Politicians Beware!
State House of Representatives. State Senate. Governor's office. City commissions. County commissions. School boards. Transit systems. Dog catchers and other bureaucrats. If I were in your shoes right now, I'd be very mindful of the words Samuel Adams wrote over two centuries ago ...
"It does not take a majority to prevail but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men."
Right now, however, I think we have a MAJORITY who are irate, tireless and keen on setting a few brush fires about property tax policy. So, politicians beware!
I'm not on a crusade, but it is obvious that taxpayers have become fed up with high taxes in order to fund what are often obviously wasteful, useless government projects -- many of which benefit the few at the expense of the many. To be candid, if elected officials do not do something to bring real, appreciable, and immediate tax relief that can be measured in real dollars to property owners in Florida, they may be seeing their political careers go up in smoke as irate, tireless taxpayers set brush fires in the minds of voters from Pensacola to Key West.
At recent budget approval hearings in Pinellas County, the taxpayers spoke out against high taxes. The result? The County Commission sent the budgets back from whence they came and asked that fat be trimmed. The St. Petersburg City Council voted 5 to 3 not to cut a dime. The Pinellas County School Board did not cut a dime. The PSTA made some cuts, to their credit since fuel costs are skyrocketing. The County Commission cut some spending. In the end, about $36-million was cut from a budget of almost $2-billion. Chicken feed! My understanding is that the average non-homesteaded property owner will save about $100. Great! Now I can buy two tanks of gasoline!
Some good things did come out of those budget hearings. One of the best things was that politicians clearly understand the mind of the electorate and the seriousness of the problems. They also vowed to use zero-based budgetting techniques starting with next year's budget. Both are good things that might cause the taxes to go down in 2008 (remember, we were debating the 2007 budget at this year's meetings.)
One of the root causes of these tax problems is the Save Our Homes tax law. This law is causing taxes to be higher for new purchases and great inequities among properties in the same neighborhood. Frankly, it is helping to kill the real estate business in Florida. Every concerned citizen should be in contact with his representatives in Tallahassee about this terrible law with an eye toward getting it removed.
The only problem with repealing Save Our Homes is this: What will you replace it with?
Apparently, people are really upset. I know of an attorney in St. Petersburg who has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to have all property taxes declared unconstitutional based on the 14th Ammendment. I know of a doctor in St. Petersburg who is raising money to do something tax related, but I'm not quite certain he knows what he wants to do except lower the taxes. I know of a group on Clearwater Beach that is preparing the introduction of a California-style Proposition 15 (or 13 or whatever the number was). I know of another group that is working toward having all County government eliminated in favor of city governments saying the County government represents a duplication of effort with the cities. This is what Miami and Jacksonville did several years ago. Other people would probably be content with hurling a few eggs at their County Commissioner's house.
If you want to get involved, get involved. But before you do, I advise you to learn the facts and also understand the restrictions under which each level of government operates. Then, get involved early on in the proceedings. Don't wait until after decisions have been made to start asking questions and making suggestions. Get involved early in the decision-making process. And remember, every time you cut $1 out of the budget, somebody is going to be left with a reduction in services. When you put a human face on it, cuts get harder to make.
Nevertheless, like most of you, I want taxes reduced. Frankly, I can do with less government if it will save me a bunch of money while ensuring the continuation of property ownership rights as laid down in the United States Constitution. People who get hurt by this reduction in tax-based services will find private resources to help them meet their needs. If those private resources don't exist now, they will be created if enough need exists. That's the way this nation works.
I also want insurance rates reduced. Insurance rates are a matter of corporate greed combined with government ineptitude. That's just my opinion of course, and I'm probably oversimplifying the issue.
I also support bringing Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy back into the public school system. But more about those movements in another article.
As far as taxes go, well, I hope to see you at the voting booth.
To stay updated on the latest in local real estate, visit my website at www.thestpeterealestatesite.com.
