Crist may seek foreclosure freeze, cigarette tax hike

Gov. Charlie Crist confirmed Monday that he's considering imposing a freeze on housing foreclosures in Florida -- as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has in California. The idea is being urged by the Florida Home Builders Association, which is predicting a full-blown disaster because banks have begun forcing builders to come up with large amounts of cash to repay their loans quickly.

"We've been taking about that for several days -- even longer, actually," Crist said of a foreclosure moratorium. "I want to try to work with the banking industry and do it in a way that is not harmful to them, because we want them to continue to succeed, to continue to loan money. But we want to stop the foreclosures, especially during the holidays."

Crist also said he is open to the idea of a 50-cent-a-pack increase in Florida's cigarette tax, which is among the lowest in the country. Asked why he seems to be softening his previous opposition to new taxes, Crist said he still hopes a cigarette tax hike won't be necessary: "I don't want to be dogmatic on anything. I understand that we're in challenging times. But I'm still convinced, because of some creative ideas that there can be ways to balance it without having to go there. I hope so. I hope so."   

Comments

Why a 50-cent-a-pack tax increase on cigarettes? That's a huge increase that will hit poor folks hardest.

I assume you'll defend it by saying it's for their own health benefit, to help them quit. Then why not $1 per order of french fries? They're probably just as damaging to health in the long run and they affect more people...so would offer a bigger contribution!

Quit picking on the po' folks to pay exorbitant government bigshots' salaries. How about some luxury taxes? How about a 50% tax on any alcoholic beverage that costs over 6 cents per net ounce? How about a 50% tax on every sporting event ticket? How about a $10 per cigar tax? How about an extra $5000 per yacht registration? How about a 50% tax on luxury car registrations? How about a 50% per ticket tax on theme parks? Any other suggestions?

Better yet, how about having government just spend less?

Ya'll talk big about cutting a percent or two here and there, but fail to mention that current property tax revenue is way higher than it should be and still based on wildly overpriced appraisals.

[Tony]

Posted by: | November 24, 2008 at 04:21 PM
You must be a poor chain smoking moron.
Taxes on cigs help to get people to quit, and kids not to start.
Tell me who hurt you as a child, you are obvoiusly personaly wounded.
Did your daddy hurt you?

Crist Stops Time: Orders All Florida Businesses to Squeal Like a Pig.

[Lulu]

Tony, you're the moron if you are going to be a name calling junvenile! I totally agree with the 4:21 post. Are you going to ask me if my daddy hurt me too? Well, don't bother!

[Chris]

Moratorium on foreclosures by executive fiat?

This is not a republican, nor populist stance, but that of a dictator.

When government seeks to undo completely legal contracts willingly entered into by private properties, it enters a sphere in which no one is safe.

[Draft Alex Sink for Governor]

Cigarette taxes also have the effect of being declining revenue streams -- since they are good at encouraging people to quit.

[SMOKE 'EM IF YA GOT 'EM]

Crist has already cut the budget more than any other Governor in history.

Give him kudos for being flexible on the one-dollar cigarette deal.

Good! Cigarettes perform nothing of use. People addicted to nicotine can get themselves off it in a few days. I've seen several people beat their addiction for over two decades now. Make the packs $50 each, people will find it extremely easy to "quit the habit".

[Alex]

An increasing cig tax is a good idea. As a former smoker (only lasted a year), it really did help me quit here in DC when the taxes went up to 2 dollars a pack. Sure, it would become a declining revenue source over time, but will help in the short term. The tax probably helped me save a great portion of my later life and I replaced smoking with the gym.

It was a stupid decision for me start, but I am happy the government indirectly helped me quit. The best thing they have done for me since letting me vote.

[Buzzard]

All in favor of a McFries Tax to save your children from being a little Farley McFatty-pants say Aye!

Hey...let's do fried chicken, too!

[CC]

50 cent increase on cigarettes?? OUTRAGOUS, Charlie.
OMG I am already condemed to smoke in a dark dank corner away from civilization. Why not put an extra tax on alchohol instead.After all, I've never heard of someone driving and smoking who killed a drunk driver. Just my thought.

[Dawn]

I didn't create this problem and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay more for my smokes because irresponsible people can't pay their own mortgages. It's not my problem. When I faced foreclosure I had to get myself out of the problem and they can too! And I will fight the state on this at every venue. Instead of complaining they can't make the same amount of money and turning down less paying jobs, they can start recognizing they bought something they couldn't afford and smokers shouldn't have to bail their asses out of it, while the people directly responsible have all been given a free pass.

