Chamber offers mild support for tax plan

The Florida Chamber of Commerce says it will support the constitutional amendment on property taxes but will not spend a significant amount of money to promote it.

Mark Wilson, executive vice president of the chamber, told the St. Petersburg Times editorial board Thursday the chamber will hold 15 town hall meetings in January to explain the amendment and educate people about it. He said the chamber views the amendment as just the first step in changes to property taxes, as Gov. Charlie Crist has pledged. "We choose to take him at his word,'' Wilson said. 

He said the amendment on the Jan. 29th amendment "is really about getting campaign promises out of the way.'' Crist campaigned on doubling the homestead exemption and allowing homeowners to take a Save Our Homes tax break with them when they move, and both of those are included in the amendment.

Comments

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is worthless.

Why waste money on something that's probably going to chnage again before Jan. 29th?

So, the Chamber is accusing Charlie of keeping his campaign promises? But they are saying that this doesn't represent real reform. Wasn't that what the Governor's races was about?

wishful thinking if you believe any Republicans will still be around when it comes to initiating Phase 2.

wishful thinking if you believe any Democrats will still be around when it comes to initiating Phase 2.

The Chamber should pledge an amount commensurate with the benfit to Florida businesses, i.e., not much.

CC deserves this tepid response. He laid out all night last week and then called a county chamber and said he was sick, cutting his speech from 1 hour to 10 minutes. Promised a big fat tax cut, then two days later said do not expect much. Again dodged speaking at a big chamber project, the new PC airport, first to be built in this country since 9/11, yet he has time to go and introduce Jimmy Buffet at a concert. This guy has some of the most screwed up priorities I have ever seen.

[Will]

Keep in mind CC did campaign on doubling homestead exemption, and introducing portability. He did both and also a rollback and revenue limit for each county.

Total savings over 5 years, $27 BILLION.

Not too shabby.

The $240 is only for homestead homeowners who dont move. Anyone who moves will get an INCREDIBLY LARGE tax cut, compared with if there was no portability.

The Chamber never has guts to stand up and be counted. They are a weak organization with out any backbone. They have no power and they are not a player.

Gov Crist promised dropping property taxes like a rock.

Speaker Rubio's proposal would have dropped it like a rock.

Gov Crist saves most people only $240 (before any new fees). That does not even qualify as a pebble.