Rubio, the philosopher, takes last stab at taxes

A year ago, House Speaker Marco Rubio was launching an ambitious sales tax swap to eliminate property taxes on primary homes. It died, and a watered down Amendment 1 made it on the ballot.

But Rubio, beginning his eighth and final year in the House, is not giving up. The sales tax swap has given way to plans to cap all property taxes at 1.35 percent and a strict limit on government revenue and spending. Rubio likes them both but deemed the total cap, tied to inflation and population growth, a more "comprehensive" approach.

"Even as fiscally responsible as we thought we were being, we allowed state government to grow faster than the ability of our economy to sustain it. We are now paying the price for that. So we need to put in place some limitation that in the future will prevent us from doing the same."

Rubio disclosed that House staff has been working on the concept with the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which took it up earlier this week. "If they can't get it done, then we're going to try."

The Miami Republican, sounding more Jeb Bush than Charlie Crist, sees opportunity in the current budget crunch, a way to reduce the size of government and keep it in check with a cap.

He said the Legislature needs to build a budget based on the roughly $70-billion available this year, "not the $70-billion plus some reserves. Not $70-billion plus some gambling."

Rubio has a meeting tomorrow with university presidents and said he will advocate a stronger emphasis on preparing students for the jobs of the future. "I think universities need to start looking at the system and saying, 'OK, how many more psychology and philosophy majors should we be producing?'"

He said he is comfortable with a tuition increase of 5 to 6 percent as long as more money is put into need-based financial aid.

So what's next for Rubio? Chuckling at a question he's heard from probably every capital reporter in the past two days (his office arranged half-hour pre-session interviews) Rubio said he's truly not sure.

With that, he started to sound like one of those philosophy majors.

"When I was elected to public office 10 years ago .. I was 26 years old, single, no children. Now I'm going to be 37 years old, four children and married with someone who has much to say about my life as I do, and rightfully so. So I don't know where I'll be in 2010. In 2010, I might be coaching my son's first flag football team.

"Those are real life changing decisions that one makes. Do you walk away from that in order to take on a career opportunity? And it doesn't have to be governor. It can be CEO of a starting company or it can be some opportunity in a business that asks me to move to another state. ...

"I really have changed in the last 10 years, maybe in the last five. I used to have it wrong. I really thought what defined you in life was what your title was, what you accomplished, how much money you make. I bought into all that early on. In my time in politics, I've met a lot of very successful people that have made a lot of money -- you see them on covers of magazines -- and you would think they have everything you would want. By every definition of popular culture, they are successful. And these are very unhappy people. They have no relationship with their children. Their marriages are a shell. They have a lot of money and a lot of titles and a lot of plagues and a lot of honors and yet they are very unhappy. I have no aspirations to be one of those people."

But as Times reporter segued into a question about what he Rubio like to be remembered for, the ambitious side emerged again. With a smile, Rubio quipped: "Probably the most important chapter in that story is yet to be written."

Comments

excellent!

[buzzard]

If only the rest of the legislature cared as much about their constituents as Mr. Rubio.

[doo-doo]

as much as i would love to see it happen.....it never will come about in our life time.

If only the rest of the legislature cared as much about their constituents as Mr. Rubio cares about himself.

Class Act. Wish there were more like him around. He will be very, very successful at whatever he does. And it won't necessarily be at the gov't trough.

I hope the TBRC and Speaker Rubio reduce the obscene tax burden on Florida homeowners. Because Gov. Crist has shown that he is neither willing or able to do it.

[Bella]

Heck, I will hire him if no one else does!

He's the man to replace our current fruit cake Governor. And the conservatives will back him.

[Go Marco Go]

You understand economics and are principled. Keep up the good work--it will be remembered.

Unlike Bousquet, Alex Leary covered the story without letting his own personal agenda factor into it.

[Hiding my surprise]

House staff = former Jeb staff

TBRC = former Jeb staff + Jeb cronies

Rubio is a true visionary.

wow, the House Majority Office has been on the Buzz a lot tonight!

Fortunately he was not hooked up to a lie detector test....

Rubio is a self-seving, self-consumed little Napoleonic man. Thankfully, he will be out of office (and out of sight) in a few months.

He is one of the least effective speakers in recent history.

Rubio is a self-seving, self-consumed little Napoleonic man. Thankfully, he will be out of office (and out of sight) in a few months.

He is one of the least effective speakers in recent history.

