Why I'm Gonna Vote "Yes" On January 29th

I'm sure you all know that I do not bring politics into this blogsite. I don't know a better, faster way to lose friends than start pontificating on politics or religion.

But the vote scheduled for Janaury 29th is not so much politics as it is economics. Not so much religion as it is tax policy. I figure nobody's going to get too mad at me if I voice my opinion on that.

And I promise I'm not going to try to persuade you to vote my way.

But here's the decision I've reached.

I have decided to vote "yes" on the tax amendment on January 29th.

Here's why.

First of all, I don't think this is a great piece of legislation. In fact, it's pretty lame. A knee-jerk reaction if ever I saw one. It may not even be legal and will probably be tested in court pretty darn quick. It might even be a violation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it may set up separate classes of taxpayers, and that's a no-no.

Secondly, I think our congressmen spent more time trying to figure out how to replace lost tax revenue than trying to figure out a way to pass equitable tax legislation that is fair to everybody, including people who are moving to Florida, and people who own business property, mobile homes, investment property and second/vacation homes. I kinda resent that attitude on Tallahassee's part -- and Clearwater's part -- and downtown St. Pete's part. That's probably why this legislation is so lame. Once again our elected officials lost sight of the people's goal and got sidetracked looking out for their fellow bureaucrats, departments and special interest groups.

Third, I disagree with the real estate boards who say that this legislation will help spur more real estate purchases. It won't. It doesn't represent enough tax savings to spit at. To get buyers off the fence, we need real, substantial and immediate tax relief in Florida. This legislation isn't any of those things. Real estate has much bigger problems than can be solved by saving a couple of hundred dollars on taxes, and anybody who thinks real estate markets can be re-vitalized by this legislation really does not understand the root problems. This amendment is an attempt at a quick fix, and there is no quick fix for real estate. Not gonna happen.

Okay, those are legitimate reasons for voting "no", and if you want to follow that logic, go ahead. I frankly went down that road myself for awhile.

But I've changed my mind and here's why I'm voting "yes".

• If you vote "no" on Amendment 1, nothing changes. Everything remains the same. Nothing's moving forward. We're stuck with the same-old-same-old.
• What's worse, those people in Tallahassee may very well just throw up their hands and say "Look, we tried. The people don't really want tax change. Just look how they voted. Let's just drop the whole thing." That kind of attitude in Tallahassee could spell disaster in this state for many, many years to come.
• There is no assurance that by voting "no" you will ever get anything better to vote on in the future. Frankly, that just scares hell out of me.

You see, if I vote "yes", I'm telling Tallahassee that I'm fed up with this state's backward-thinking tax policy. I'm saying that even a small step in the right direction is better than no step in any direction. Am I happy with the new law? No. Will I continue to work toward getting better laws? Yes. Am I going to do what I can to make my voice heard about this issue. You bet. Do I want to see a more well-thought out tax policy in coming months? Better believe it.

Plus, what have I got to lose by voting "yes"? As I understand it, with a "yes" vote I still keep my Save Our Homes protection, I don't lose my 3% tax increase limit per year, I get an increase in my homestead exemption, and I get portability so I can take up to $500,000 in Save Our Homes tax savings with me if I move. In addition, with a "yes" vote, businesses and mobile home owners can exempt up to $25,000 from their Tangible Personal Property taxes, and I help create a 10% cap on tax increases for businesses and non-homesteaded property.

I don't know about you, but I consider all those to be good things, worthy of a "yes" vote.

If the "no" voters win, none of those good things will happen and the congress will have to start all over again -- if they want to. Additionally, all those politically active people who have worked so hard for change will have to start all over again -- and I don't know if they've got the staying-power and money to continue this kind of fight. Would I like to see something better? Certainly. But I think the wise move is to take what you can get and then keep the ball rolling toward an even better tax policy that is fair for everybody yet still allows government to meet its financial obligations.

So, I'm gonna vote "yes". You do what you want. Just please don't send me a bunch of e-mails telling me I'm making a big mistake.

For more information about real estate in the Tampa Bay area, please visit my website at http://www.thestpeterealestatesite.com/.

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