What everyone has been waiting for

Hours after the Senate indicated progress on a property tax cut deal, here are just-released financial impacts for the House's 5 percent assessment cap and a Senate analysis of both plans. Bottom line savings over four years: House -- $11-billion. Senate -- $9.7-billion.

Meanwhile, Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, has written presiding officers a letter expressing her plan for a solution. Read it here. Dockery make a case for simplicity (which is the case made by her entire chamber) and suggests ballot questions be split up.

Comments

Marco for Governor !

5:14 - uh, what?

I would suggest that we limit the special session product to those changes that must be done as a constitutional amendment and hold the
statutory changes until the 2008 Regular Session. This will allow statutory changes to be made
through a full democratic process in which all members can participate.

This is what the House did and the Senate in response threw a hissy fit... Guess if you guys would have met this week, progress could have been made. Better yet, pass legislation to create the constitutional amendment AND pass legislation that accomplishes the rest. Stop wasting time!

House plan wins- sorry Senate sheep!

Has Sen Dan"I am King of the World!" Webster uttered his orders to the sheep, oops, ...senators yet?

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

Vote out the Democrats & Senate members hindering meaningful property tax relief!!

6:09
Only 2 House Democrats voted against House tax plan and they are term-limited so what Democrats other than senators are you referring to?

6:16 - looks like you answered your own question.

So we should vote against Republican senators who vote against tax reform too?

I say yes!

Dockery's proposal makes perfect sense (unless you are a sheep in the House). The purpose of the special session is to address the issues that will be on the ballot on January 29th. If the two chambers get bogged down in every other possible reform, then they will not finish on time and we will have NOTHING on the January ballot other than Presidential candidates.

The proposals that the House and Senate already agree on WILL provide tax relief immediately. Further relief can be attained during the regular session when the members have more time to fully vet the issues. We have already had too many "Tallahassee surprises" under this Speaker. It's time for them pass what they can agree on and then spend the time working on all of the other issues.

Another step up the senate presidency ladder....get ready boys, she's coming!!!

Vote out the Republicans hindering property tax relief! Vote em all out! At least the Dems are following principle. Vote all the R's out who have abandoned real property tax relief. Vote then all out. Bye bye false cinservatives. Get some real Rubio-type Republicans in there. Drop my taxes like a rock. NOW!

Separating them makes good sense - less confusion, less potential litigation, easier to explain the fiscal aspects of each...

cinservatives + sinservatives? I love it!

7:32, we should drop your taxes like your IQ.

How many TRILLIONS are we spending of our hard earned tax dollars to free Iraq from themselves? Want lower taxes? How about a trillion dollar savings? Call the President and tell him to drop your taxes like a rock.

[Exit stage Oveido]

While Floridians may or may not be saving money on their property taxes, does anyone know how much its going to cost Republicans to settle the sexual harrassment suit at the RPOF?

When is someone up there going to admit this is all a charade, send everyone $500 and go home. Enough with the posturing, we all know nothing is going to happen.

[VPS]

10:09
Okay, I'll bite--what sexual harrassment suit?

At least tell me that it involved a man and a woman . . . or not!

Okay, I have it now. The sexual harrassment suit post was planted by the buzz. Anything to increase the posts, right?

Word is that the Chairman may have "outstayed" his welcome and looks to be moving back home. But how much it is going to cost the party has been kept hush-hush.

It has already cost the party plenty. Let's cut our losses. We can't afford any more of his private planes, and pay raises.

Oh, not to mention the discontent. He may be a 'cheerleader', but he can't produce anything else.

8:17 You are naive. Taxes will not drop if we leave Iraq. Dems will spend it elsewhere.

[Wiseguy]

You freaking idiots, I have had enough of youse guys. You got your so called conservitives been in power up dere in Tallyhassey forever. So I guess your taxes were skyrocketing and they tried to stop it? Hell boys they encourged the big tax givaways that your boy Jeb laid out. Now it's the Democrats fault? I Said it before, I'll say it again. What a bunch of schumks. Hey FORGETABOUTIT!

The house plan is Bipartisan and excellent .The only thing it needed was a rollback of outragous non homestead tax assessments.The cap is a start.The senate must go along and Im a lefty Dem.Hey my GOP Bi partisanship will work especially since the Dems are the majority of the voters.!!

Ps/..Get Ready for a Dem Sweep in 08 the country and state are sick an tired of Faux news and endless war.Its is so despearate is the whitehouse they found a hooters girl on speed for the new press secty..They could have done better at faux news.Hey Florida if your life is better than it was 8 years ago vote for RUby..!!v

whoa, whoa, whoa!! what is this about a sexual harrassment suit, plane rides, and pay raises? But really, what is the law suit about and is it for real?

What happened to Greer's pretty young assistant? I hear she left her job. Is she talking to attorneys?

Rollback taxes and spending to 2002 levels, and expand the SOH cap to all property, both residential and commercial.

Problem solved!

From our friends at the Herald...

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2007/10/crist-to-legisl.html

Gov. Charlie Crist is ready to make some concessions. With a Tuesday deadline looming for getting a property tax amendment on the ballot, he said he's urging legislators to accept something rather than nothing. That could be portability and that's all. "That's a heck of a lot,'' Crist told the Miami Herald, even though he has pushed for a larger list of tax breaks to include in the plan.

"It would be great to be able to double the homestead exemption from 25 to 50 but, my cautionary word is, let's not try to pursue perfection and lose the potential for progress,'' he said Friday. "It's important to realize whatever we conclude on Monday, doesn't mean it's the end game. We need to try to move the ball down the field.'' Read more of Crist's comments here.

Concessions to what - did he ever put forth a plan? He is not in this game, as usual. Chucky, don't come at the last hour and act like you are saving anything you pandering, photo op, do nothing, contributing to the delinquency of a minor governor wanna be.

For everyone complaining the "Seniors" need a tax cut, I have a question:

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY FROM THE INTANGIBLES TAX CUTS THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO SO-CALLED SENIORS AND SAVERS????

Or was this just a LIE to give the wealthiest Floridians a tax cut?

Some good CONSERVATIVE REPUB answer this question and enlighten me?

The intangible tax cut is helping seniors... are you advocating not helping seniors?

[terminator]

looks like Senator Pruitt has finally come to his senses.
As Nixon (or Marco in this case) used to say: "when you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow".
Not bad. The Senate plan is starting to mirror the House plan more and more.
Ok guys, we'll throw you a bone. Now it's time to wrap it up.
See you Monday!

The House dog won't hunt and won't bite.

And the Senate dog both hunts and bites.

Rollback taxes and spending to 2002 levels, and expand the SOH cap to all property, both residential and commercial.

Problem solved!

Hey, what happened to CJJ's little sweetie that she is going to have the party pay off to keep quite before the elections?

all I want is portability in January (not later).... they give me that, I will happily vote to retain all incumbents in office. No portability? No votes...

All these proposal do very little for Floridians. I would rather see nothing get done than these $200-so called plans.

Let's have gridlock and HAVE A REAL CITIZENS TAX REVOLT.

I want to see Gov Crist squirm a little.

Senator Dockery should become senate president. She has come along way in the legislative process and she is not an extremeist. She has been doing n excellent job. Way to go Senator!

Termie's previous comment is very funny in light of what really happened. Make sure to read his future visions into the future in the same light as how accurate he was with this one.