Oh, special thanks to Ted Nohren and Scott Menne for bringing the quote from Samuel Adams to my attention. Now, those two guys are a couple of rabble-rousing activists!
"It does not take a majority to prevail but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men."
Right now, however, I think we have a MAJORITY who are irate, tireless and keen on setting a few brush fires about property tax policy. So, politicians beware!
I'm not on a crusade, but it is obvious that taxpayers have become fed up with high taxes in order to fund what are often obviously wasteful, useless government projects -- many of which benefit the few at the expense of the many. To be candid, if elected officials do not do something to bring real, appreciable, and immediate tax relief that can be measured in real dollars to property owners in Florida, they may be seeing their political careers go up in smoke as irate, tireless taxpayers set brush fires in the minds of voters from Pensacola to Key West.
At recent budget approval hearings in Pinellas County, the taxpayers spoke out against high taxes. The result? The County Commission sent the budgets back from whence they came and asked that fat be trimmed. The St. Petersburg City Council voted 5 to 3 not to cut a dime. The Pinellas County School Board did not cut a dime. The PSTA made some cuts, to their credit since fuel costs are skyrocketing. The County Commission cut some spending. In the end, about $36-million was cut from a budget of almost $2-billion. Chicken feed! My understanding is that the average non-homesteaded property owner will save about $100. Great! Now I can buy two tanks of gasoline!
Some good things did come out of those budget hearings. One of the best things was that politicians clearly understand the mind of the electorate and the seriousness of the problems. They also vowed to use zero-based budgetting techniques starting with next year's budget. Both are good things that might cause the taxes to go down in 2008 (remember, we were debating the 2007 budget at this year's meetings.)
One of the root causes of these tax problems is the Save Our Homes tax law. This law is causing taxes to be higher for new purchases and great inequities among properties in the same neighborhood. Frankly, it is helping to kill the real estate business in Florida. Every concerned citizen should be in contact with his representatives in Tallahassee about this terrible law with an eye toward getting it removed.
The only problem with repealing Save Our Homes is this: What will you replace it with?
Apparently, people are really upset. I know of an attorney in St. Petersburg who has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to have all property taxes declared unconstitutional based on the 14th Ammendment. I know of a doctor in St. Petersburg who is raising money to do something tax related, but I'm not quite certain he knows what he wants to do except lower the taxes. I know of a group on Clearwater Beach that is preparing the introduction of a California-style Proposition 15 (or 13 or whatever the number was). I know of another group that is working toward having all County government eliminated in favor of city governments saying the County government represents a duplication of effort with the cities. This is what Miami and Jacksonville did several years ago. Other people would probably be content with hurling a few eggs at their County Commissioner's house.
If you want to get involved, get involved. But before you do, I advise you to learn the facts and also understand the restrictions under which each level of government operates. Then, get involved early on in the proceedings. Don't wait until after decisions have been made to start asking questions and making suggestions. Get involved early in the decision-making process. And remember, every time you cut $1 out of the budget, somebody is going to be left with a reduction in services. When you put a human face on it, cuts get harder to make.
Nevertheless, like most of you, I want taxes reduced. Frankly, I can do with less government if it will save me a bunch of money while ensuring the continuation of property ownership rights as laid down in the United States Constitution. People who get hurt by this reduction in tax-based services will find private resources to help them meet their needs. If those private resources don't exist now, they will be created if enough need exists. That's the way this nation works.
I also want insurance rates reduced. Insurance rates are a matter of corporate greed combined with government ineptitude. That's just my opinion of course, and I'm probably oversimplifying the issue.
I also support bringing Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy back into the public school system. But more about those movements in another article.
As far as taxes go, well, I hope to see you at the voting booth.
To stay updated on the latest in local real estate, visit my website at www.thestpeterealestatesite.com.
Oh, special thanks to Ted Nohren and Scott Menne for bringing the quote from Samuel Adams to my attention. Now, those two guys are a couple of rabble-rousing activists!
-30-
posted by Terry Ward at 6:06 AM
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