Thursday column: Better than nothing; is that good enough?

Maybe you are thinking:

"Thank goodness that the holidays are over! Now I can turn my full attention to figuring out this property tax thing on the Jan. 29 ballot."

Hey, that's just what I was thinking, too! This is a big decision. So, let's take a look.

Amendment 1 would do four things:

(1) It would increase Florida's "homestead" tax exemption. The way it works now, we don't tax the first $25,000 of a home's value. The new total tax break would vary, but a typical figure is $40,000.

(2) The amendment also would change the rules for the "Save Our Homes" tax break for homesteads. The tax break would become "portable," or transferable to a new home. [rest of column]

Comments

[guy]

Howard, Howard, Howard.
How many times in your life,have you had the opportunity to actually vote for a break in your taxes?.
Probably never.
Do you really think that if this tax break fails, that the politicians are going to panic, and rush legislation to give us another?.
Perhaps hold a special election to do so!!!.
I had a letter in the paper yesterday, which prompted a phone call from a man in his 80's to call me at home.
He told me of his plight,
He had lately down sized his home, and his taxes went from $400 to $3700 and he hadn't got his new insurance bill yet. It was a sad sad call, believe me.
He said this new bill would not help him.
This is true, but it would have if it were in place when he downsized.
This is what some people face.
It is a real disaster to some in their final years.
The old saying about "a tax hike I didn't like", also refers to "a tax break they didn't get".

[Lawrence]

Of course, Guy is right. The one redeeming feature of this proposal is the portability of Save Our Homes for long-time residents. But Howard is right also. It does not solve the underlying inequity of the current system of property taxes and further widens the divide between long-time residents and new residents (home buyers). Two similar houses side by side and using similar levels of government services, will be paying widely disproportionate property taxes depending on who has been a Florida resident the longest. I'll vote the the new amendment, if only for the portability feature of Save Our Homes. Only problem is, some hot-shot lawyer will file a lawsuit to overturn Save our Homes on the inequity of the process, and we'll all be back to square one.

I can’t wait for me $240 savings… I’m going to use it to jump-start our economy by buying a new car, a new home, a new TV, new furniture, open my own business, take a three week vacation to Europe, send my kids to college… and with the money I have left over, I’m going to donate to the “Re-Elect The Peoples’ Mistake” campaign!… right after I buy a big bag of pot. Maybe if I smoke all of it at once, I’ll forget what a miserable bunch of retards Chuck and his band of criminals in Tallytown are.

VOTE NO… then throw all of their as*es out come Election Day! We’ll start over with a new group, and outlaw photo ops.

[Jim Johnson]

Dont spend the money just yet. I've predicted all along that it aint gonna happen until we get a crisis, and we're not there yet.

When the water rises to the main deck we'll stop whining about the number of lifeboats aboard, and start doing something. But we wont budge an inch until we're stepping in water.

I think we’re stepping in water… it’s just that the boneheads in Tallahassee want us to believe that one sheet of single-ply toilet paper will soak it up.

[bonnie]

I don't understand how you can say that this tax cut would give the least help to those who need it the most. I am a 75 year old single woman on a fixed income. Increasing the homestead tax exemption would really help me no matter how small the realized benefit. Do you realize how many others there are in approximately the same position? We are the ones who need it the most, not the people who have winter homes in Florida and summer homes in the northern states. Even though my homeowners insurance premium has quadrupled in the last year I can't sell and move to a more affordable area because obviously homes just aren't selling. Taxes and insurance premiums are decimating my savings.

[Tom]

I am going to vote yes..........and still vote to throw all incumbents out of office. And if anyone can figure out how to recall any elected official not up for re-election that ought to be and needs a petition signed, look no further!

[jackie]

Vote no for this joke of a tax break-reform. If this passes, Fl. real estate will continue to tank. This ia a very unjust and unfair amendment. Don't settle for this band aid, Vote No!