House Passes 1.35% Tax Cap for Voter approval - 2nd year in a row!
SENATE CONTINUES TO IGNORE FLORIDA TAXPAYERS AND WON'T EVEN VOTE ON THE BILL IN SENATE - again!
ONLY SENATE PRESIDENT JEFF ATWATER HAS THE POWER TO MOVE THIS TO A SENATE VOTE BY END OF SESSION THURSDAY! Call Senator Atwater Today and tell him: "WE WANT SB 0738 (1.35% cap) to move to the floor for a vote by Thursday!" Statewide: 1-866-757-1902; Tallahassee: (850) 487-5100 N. Palm Beach: (561) 625-5101; Oakland Park: (954) 847-3518
Last Year, Senator Jeff Atwater indicated that then Senate President Ken Pruitt was not allowing the 1.35% property tax cap to the Floor of the Florida Senate for a vote. Now HE is the Senate President and the same thing has occured. Why? Why won't our Senate President give the go ahead to allow an up or down vote on a tax proposal that would allow voters to cut their property taxes by 20% and permanently cap them at no more than 1.35% or their property's value? Why, when about 120,000 Florida voters signed a petition to do so and the Florida Supreme Court agreed they had the power to do so if techincal language was fixed (as was done in the current bill)?
Why does the House pass the bill after moving through multiple committees and the Senate Leadership refuses to allow it to move to its second committee and to the floor?
Only Senate President Atwater knows and only Senate President Atwater can instruct his Senate leadership to move that bill to the floor for a vote this week.
FLORIDA TAXPAYERS HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND WILL REMEMBER THOSE SENATORS WHO HAVE BEEN HELPFUL AND THOSE SENATORS WHO HAVE REFUSED TO ACT.
Thanks to Senator Bennet and the other Senators who voted Yes in the Community Affairs committee. Thanks to Senator Storms, Fasano and Gaetz who helped where they could. Thanks to Senators Altman, Garcia, Hill, Ring, Siplin, and Wise
Shame on those Senate leaders and our Senate President who said "no".
CALL SENATOR ATWATER TODAY AND DEMAND ACTION. THEN EMAIL YOUR SENATOR AND TELL HIM TO DEMAND A VOTE!
Fight for your Right to Place 1.35% Cap on Florida Ballot! CALL KEY SENATORS TODAY! -Only Legislature Can Save the 1.35% Cap! -The 1.35% cap will cut property taxes to 2000 levels and stimulate our economy by putting money back in the pockets of citizens. Senate Committee Chairs need to hear from you now on Senate Bill 0738 - they need to move it to the Senate Floor ASAP! Call the Following Senators and tell them: "Put S0738 on your committee schedule now and Put the 1.35% cap on the 2009 ballot."
Community Affairs: Senator Mike Bennet (bill sponsor, thank this Senator too!) (850) 487-5078 & 1-800-500-1239 (District Office) (First Committee, CALL AT LEAST THIS ONE).
Finance and Tax: Senator Thad Altman (850) 487-5053 (State) & (321) 752-3138/(941) 727-6349 (district office)
Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations; Senator Stephen Wise (850) 487-5027 (State) & (904) 381-6000 (District Office)
Policy & Steering Commitee on Ways and Means: Senator J.D. Alexander (863) 298-7677 (State) & (850) 487-5044 (District Office)
Rules: Senator Alex Villalobos (850) 487-5130 (State) & (305) 222-4160 (District Office)
As one of the original authors of the 1.35 percent tax cap, I disagree with the state Supreme Court's ruling that the ballot language signed by more than 100,000 Floridians was "misleading."The court invented law in its ruling (again) and ignored its own previous rulings that the 75- word summary need not disclose "every detail." The court found an excuse for its ruling in one technical detail: that when voters approve taxes above the cap, they must renew that approval every two years. Thus the judges followed their well-known ideological bias against tax cuts and used their "judgment" to keep the voters from doing what they certainly would do: cut their own taxes!
The 1.35 percent cap is just what Floridians need as it will cut property taxes about 20 percent and provide real economic stimulus. As always, the Times calls for "new revenue" as the only way we can cut property taxes — which means raising other taxes. You decry cuts to bloated local government budgets even as you routinely report the waste and misspending.
