http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/02/20/ap6078508.html I'm pissed. He's using one time revenue from the stimulus to fund failed state agencies rather than stimulating the economy. The Department Of Transportation is receiving $1 billion less than last year! There is also talk of repealing the voter approved class size amendment. Apparently the legislatures believes they know how to spend money better rather than a directive from a super majority of the population giving them a constitutional mandate to do so. Infrastructure improvements are preferred since a tangible asset is left behind after stimulus funds ends. This asset can also generate continued economic growth after its built. Why hire a bunch of paper pushers for state government with stimulus funds?? When next year's budget comes along will be in a deeper fucking whole. I'm very saddened with Gov. Crist and just downright enraged by the legislature. I'm going to have to move to Texas, one of the few states left which an ideal of small government, low taxes, and minimal government intervention in people's affairs.
Is it really worth the 0.1% in state, local, property, sales, and fuel taxes that you'll save based on 2005 rankings? http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/taxesbystate2005/index.html And upon further inspection, Texas created a new state business tax in 2007 of 1%. The tax makes up about 15% of the state's total tax revenue, second only to the sales tax. Note, if your business makes < than $300,000 you are exempt from the business tax.
These are all rational responses. I'm just considering it, we'll see. All I'm saying is the state of Florida is heading down the wrong path. IMHO.
Don't lose faith the real conservatives in the legislature can't stand Christ. They will not let him get away with this and they have no problems taking him on. Crist is a douche bag no doubt it, there is still hope BHO names him to the cabinet.
He's the typical modern day Republican. 'nough said. The Dems should get on their knees every night and thank God, that this is what they have to compete against. But then, they don't believe in God, so never mind.
"Real conservatives" don't exist. The false dichotomy between gospel of conservatism and republican party exists to make sure gullible minds believe that even if republicans are wrong they are still better than democrats. In essence, if a republican is wrong, he/she deviated from the sacred "conservative principles" if a democrat is wrong it is because he/she is always wrong. Crist is like a typical republican - total scum.
I have more faith (albeit little) in the state legislators. I'm ecstatic when I hear about growing budget deficits. With each passing day it seems increasingly likely that government services will be cut. I hope entire departments disappear because they do nothing to add to the quality of life in Florida but cost a fortune. The thing that pisses me off about Crist -- in addition to using one time federal transfers to fill a budget hole instead of capital expenditures -- is that he refuses to cut spending. He actually cut DOT's capital budget by a billion dollars so he could continue to fund other operating expenses. That's complete bullshit! How about increasing DOT's highway & transit capital budget by a billion and takeout a useless agency such as Community Affairs. I dare the state legislators to raise the sales tax or implement an income tax. I'm looking for a reason to leave this God-forsaken state and move to Texas anyway. But if they do cut operating spending by a billion or two I'll be pleasantly surprised and proud of my state.
Looks like I may get my wish! Iggy, as in Hernando County's ignominious mogul-maniac of home building construction interests, must be sitting on the edge of a cement block drooling on bib overalls at the prospects of the Florida Legislature circumventing the duties entrusted to the Department of Community Affairs. Dressed in hip-high wading boots and prepared to wallow through nature's wetlands waiting for the mud to dry from drought conditions and further depletion of water supplies from years of uncontrolled development, Iggy is ready to build. State Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, has proposed Senate Bill 730, which would dismantle the DCA and shovel the agency's intended oversight of growth management onto the shoulders of the Florida Department of State. Going back to the days of Jeb, in 2003 there was also a push-to-shove strategy to establish a Department of State and Community Partnerships, an attempt to roll the two departments into one. It was thwarted by public outcry. Die-hard Florida Republicans, and their "government gone wild-horses for untamed development" prose, have since undermined the office of DCA Secretary Thomas G. Pelham by eliminating key positions, including eight this past year. Under the DCA, growth management concerns require a review of areas "containing ⦠environmental or natural resources of regional or statewide importance, including, but not limited to, state or federal parks, forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, aquatic preserves, major rivers and estuaries, state environmentally endangered lands." As stated by Secretary Pelham, without this oversight, encroachment in the Miami-Dade area would put into jeopardy restoration efforts of the Everglades. Ecosystems statewide would be permanently disrupted. SB 730 would allow local governments to bypass state review on changes to growth plans. Another piece of legislative handiwork is SB 630, which would put a three-year moratorium on impact fees. If that's not enough to ponder, consider the millions of dollars that would become taxpayers' responsibility under SB 580/HB 227, which would put the burden of proof on local governments to substantiate proposed impact fees. We're talking taxpayers paying court costs. We're talking about the loss of fees that go toward providing infrastructure funding for roads, parks, libraries and fire/EMS services. Where in Florida, or the U.S. for that matter, is new home construction truly warranted? Nationwide, the number of vacant homes is estimated at 19 million. They remain uninhabited, available to qualified buyers, whoever they may be in this topsy-turvy economy. The number of vacant homes in Florida hovers around 300,000 and accounts for a good 15 percent of the nationwide total. And yet SB 730 would pave the way for newly constructed homes. If SB 730 should become law, Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning would hold much of the responsibilities currently handled by the DCA. The Department of State currently consists of the Divisions of Administrative Services, Corporations, Cultural Affairs, Elections, Historical Resources and Library and Information Services. What's freaky about this whole matter is that Browning was reportedly unaware of the possible changes until Bennett made public the intentions of SB 730. No wonder the department's response was one of delayed reaction as time is required to review the affect on the assumptive operational costs and organizational requirements. No disrespect to Secretary Browning, but as it stands, he simply isn't qualified to oversee such an expansion of duties. There's little doubt that without an expressed willingness to play along with scripted, unquestioned loyalty to building interests, the alternative, as suggested by Sen. Bennett, would be to disperse DCA responsibilities to other departments willing to skip along to the cheesy tunes of the panhandling Pied Pipers of T-town. The largest of Hernando County impact fees is for schools which, at $4,266, accounts for nearly half the approximate figure of $9,200 depending on the fire district in which the home is built. On a $200,000 30-year mortgage it amounts to less than $30 per month. Impact fees are a minor expense to the purchase price of a home. School impact fees are already said to be insufficient to meet future needs, without which we may as well put up a sign No Kids Allowed. No more grandfathers; better yet, no grandfather clause. Back on the home front, not only would Iggy be pleased if any of Senate Bills 580/630/730 were to become the law of the land of sunshine but, as though in concert with the efforts of Sen. Bennett, Hernando County homebuilders' cue ball Addy has proposed that local impact fees be decommissioned. He wanted it rush-rush, hush-hush â no procedural discussion. If impact fees aren't garnered from impact fees, it will be taxpayers who must pay the bills. How would lost revenues be replaced? Higher sales taxes would bring out the crybabies of businesses. What about increased homeowner property taxes!? What about a state income tax? The moneys will have to be appropriated from some source. Guess who? Ron Rae, a regular contributor to Hernando Today, lives in Spring Hill. === The special interest propaganda is out in full force and out swigging.
Property taxes are a mortal crime in this country. It's the biggest racketeering and organized, criminal theft of all time. Screw the property tax system of funding unnecessary jobs at the state, county and city levels of government. Move to a consumption or flat tax (still consumption based).