Tobacco tax, growth changes await Crist's okay

The governor said Tuesday he has decided to let the new $1-a-pack cigarette tax increase become law, and he does not oppose the Legislature's changes to growth management laws.

On the tobacco tax, Gov. Crist said: "I think the cigarette tax is appropriate, and I really view it as a health issue more than I do a tax issue." Paraphrasing Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who was quoting former President Ronald Reagan, Crist said: "If you want to kill something, you ought to tax it. It wouldn't be bad to kill smoking."  

On the growth management bill (SB 360), he said: "I think it's going to be okay" after "some bad things came out of it toward the end of the session." Crist's office is being inundated with letters from his constituents who are urging him to veto the bill, calling it overly developer-friendly and weakening the role of the Department of Community Affairs in reviewing large-scale developments.

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Comments

[ANGRY TAXPAYER!!!]

Governor - the difference between being a Cheerleader and a LEADER requires you to take some unpopular positions.

Exercise some of those LEADERSHIP abilities and VETO this bad bill, the health bill, the workers comp bill and the THE BUDGET.

This is NOT the year to impose an INCOME TAX on the few dedicated professionals that give their all for this state.

[A real voter, not a union hack]

This is leadership. Good job Governor

[Name Change]

My, how times change. He has now gone from "Chain Gang Charlie" to "Tax Lover Charlie".

He can forget all about getting 2,000,000 votes next year.

[Paul D. Harvill]

Gov. Crist:

Please veto SB 360.

Thank you.

[tj]

Way to go, Gov! Florida needs SB 360.

[terminator]

wasn't it a few short years ago Chuck promised he would never raise taxes? He must have said about a thousand times "I'm a Jeb Bush Republican".
no big surprise he's doing exactly that and letting developers run roughshod.
Good old sell out Charlie.
Is this the kind of guy you want representing you in the US Senate?

[Pad Rival Hull]

Gov. Crist:

Please veto Paul D. Harvill.

Thank you.

[ANGRY TAXPAYER!!!]

Yep - there goes Charlie the Cheerleader.

By the way Governor, decision making by poll numbers IS NOT Leadership!!!!!!

[Rubio wants a huge consumption/sales tax]

Rubio wants a consumption tax and not only that,he wants to embargo china!!!
This guy is a nut case isn't he?

[way to pick em rubio]

rubio wants a fox news opinionator/preacher for president,rubio is just not real bright is he.
Its like he is trying to make sure he is real well liked by a few and really hated by a few.Not a very good strategy for national office is it.
Why didn't rubio announce his candidacy on an English speaking network?
Rubio wants to institute a bi-lingual
sign law,this will cost a gadzillion bucks just to make it easier for his family to read street signs.

[Jimbo]

""If you want to kill something, you ought to tax it. It wouldn't be bad to kill smoking."

Yes.

But do you want to kill smoking or do you want to raise revenues?

[Ned]

Raise taxes and you will lose the moderates. You can’t even call him a RINO. The transformation is complete, he’s a Democrat. DON’T RAISE TAXES CHARLIE! If you do, even holding my nose to vote for ya won't work.

[raise the tax charley]

Hey "Chuck", I don't care if you raise the taxes,as long as we don't have to pay
$120.00 for a drivers license and raise money by giving seat belt tickets for $125.00.I don't think there should have been a cigarette tax,I think there should be tobacco tax and ALL tobacco companies should have to pay it.I don't think revenue should be raised on fishing and sales tax exempt on airplanes and yachts.
Why don't tickets such as the super bowl tickets get charged a sales tax?
Yeah "Chuck",please raise taxes and tell the millionaires to pony up and pay a sales tax like we do on little(common people) items.Is there a Republican sponsored bill to remove the sales tax on kayaks? Canoes? How about a john boat?
Raise the taxes "Chuck"show us you want our votes and not just the millionaires votes.

[Moderate Democrat]

Charlie veto ALL of the evil bills that came out of the Republican legislature. These folks are all in the pockets of developers and big business, or the tax cutting - ghetto state fanatics like Norquist. Charlie remember your populatity comes from the people. Once your were "The People's Governor" and well liked by both parties - don't sell out to the special interests or you lose us.

[Conservatives' bankrupt policies bankrupted America]

Here you can clearly see how the blind support of anti-tax measures like Prop 13 threaten to turn California into a ghetto state. I fervently hope we Floridian are much smarter than that:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/20/california.proposition.vote/index.html

[Kathryn (click to sign the No RINOs petition)]

Time to get rid of all RINOs like Crist. They can join the Democrat party. We need to take back the Republican party from these RINO compromisers and power-grabbers.

We citizens have GOT to demand government limit itself to it's constitutional powers.

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http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conservative-leadership.html
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[Bud]

Where do we sign up for Marco's campaign? Anybody got an address? It would be most appropriate to post that right here, right now.

[Buzzard]

That Marco is one bright, ambitious, agressive kid. And a true republican. Here's his site:

http://marcorubio.com/

[Marco for Reichsfuhrer]

3:36 That's just a site that some hired minions like Buzztard set up for Rubio. If you really want to get a hold of him quick, try here:

http://www.Imalittlefascistpipsqueak.org

[Buzzard]

Anybody that can make the little piggies like Reichsfuhrer at 3:56 has something going for him. Marco scares them to death. Charlie seems like a nice guy, but it appears the ultra libs have compromised him.

[Paul D. Harvill]

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Gov. Crist:

Please veto Paul D. Harvill.

Thank you.

Posted by: Pad Rival Hull | May 19, 2009 at 08:06 PM

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Someone has a great sense of humor!