1.35 percent tax cap passes first hurdle

Proponents of the 1.35 percent tax cap said this afternoon that they have collected enough signatures for the petition to be reviewed by the state Supreme Court -- a key first hurdle toward reaching the ballot.

About 61,000 were needed for review, though the group Cut Property Taxes Now Inc. says it has more than 150,000. The Department of State Web site on Friday showed 73,010 valid signatures.

"This is all thanks to the hard work and dedication of so many Floridians across the state who are determined to see real and substantive property tax relief," said Lee Sullivan, the group chairman and former mayor of Panama City Beach (which, by the way, does not have property taxes.)

The proposal, which would apply to all property types, caps property taxes at 1.35 percent of taxable value. If the required 611,000 signatures are gathered, the plan would go before voters in November 2010. House Speaker Marco Rubio says he wants the Legislature to tackle the idea this year, but chances of passing are slim.

Comments

Always good to see grassroots efforts like this spring up on K street. It's time the corporate citizens of America show the rest of us who's really in charge here.

I would say the first hurdle is trying to live with yourself after supporting such a transparent piece of corporate welfare.

Barry Poulson: Florida needs
Taxpayer Protection Amendment

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/mar/06/barry-poulson-florida-needs-limits-taxation-spendi/

3:31 Every advertizer on the site is a home builder. What a surprise. Are they a FOX affiliate or what?

Dear Legislature,

We do not need a Constitutional Amendment to lower property taxes. We appreciate your attempts to redirect our attention away from your failure to address the bigger problem “INSURANCE”… by trying to act like “daddy” to the local drunken sailors… but we’ll handle them this November. Oh, and by the way… if you don’t stop wasting our freaking time and money on these meaningless, fruitless, wasteful BS amendments… we will take care of you in November as well.

Love,

The intelligent people of Florida… or if you prefer, those of us who did not vote for you, Chuck, or Amendment 1.

3:39PM,You can speak for yourself.

Dear Legislature,

The majority of people of FL are demanding property tax relief & reform.
January 29th's vote on Amendment 1 gave you our mandate to cut. You promised that this was just the beginning.

We demand relief now. Polls show this is the most important issue, so get to work.

Wonderful! I'll vote for it and so will everyone else in these tough times!

To the posters who will so happily vote for the 1.35% proposal: when do you think that you will get the chance? By the time you get this amendment it will be 2010, and these tough times better be good by then.

I support the 1.35% Property Tax Cap too. We don't have to wait til 2010.
The legislature or tax commission can get it on the ballot this year.

Dear Legislature,

The majority of people of FL are not as dumb as 3:58, and recognize that the Legislature cannot contol local property tax relief & reform.

January 29th's vote on Amendment 1 gave you our mandate to continue to redirect the focus away from the real issues... INSURANCE!

We demand relief now. Polls show this is the most important issue, so get to work on INSURANCE, and leave taxes to the locals WHO CONTROL IT!

Love,

The intelligent people of Florida… or if you prefer, those of us who are not 3:58, did not vote for you, Chuck, or Amendment 1.

4:26 pm, If you don't want your Amendment 1 tax relief or any future relief please send it to:

Florida Department of Revenue
5050 West Tennessee Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0100

They will be happy to accomodate your wishes and take back your relief.
As for the rest of the majority of Floridians, we will be happy to have more property tax relief as promised.

So get to work legislature, stop local government's drunken spending!

Doster can get 611,000 signatures faster than Charlie Crist could find a CNN camera after a Cat 5 Hurricane. This thing will be on the ballot in 2010 no doubt.

4:48 pm, When you're done "jump-starting" Florida's economy with your $240 Amendment 1 tax relief, let the rest of us know, ok!

As for the rest of the majority of Floridians, we will be happy to remain focused on reality, and exactly which body of government can truly do what!

So get to work legislature, lower INSURANCE RATES LIKE YOU SAID YOU WOULD... and leave it to we locals to stop local government's drunken spending!

I have no problem with the Florida legislature passing laws to limit local government spending or limit property taxes. That is their job.

[John]

Like it or not, it looks like more property tax cuts and/or spending limits are coming.

Local government entities should prepare accordingly.

[Paul]

This is the fairest idea of all, everyone pays the same regardless of size of home, The state and local govenments need to learn to live within their budgets, Just like the rest of us.

[Chris W]

John and Paul:

When you dipsticks have to live with the service cuts with that amendment, you'll be singing a different tune. They tried this nonsense in Colorado, and they're repealing it as fast as they can.

[No Relief For Me]

Yes insurance is a major issue and unlike property taxes, it affects us all. Property taxes IS, however, a major issue for many and that is what this article is about. I appreciate Marco Rubio's effort toward property tax reform, as most legislatures have decided it's just NOT possible to give any more cuts. Now it seems, Marco also believes so. Why? And if you really believe that, why are you fighting a fight you don't believe you can win?

I'll see you all in Tallahassee on March 18th to remind Crist that you MUST find a way to follow through on your promise that this was just the beginning.

5:00
By law, the only "job" the legislature has is to pass a budget.

Chris,

Florida is not like the more liberal state Colorado. A better comparison may be California's Prop 13.

Residents in CA love prop 13, and I'm sure Florida residents will love a spending cap as much as they love Save-Our-Homes.

Chris,

One other thing, Colorado is not repealing TABOR. They are just allowing a little lattide on tough times.

Why 1.35?

