Bense: Tax panel will be 'thoughtful'

Allan Bense, chairman of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, said this morning that the panel will maintain its pace on property taxes with the aim of putting something on the November ballot that could "enhance" the Legislature's plan.

"Maybe we can put some icing on the cake," the former speaker of the House said. Bense would not comment on the plan the Legislature passed Monday, though he acknowledged that negotiations between the House and Senate tend to result in "significant compromises."

"We're going to keep our head down and go forward and make sure we're deliberate and thoughtful," Bense said. The panel wants to finish proposals by February, just after the Jan. 29 vote on the Legislature's plan, which would increase the homestead exemption, allow for Save Our Homes portability and impose a 10 percent annual cap on nonhomestead property assessments.

In other TBRC news, former state Rep. Dudley Goodlette, R-Naples, has joined the staff to assist in the formulation of proposed constitutional amendments. "I find him to be a very thoughtful person who understands the process," Bense said of his former House rules chairman.

Comments

What Bense means by "thoughtful" is that after voters say NO, we will clean up the mess the Governor and Senate have created!

No one will buy the commission's work. It is meaningless and an exercise in futility.

This is a political issue.

The best thing to do is to abolish the whole system, put everyone on a level playing field and give some sort of homestead exemption (only) to those who live here full time. JUST LIKE THEY DO IN EVERY OTHER STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ds]

If the tax panel truly intended to be 'thoughtful', they would not try to enhance something that sucks. How about some REAL reform proposals and not more of the same ole same ole!?

“Bense: Tax panel will be 'thoughtful'”

Ahhhhhhh, now I feel better… heck, I might even decide to sell Amway… Buahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa… what a riot… hahahahahahahaaaaa… a Florida politician who is thoughtful about taxation… HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA… whooooooooo, that’s a freaking hoot… hey, do you think Bundy was ‘thoughtful’ about college tuition?… Hahahahahahahahahahaaaaa… whoooooooo, you simply can’t make this stuff up… hahahahahahahahaaaa…

Real property tax reform would be to abolish Save Our Homes. But since that will never pass, the Legislature and TBRC have to craft something that will get 60% of the people's vote. That means piecemeal proposals, not radical proposals.
Bense and the TBRC should conclude after the Legislature adjourns, in case a good idea gets blown up due to political posturing between the chambesr.

Real property tax reform would be to expand Save Our Homes to all property, both residential and commercial.

[terminator]

hopefully that means this group of chuckleheads might be able to accomplish what the previous group of chuckleheads could not.

If Bense thinks the proposed amendment is the "cake" of tax reform and what his committee is doing will be the "icing", we are in big trouble. It's looking more like resolution of this tax problem will require a citizen's initiative.

What we need is a state income tax to replace some or all of property taxes. Think anyone in Tallahassee has the gonads to take that one on? If CC wanted to make an impact, he could lead the charge. He won't and it will be left to the Citizens Initiative to do the real work.

What Bense means by "thoughful" is after voters have rejected the latest plan, the GOP will once again try to ram another tax break for the wealthy down our throats.

CC will not be leading any tax reform charges. He's going to wait to see what others do, then claim credit or assess blame based on how things work out.

[Will]

It sounds like he would at the least, add an amendment that would ensure portability is constitutional, like the 25% reduction in assessment for first time homebuyers, phased out as SOH difference increases.

[Will]

1:49 I hate property taxes, but an income tax is WORSE. We choose our home, and thus choose what we will pay in property taxes. Income tax punishes achievement and thus will never come to be in FL.

How can they be thoughtful and fair when every special interest group or their lobbyists are represented. Why should lobbyists be prohibited from serving on ethics and election commissions and ed boards, legislature, etc., and be allowed on this commission. this group has as much power as any branch of government.
Further, why should legislators and all other state and local officials be required to have to file full financial statements and these officials not have to..

The major conflicts include,

randy miller, lobbyists for retailers
brian yablonski, st joe
martha barnett, pay day loans, ,phosphate,telecommunication levine, hospitals
Jim scott-counties
bob martinez - trial lawyers
greg tuberville whose is lobbyist for over 90 clients. he won't be able to vote on anything
barney barnett-publix
carlos lacasa whose firms represents major special interest.
Mark Bostick

Some of these same people served on the last commission which accomplished nothing..

If conflicts are not allowed, not many will be voting on the major issues.
they can vote on the minutes though. Even they can't vote, will be they be able to lobby their fellow commissioners.
Why should Dudley Goodlette who is the most honest person in tallahassee have to leave his lobbying firm to work for commission and these lobbyists get to stay and vote. What a joke.

Thankfully, Alan Bense is chair and hopefully he will do something about these lobbyists from serving or at least voting and lobbying other commissioners on issues.

Why hasn't the press done a story on these conflicts?

has Dudley left Southern Stratigies?

Actually someone without gonads suggested the income tax last time around... and maybe that is what it takes...

Don't you know that an income tax would have to be Okd by the voters, and there is not a chance that would ever happen? It might make sense but it would be political suicide to get behind it, and why waste time debating it?

In response to the very first post, I am willing to be a quarter that the current January proposal passes by the required 60% vote. The two MAIN portions of the plan are EXTREMELY popular. So, the cleanup, if anything, is to make the plan fairer to the average citizen and doesn't have anything to do with failure at the polls.

The House was very concerned about improving the fairness of the current system. Including breaks for renters, low income seniors, first time Florida homesteaders, protections for working waterfronts and restrictive caps on nonhomesteaded assessment growth each would have added more fairness to the current system. The SOH-plus that helped recent homesteaders and first time homesteaders probably was the best example of this. But, even the House's supporters cannot get away from the fact that EACH of these ideas was hugely unpopular if offered alone. When three or four or five of them were added to an otherwise popular plan that already had three or four major provisions, it became the formula for losing at the polls where a 60% vote is extremely hard to get. The Senate plan (for good and bad) was purely designed to get the voters approval in January.

Remember this, universal prekindergarten was extremely popular and no one campaigned against it, but that amendment only got 57% of the vote. If the Janaury vote had included two or three of the good but unpopular provisions, it could have easily been defeated as well.

[Will]

2:47

Not to mention 67% of the voters would have to say yes to the income tax, which is a virtually impossible threshold, even for popular items.

3:07 Please don't compare "Fair" and "Equal" - they are not the same. Corporations and Businesses were never intended to have the same rights as citizens in this democracy.

breaks for renters (= break for apartment owners - renters don't pay property taxes) - sorry "NO"

low income seniors - absolutely "YES",

first time Florida homesteaders - (already covered by SOH and homestead, just not vested)- OK - if they are not moving into a brand new home - otherwise "No"

protections for working waterfronts - "NO"

restrictive caps on nonhomesteaded assessment growth -"NO"

Business is risk - Speculators, Investors, Developers, Waterfront Condos, and all other forms of profiteers - the boom is over, now take your lumps and quit expecting Floridians to bail you out.

Best proposal:

Eliminate the school portion from property taxes for 1% more in sales tax. That would save homeowners about 40%. It's a good compromise that won't completely eliminate property taxes but would bring much needed relief to FL homeowners.

Roll back taxes 2 years & cap them from local government overspending would then help businesses & homeowners.

Problem solved & this plan would get overwhelming support by the people.

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

Problem Solved!

[Will]

5:52

I would say cut the homestead exemption of 50K, and replace it with homesteaded homeowners not paying the school millage, but everyone else does. The difference would almost equal out, so school funding would be kept.

AND, homeowners would always pay about 40% less than snowbirds and businesses.

Mr. Bense,

What's the big hurry?

Better to study and think out a proposal than rush it.