A gold star for the TBRC

You know it's a big deal when Bruce Kyle shows up for a meeting.

Kyle, a member of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, has missed a majority of the full meetings, contributing to an overall poor attendance record for the all-important, 25-member panel. But with a critical day on property tax proposals, there is a full house. In the saddle for the first time is Richard Corcoran, the former top aide to House Speaker Marco Rubio. Corcoran replaced Alan Levine, who resigned due to work in Louisiana.

"It's a clear indication of the importance of this issue," John McKay said at the outset of remarks. The TBRC is still debating McKay's plan to replace school property taxes with other revenue sources, including a 1 cent sales tax increase. Supporters in the audience cheered when an amendment was adopted to reduce the school millage rate to 5 mills from 10 mills.

McKay's plan once seemed certain to fail, but there is a growing sense it could pass in amended form. "We're very close to historic property tax reform," Rubio told reporters as he briefly left the meeting.

Comments

[Sick of Irresponsible GOP]

A bunch of has-beens trying to ram another tax cut for the rich down our throats before they're termed out of office.

Good luck to the committee! At least they are trying to do something that is meaningful REFORM and not some bullcrap feel good thing.

Richard who? Isn't he the guy that keeps running for office and losing?

Buzz - why don't you post the attendance records of the commission members?

I used some "Gold Star" and that painful Rubio problem I had went away pretty quick.

Yes, it would be interesting to see the attendance records of those on the committee. Everyone needs to be aware of who is actually trying and who the slackers are!

To: 11:19

Why do you think only the rich are overburdened with property taxes? Our system is so broken our children can't afford to buy their first home. Reform is desperately needed if we are ever to see economic prosperity in florida again. Amendment 1 only made an unfair system even more unfair and failed to give relief to those needing it most.

To 12:59 - THANK YOU! There are so many of us out here who feel the same way - but unfortunately there's too many that will blindly take what they are being fed by the politicians and convince themselves it's okay.

1:02 NO, THANK YOU. It's so wonderful to see that there's a groundswell of support for cutting taxes when our governement is facing such a huge budget shortfall.

Listen up - the TBRC wants to cut taxes for the rich, not for the poor unfortunate young people who cannot afford a brand new home. Live within your means, pay your taxes, and maybe your kids will still have a school to attend and a road for the bus to drive on when these tax cutting ideologs get through.

Trust me, they don't have your best interests at heart; you are just being manipulated with feel good slogans to get what they want for their sponsors - the big business concerns of Florida.

Vote NO to all GOP tax reform - and vote the GOP out.

Problem Solved!

"not for the poor unfortunate young people who cannot afford a brand new home"

look I'm 26, college educated, and working. I don't expect to be given a home, and I'm working my butt off to one day be able to afford one.

And it doesn't even have to be
"brand new"!!!!

2:21 pm - I feel for you. With the attitude of a lot of the people here in Florida, they just don't care about people like us. They think they are entitled to their SOH and artificially low property taxes regardless of who the balance of that falls on. Forgetting that it isn't all snowbirds, newcomers and businesses. We'll get there eventually, hopefully, before they completely destroy Florida!

Does this mean that my rent will go down?

Probably not.