Why not 1.36756?

900 FLEET VEHICLES THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN BOUGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE>

link

http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/08/Northpinellas/Tax_cuts_to_bring_Pin.shtml

[Jason Straight]

This is Rubios grandstand the voters will reject this its too draconian.The Constional revision commission will place an item on the ballot that substitutes sales tax for real property tax that will work.This is more gay marrage GOP hoo yaas

There is only one person posting on this thread who supports 1.35% and that is our old friend "Problem Solved." He is a tax-watch type dipstick and you can always spot his posts-for-hire by their greasy, dogmatic "cut and paste" quality that speaks of much market research into how to push peoples' buttons without actually giving them any facts in support of the issue.

Use your heads, folks, this is no time to be giving away tax cuts to the corporations who pay for his blogging. They need to continue to pay for every dime of the profits they have made while ruining our economy.

Jason,
The only problem with your statement is that the Contstitution Revision Commission sits only every 20 years. The last time the commission sat was '97-'98. Do the math.
You are wrong again.

[RRich]

Chris W,
What kind of services do you think we can't live without? I have a few questions for everyone on this blog, did we have a police and fire department 6 years ago? Did we have teachers, schools and parks? What we didn't have was the amount of tax revenue that was flowing in to the local governments.That weren't good custodians of our tax dollars and spent it like there was no end to the money.While they should have lowered our milleage rates.
Do you think we could live with out the $300 million in retirement benefits that several government employess are receiving while they are still working and receiving their regular salaries.
Come on people, I have about had it with these local politicians. It's time to clean house!

Noticibly absent from the Governor's priorites is PROPERTY TAXES. So much for a great FIRST STEP. We've been duped.

Go for it Rubio. At least you aren't spending your time campaigning for your next higher position. The people of Florida thank you.

[RRich]

Chris W,
What kind of services do you think we can't live without? I have a few questions for everyone on this blog, did we have a police and fire department 7 years ago? Did we have teachers, schools and parks? What we didn't have was the amount of tax revenue that was flowing in to the local governments.That weren't good custodians of our tax dollars and spent it like there was no end to the money.While they should have lowered our milleage rates.
Do you think we could live with out the $300 million in retirement benefits that several government employess are receiving while they are still working and receiving their regular salaries.
Come on people, I have about had it with these local politicians. It's time to clean house! Oh, and BTW I support the 1.35% or better yet abolish propety taxes all together. And why do several people on this blog think that only corporations support this? Let me tell you small businesses are getting killed with property taxes and local business that rent space are getting hammered also. This all ends up and higher prices to the consumer. These property taxes have raised the cost of doing business incredibly. (You are also starting to see employment numbers being affected.)

[No Relief For Me]

Absolutely agree 10:13.... Crist achieved his victory by "doing something" (even if it made things worse instead of better) but could care less about fulfilling his promise that "this is just the beginning" His sights are undoubtedly set on the white house.

RRich is also correct. Much fat could be cut by changing government retirement plans and what about all those unused sick days? They get to take a big fat check with them upon retirement for any sick days not used. Employees of private companies are lucky to get paid sick days at all.

Rrich is also correct when he says it's not just big corporations that support property tax reform. What about first-time home buyers (could be your children), those who moved prior to 2007, and small business owners? All are tremendously overburdened and are crying for relief. Amendment 1 did nothing for these people.

January 29th will truly go down as the day Florida made their unfair property tax system even more unfair.

7:10am,

I am in full support of 1.35% Property Tax Cap Amendment. It will revolutionalize property tax reform for FL like Prop. 13 did for California.

I agree with RRich, these fatcats in local government need to be tarred & feathered for wasting taxpayers money.

10:13 you obviously didn't listen to the State of the State address....and by the way...contracts for the sale of homes have tripled in some parts of the State since Amendment 1 passed....the Governor was right AGAIN!

[No Relief For Me]

11:12 PM

Tripled?? Where?? Is this some isolated non-typical section of Florida. Certainly not where I live. Furthermore, most sales happening are "short sales" people so overburdened with property taxes they can't afford their home and are willing to sell at a loss -- or the bank has taken their property and are selling it short.

Crist is nothing but a pollitician pandering to the citizens to further his political goals. Just wait til your tax bill comes out this year and you fail to see your $240 savings. Then the only thing he'll succeed at "dropping like a rock" is his approval rate.

[RRich]

If you want meaningful tax relief get on board and sign the 1.35% petition. We need to send these guys a message that if they can't control their spending, we will limit the amount of revenue they receive. We will treat them like the children they are.It worked in California. If you don't address the spending side of the equation you will never get things under control.And another thing guys, the media has been very successful at dividing us between the guy down the street who has been in his home for 10 years and is only paying a couple thousand dollars and someone like myself who is paying $12,000. Don't fall for this!...the politicians and the media are trying put the blame on the "SOH" amendment. At the time little old ladies were losing their homes. Yes, I know it was a band aid, but could you imagine how high our taxes would be right now if we didn't limit the amount back then. Do you really think they would have limited their spending since "SOH" passed in early nineties? One can only look at history to determine the behavior of what these socialist would do!

Right on! RRich Politicians are entering foreign territory. They always pandered to their constituency with spending more, not by spending less. If they want to be elected again,they need to make the transition and make the hard choices. We need to stop the fearmongering with loss of services. We all know what needs to be done, everybody has to live within their means. By doing so now, we insure our way of life in the future.