, you should now see it does nothing for anyone except someone who already is paying less than they should in taxes and wants to move that savings forever. You need us to keep visiting, keep spending our money, keep visiting the attractions, places to eat, and buy in Florida. Why are you being so stubborn?

10:30 you are incorrect. Why don't you become a citizen of our great State, enjoy the benefits of Save Our Homes, and vote.

5:33am Boo Boo, You and the Democrats are out of touch with reality.

Everyone must live within their means including local government. Local government has so much fat, that they can take an ax to it and not make a dent. Local government budgets have gone up 100%+ in only a few years while inflation has only been around 3% annually. That is outrageous & insane spending of taxpayer's money.

With a good proposal, local government will not have the ability to gouge us anymore. There needs to be a firm cap inluding fees. With it in place, local government cannot reem the people anymore.

It's the Democrats that are blocking tax relief led by the fatcats Geller & Gelber.

Gov Crist & the Republican should force the issue & take it to a chamber vote. They need to play hardball.

That way if the Dems. vote against relief, it would be clearly noted for future elections.

Gov. Crist, stop playing buddy buddy with Geller on the issues. Get down to business.

12:57
Well said, but they probably already do vote here.

REMOVE SCHOOL BOARD TAXES FROM THE AD VALOREM TAX ROLL AND FUND K-12 EDUCATION BY A DEDICATED TAX ON SERVICES.
• Real Estate taxes would drop by 30-40%
• Drop would be across the board - homesteads, businesses, rentals, second homes.
• Burden of funding education would be spread across the largest and fastest growing sector of our economy.
• Low tax rate because broad tax base.
• Some may argue you need local control of school taxes. But in Florida “Required Local Effort” prevents local control.
• Some may argue tax increase. But not a tax increase. Strictly revenue neutral. It merely reduces tax load on real estate.

Tinkering will not grant tax releif. Real tax releif requires real structural change in the tax system.

Rollback tax and spending to 2002 levels, and extend SOH to all property, both residential and commercial.

Problem Solved!

the dems bluff has been called - the cath-phrase for those who opposed the previous plan was to hold education harmless - well, this new plan does hold education harmless, and the dems are still against the tax cuts - keep it up dems, and we'll see the largest majority of republicans ever in the state legislature.

Plain & simple:

THE DEMOCRATS DO NOT WANT ANY MEANINGFUL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.

THEY SUPPORT LOCAL GOV'T OUTRAGEOUS SPENDING.