Five bucks says all the first posters are the same person. Rubio is so full of it, his eyes are brown.

[John]

Get us property tax relief!!

Rubio for Governor!!!

Five bucks says 10:07 and 10:13 are the same person.

Five bucks says 11:30 works for the House...

[Jason Straight]

Rubio will have a prominent role in Cubas post Castro Government.He will be assigned as security head and will bring in Bush Cia agents and former Abu Gharib officers to supervise the expansion of the Guantanamo facility nationwide.His chores will include:Execution of Socialist and Communist Terrorists,Torture and suppressing Socialist Democrats wire tapping supervised by US NSA (like in Tallahassee)..New Constitution which supports one political party with Free elections only in Miami with a state Religion (Evangelical Christian) enforced on Everyone!!.A supreme court appointed By President Ros Belart..only..A complete bar to dissent and one TV channel Fox News En Espanol..Cuba will absorb Miami Dade as a Territory and the New Laws on Dissent will be Enforced by the Blackwater security force..GOP Pariadise on earth!!

Is this a joke? This is some kind of parody right?!

Please...."it doesn't have to be Governor"....I might "move to another state"...."I have no desire to be one of those people"....this reads like a Bill Clinton interview...ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME....look at me...I am smart....I am ambitious...ignore the fact that I haven't accomplished anything in 9 YEARS!

[One of The People]

Would love to hear how much taxypayer money is wasted on TBRC. What a joke.

In interest of open govt, let's hear about the 6 figure salaries of TBRC staff and what their qualifications are. At a time when people are getting laid off, this doesn't pass the ole smell test.

Just another way to keep Jeb and his cronies relevant.

At least I can understand his comments and sentences. Whether I agree with them or not. The tan man speaks in some weird bull speak that spins you around until you're more confused than you were at the start. But I guess that's okay since we have so many people who will do 'what he says because he's our governor'. PATHETIC.

I heard a rumor that Rubio will mail you a fiver every time you comment here. Is it true?

[Kim]

Oh take his money and his homes and he would be out there again full of anbition. Who does he mean to brush under the carpet. He love money and more money. He is no better than the rest of them.

[Todd]

What could be more fair than everyone paying the exact same percentage rate for their property taxes? If not 1.35%, maybe it needs to be 1.5%. If you own a $100,000 home you pay 1.35%, and if you own a $5,000,000 home you also pay 1.35%. This must be to simple and easy for those in Tallahassee, and Charlie, to understand! 1.35% is FAIR & EQUAL to all property owners in Florida!!!!!!!!!

[Kim]

So..what can we citizens do to help pass a tax cap?

[Sick of Neocon Staffers]

Well Kodd, I mean Tim, you can take the little red pills and wash them down with the grape kool aid. Then maybe you'll believe that government can run itself on wishes and good intentions alone, just because you want it too.

[John]

Even though I'm homesteaded, I've been working on property tax relief and fairness for 2 years. The 1.35 has the best chance of succeeding. At the polls, we offered petitions for people to sign to put it on the ballot so voters can decide. Over 70% of the people we explained 1.35 to signed the petition. If you want more info go to cuttaxesnow. If you support it, you can sign and mail the petition and hopefully it will convince our reps that voters want real property tax reform.

If the House staff is working with the TBRC, maybe then Donna Arduin can produce her FIRST EVER document to show how she earns her $10,000 a month consulting fee.

[I heart Rubio]

he is so sexy, y'all.

Marco Rubio can do for the Republican Party what Obama has done for the Democrats. You may not agree with this man on every issue, but he has the REAL ability to energize us -- as a party and as a people. He is bright, energetic and genuine. Ignore the jealous Cristies, Mr. Speaker. You, unlike their tan-man-hero, are the real deal. Looking forward to supporting Marco Rubio at the next level -- whatever that is.

Attention Zenator,

Please ask the Govr to stop letting the Jebbites run the tax reform show.

Somebody tell terminator that I was just joking four months ago when I said that Rubio would endorse ten more tax proposals before his term was over, but unfortunately, it is starting to look like my joke is more real than terminator's "real" predictions. What a joke. Research a plan and sell it. Don't blow with whatever wind comes through the window. Please.

[Buzzard]

Marco is tilting at windmills at this point. Nothing can be achieved taxwise until we undergo a dramatic recession. With lots of jobs lost, there will then be a bigger push to clean house in the legislature. The new batch will then be more accountable to their constituents. Budgets will be cut. People will cry. Sanity will prevail.