[Tom]

Crist ought to lay off all of the state tax auditor and the department of business of professional and professional regulations plus a bunch of other unnecessary state employees for 6 to eight months. It is time to get serious about saving budget money.

i don't smoke, but i'm with Dawn on this.

and don't start ranting about illnesses caused by smoking have driven up healthcare costs - high fat diets, careless drug use, high risk sex, environment, and boomers aging have contributed just as much, probably more, to rising healthcare costs.

Chris at 439 is also right - it's very dangerous when gov't starts stepping in like this.

[Butch]

An additional 50 cent tax on cigarettes is outrageous. We are already being taxed to death on every product that we buy. Why not think about cutting some of the fat cat salaries or benefits that government employees get, such as the pensions and medical benefits that Senators and Congressmen get after serving just one term in office, or maybe we could set a cap on travel expenses that we give them. No more expensive fact finding junkets to luxury resorts. That should save us a few hundred thousand per year.

[Jen]

Before you complain, realize that your cigarette taxes are among the lowest in the nation. You also don't pay 4.8% of your paycheck to State Income Tax. The cost for your drivers license and license plate tabs are lower than a lot of other states.

If you want to complain, please...come to Michigan where our roads suck, they are cutting snow plowing/road salting during winter, and wanting to raise the fees on everything, and wanting to add even more taxes.

I love Florida and can't wait til I move there.

It can only be taxed so much before it becomes a hijacked commodity (stolen) & bootlegged.

[Biff]

Tax them phu(kin' cigs man. All you sh!thead smokers suck dick!!!

I guess the Founding Fathers were kidding when they put in the no impairment of contract clause into the Constitution.

What will Chuck do to celebrate Easter? Suspend sinning?

[Cheo]

GOP Wars: Rivera vs Curbelo
http://versaillesbeat.blogspot.com/

[Jake]

Perhaps it is a good idea to put a tax on french fries. I love them but I can assure you I would eat far less of them if they were taxed. The Cigarette Tax is not a tax on the poor, it is tax on the stupid.

[CC]

Jen, you can have Florida along with it though comes the high taxes, astronomical insurance rates, hurricanes, tornados, massive unemployement rates, low wages, senile drivers. Just another day in paradise. BTW, thanks for stealing a job from the locals.

Biff, put down the pipe buddy, you sound like a crackhead, and lord knows we don't need anymore crackheads.

I have tried to leave this POS state many many many times. I guess I will live and die in this s*** hole so atleast let me enjoy my smokes dangit.

[chris]

I say tax the hell outta whatever vices y'all want! I don't smoke, drink, or eat fried food so I couldn't care less how much more it costs people to willfully damage their bodies.

[Gator(R)]

I am a reasonable man

I say tax the bejeebus out of everything I don't buy or consume, as well as any income income that exceeds my own.

he isn't going to put a tax on cigarettes. chuck's a smoker. he wouldn't attack his own pocket. then again, his new wealthy wife can pick up his tax tab.

[Gator(R)]

6:22 - taxing the h*ll out of beer, hotdogs and fried chicken wings would just be wrong:)

So far, my 30+ years of playing basketball, football, jogging and a myriad of other failed efforts towards athletic stardom have cost my insurance company a lot more than my bad eating habits. And if I my heart goes in one big bang they will avoid significant future costs.

[CC]

tax the beer, tax the beer, tax the beer.

Reasonable efforts to halt foreclosures by re-negotiation has nothing to do with the holidays.

[Gator(R)]

Taxing beer does. It's bowl season!

[sentinel]

Raise the tax on cigarettes. Sounds like a good idea to me.

[rick]

Taxes on cigarettes is not a deterrent to stop smoking it does make the older smokers to start to think about quitting but nothing much else .Actually raising the prices will encourage the kids to smoke as it will be seen as status symbol saying you have to have money to smoke. Why are fewer kids not smoking today than just 10 years ago? Education on the health issues [problems] is ten- fold more effective to help people to quit. All a Cigarettes tax will do is put more of the tax burden on the smokers, so call it what it is A TAX GRAB plain and simple. And no I don't smoke and luckily my wife and kids don’t either,but many of my siblings and friends do.If Gov. Charlie Crist wants to do something he should let the housing market weed itself out and not prolong it as all it will do is make it linger longer. Charlie Crist want to do something fix the high property taxes and fix the insurance snafu that you thought you fixed.

What is the legislative authority for a foreclosure moratorium?

The Governor has absolutely no authority to impose a foreclosure moratorium. None.

[Donald Lance]

Raising any taxes is just plain suicide. There is this thing called the "Laffer Curve" that determines when taxes become a burden vs. a benefit to society. We already crossed that point a few years ago. To raise taxes on cigs will not generate one penny of additional revenue because people will quit(it's not a health topic it's a tax topic)thus decreasing the tax revenue potential from that particular group.
A foreclosure freeze will not fix the problem as all this bad debt has to be worked out of the system. Freezing foreclosure only slows the process and makes the end result much worse. The "Tanned One" should simply allow markets to do what they do. Only then can we get back to normality. Jamming people with higher taxes and prolonging the inevitable is no way to run a government.

