How are you going to Vote on Amendment 1?

[wrobert]

As you said, property taxes increased, giving the county more money for needed improvements and services.

I guess are discussion needs to shift to did they spend the money wisely. As far as the legislature taking another shot at it, the only thing I see that is even remotely on the horizon is the 1.35% plan that Rubio is pushing. And that is going to have to be done by the petition method and then placed on the ballot. I would think that puts any relief 2 years away. Can we afford to wait that long? Also there is always a push in poorer economic times that instead of cutting spending, to actually increase taxes. I feel this places a further burden on the citizens and lengthens any economic downturn. Voting yes now gets us on the way to reform.

 

[scooterbug44]

I'm going to be a punk and just vote how Goofer and Shelley tell me to!

 

[Smiling JOe]

I'm going to be a punk and just vote how Goofer and Shelley tell me to!

I think, in this case, you are making a good choice. ;-) So good in fact, that I am going to follow suit and vote as Shelly, Goofer, and Scooterbug tell me on this issue.

 

[wrobert]

I think, in this case, you are making a good choice. ;-) So good in fact, that I am going to follow suit and vote as Shelly, Goofer, and Scooterbug tell me on this issue.

I fully understand. I have friends that fully support a YES vote, and I have friends that are adamantly in favor of a NO vote. On this issue, I guess I am going to have to side with my friends.

 

[Busta Hustle]

Realtors drinking the shelly kool-aid...now we are getting somewhere
next thing you know they'll be moving to the city and getting jobs in the garment district..

 

[Smiling JOe]

lol. Even when others were fully disagreeing with Shelly, back in 2005, I agreed with some things he said. This is just another one of those things. Our area has and will continue to grow exponentially over the years. That should mean that many people will be new buyers in the future. It is probably more likely that new buyers will enter the market, than current owners will buy another primary resident. If FAR is in favor of the Bill, they might not be looking at the full picture. For years, FAR has been talking about the number of people expected to move to the State. I can understand their wanting some caps on commercial property and second homes, but they need to open their eyes to the many new buyers who will be punished by the passing of this law.

 

[TooFarTampa]

lol. Even when others were fully disagreeing with Shelly, back in 2005, I agreed with some things he said. This is just another one of those things. Our area has and will continue to grow exponentially over the years. That should mean that many people will be new buyers in the future. It is probably more likely that new buyers will enter the market, than current owners will buy another primary resident. If FAR is in favor of the Bill, they might not be looking at the full picture. For years, FAR has been talking about the number of people expected to move to the State. I can understand their wanting some caps on commercial property and second homes, but they need to open their eyes to the many new buyers who will be punished by the passing of this law.

I was catching up with my Sunday paper and I just read about the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Committee, which I had forgotten was active right now. The state gets a committee together every 20 years. They did a tax "listening-tour" type jaunt around the state last fall and they are in the process of submitting their individual proposals. (I was confused -- I thought the listening tour was about the legislature's property tax reform, but it was not.)

This committee has the power to get amendments to the state constitution directly onto to the ballot this November. I realize I am idealistic, but I would think anything they come up with as a group would have to be better than the ridiculous legislative non-solutions that resulted in Amendment 1.

And with this committee, they have the freedom to put everything tax-related on the table -- Save Our Homes, income tax ideas, anything to make the system better. This seems like a good time to do it as the state heads rapidly toward recession. So I say vote no on 1 and let these people do their work.

More info here:

http://www.floridatbrc.org/

 

[wrobert]

I can understand their wanting some caps on commercial property and second homes, but they need to open their eyes to the many new buyers who will be punished by the passing of this law.

What new punishment will be created by the passing of this law? We already have SOH? Just relieving the second home owners who rent of the tangible personal property tax offers an amount of relief that they have never had before.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I'm not suggesting that reducing the tangible tax is not a good thing for second home owners. What I'm saying is that if State is hoping for its population to grow exponentially over the next 20 years, the passing of this Bill as written, will penalize the very people we are trying to attract. In 2007, FL lost a net number of people living here. California had a net gain. I think FL needs to create a little more fairness in its tax laws. As for new PUNISHMENT, it is not. It is additional punishment, to new BUYERS.

 

[Busta Hustle]

additional punishment to new buyers???