[Tuck]

Smokers are jacking up health care costs for the rest of us. If a higher tax causes some to quit...GOOD! We all win.

Oh course some people just like to smoke. I can't blame them. Who wouldn't want yellow teeth, stinky breath, a nasty cough, smelly clothes, health problems, and a lot less money in their pockets?

And if you smoke and think that you don't stink...it's because you can't smell yourself! Trust me, your friends & coworkers can smell you go by.

Raise the tax on tobacco and alcohol. Our schools, firefighters and police officers are worth it.

I smoke. I vote republican. I won't if taxes go up. I say no.

[get-smart]

Don't worry. Once you get your Obama job you will have plenty of money to pay the tax on the smokes .... Oh! Wait! Americans don't do that kind of work any more, I guess 2 million Mexicans will have the BO jobs.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

[Carol]

Tony, Don't be so irresponsible......You must be one of those people that obtained a mortgage that was more than your property was worth.....you know, speaking of stupid. Every single one of those people that lost their homes due to ARM's and home loans of 125% of the value - deserve to loose everything they have. Smokers shouldn't have to be extra taxed because of these peoples absolute stupidity. Plenty of ways out there to obtain cigarettes w/o paying ANY taxes --- and that's what we'll see a flood of if this gets by.

[Jason Straight]

This emperor has no clothes..Chas of the Crist and the Stupid Gop legislators need to cut off the funding for all Circuit Courts asap to stop foreclosures..They need to stop them gay lovin,Minority kissers lettin them criminals go..Good Christianjudges need to put as many minorities in jail and shoot all Crimials..After all isnt church and state supposed to be one in fla..Factoid Christ flunked the bar 3 times .He has no power to stop F?C in Fla and the legislation would be unconstitutional ..Sorry you are aLL IDIOTS!

To raise by .50 per pack is a good idea. The tax on something as unnecessary to survival -- in fact, contrary to it and to harmless bystanders, such as exposed babies and children -- and as addictive as cigarettes is a small price to pay. This tax has been too low for too long in Florida.

I understand that the tobacco lobby is a strong and monied one and that the industry provides tax revenues to our governments. To retain this ability to exist, then, the least that can be done for health is to mitigate the dangers to society the practice poses while maintaining its legal status for those who are currently addicted.

A raise of $1.00 per pack would be a much better idea.

Smoking is a disgusting, useless, and repulsive practice- dangerous to smokers & all of us. It raises our health and insurance costs, and taxing cigs higher is a compromise long due...Not a single good use for those cancer sticks.

Since when did the Nanny State get to decide our freedoms by taxing things they dont like over things they do.
How about we put fitty dollar monthly tax on every gymn membership for the narcissistic health freaks that run the treadmill and wear queer sweats, tights and headbands.

9:22 will you exempt good looking woman with bigbreasts from your tax policy, or are you going to be a real fascist about it? :)

I'd rather see a tax on tank tops and tatoos.

[Andrew Allan]

4:21 has it dead nuts on. While kids may smoke to look "cool", about the only people left smoking habitually are the geezers and illiterate. There was a story in the paper just the other day that high prices don't make them quit smoking. They'll just spend whatever money they have for their guilty pleasure, even if it means buying less groceries.

Taxing the fast food joints makes more sense. They're the ones that are making people in all classes overweight, giving them heart disease and a greater risk for diabetes. The out-of-shape lard *ss Floridians will end up costing the state far more in the long run than granny's smokes.

And on the subject of money, throwing more of it at government doesn't necessarily mean better government, just more expensive government.

[Jen]

50cents increase - Great! Maybe my co-worker (who is on food stamps) quit smoking and stop taking 15min cig breaks every hour!

[Jane]

Complaints about the cigarette tax!!! I think it's perfect...tax the cigarettes, tax the garbage out of them. Smoking causes cancer, cancer leads to death, may as well spend your money now, can't take it with you when you go!!!

[Chris Brudy]

Extend the sales tax to services, and it will become more progressive. The cigarette tax is regressive, considering a larger percentage of poorer people smoke.

Lets hope we get some kind of "renegotiation of mortgages" language into the next bailout bill from Congress, then we could freeze foreclosures until the payments could be resumed at lower rates. We might need a couple of months of forgiveness, but who cares? The banks have been getting bailed out, how about the suckers who were talked into sub prime ripoff mortgages?

Let's tax the churches.