New taxes are not something Floridians can tolerate. The good news is that the Supreme Court only ruled on whether citizens can place the cap on the ballot themselves. It doesn't limit the ability of the Legislature to place it on the ballot — perhaps by placing the words "two years" somewhere in the summary. Senate President Jeff Atwater is the key, and Floridians should call his office and ask him to place the 1.35 percent cap on the ballot.
David McKalip, M.D. St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg Times celebrates temporary setback of 1.35% cap, says: The only Way to Cut Property Taxes, is to Raise OTHER TAXES! FTU CHAIR Dr. David McKalip Responds in Published letter to Editor today (see response and link to editorial below)
Fight for your Right to Place 1.35% Cap on Florida Ballot! -Only Legislature Can Save the 1.35% Cap! The 1.35% cap is in the hands of ONE and ONLY ONE man: Senate President Jeff Atwater Senator Atwater needs THOUSANDS of phone calls to let him know what to do.
Call Senator Jeff Atwater today and tell him: "Put 1.35% up for Senate vote this session. Place it on ballot this year!" Statewide: 1-866-757-1902; Tallahassee: (850) 487-5100 N. Palm Beach: (561) 625-5101; Oakland Park: (954) 847-3518 State still needs property tax cap
As one of the original authors of the 1.35 percent tax cap, I disagree with the state Supreme Court's ruling that the ballot language signed by more than 100,000 Floridians was "misleading."
The court invented law in its ruling (again) and ignored its own previous rulings that the 75- word summary need not disclose "every detail." The court found an excuse for its ruling in one technical detail: that when voters approve taxes above the cap, they must renew that approval every two years. Thus the judges followed their well-known ideological bias against tax cuts and used their "judgment" to keep the voters from doing what they certainly would do: cut their own taxes!
The 1.35 percent cap is just what Floridians need as it will cut property taxes about 20 percent and provide real economic stimulus. As always, the Times calls for "new revenue" as the only way we can cut property taxes — which means raising other taxes. You decry cuts to bloated local government budgets even as you routinely report the waste and misspending.
New taxes are not something Floridians can tolerate. The good news is that the Supreme Court only ruled on whether citizens can place the cap on the ballot themselves. It doesn't limit the ability of the Legislature to place it on the ballot — perhaps by placing the words "two years" somewhere in the summary. Senate President Jeff Atwater is the key, and Floridians should call his office and ask him to place the 1.35 percent cap on the ballot.
District Offices: 824 US Highway 1, #210 North Palm Beach, FL 33408 (561) 625-5101 Senate VOIP: 42500 FAX (561) 625-5103 Statewide: 1-866-757-1902
Oakland Park City Hall 3650 NE 12th Avenue Oakland Park, FL 33334 (954) 847-3518 Senate VOIP: 42510 FAX (954) 847-3519
Tallahassee Office: 312 Senate Office Building 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 (850) 487-5100
Florida Supreme Court Denies Citizens' Right to Place 1.35% Cap on Florida Ballot! -Property Tax Crisis Persists! -Only Legislature Can Save the 1.35% Cap! -1.35% tax cap would cut property taxes about 20% and provide REAL Economic Stimulus! The 1.35% cap is in the hands of ONE and ONLY ONE man: Senate President Jeff Atwater Senator Atwater needs THOUSANDS of phone calls to let him know what to do. SHUT DOWN HIS PHONES!!!!!
Call Senator Jeff Atwater today and tell him: "Put 1.35% up for Senate vote this session. Place it on ballot this year!" Statewide: 1-866-757-1902; Tallahassee: (850) 487-5100 N. Palm Beach: (561) 625-5101; Oakland Park: (954) 847-3518 Last week the Florida Supreme Court decided that the citizens should not have the right to place a choice for the 1.35% property tax cap on the ballot. They claimed that the ballot summary language was "misleading" because one technical provision was not specifically spelled out (that voter-approved higher taxes only lasted two years). In doing so, they ignored law they established that such summaries need NOT include every detail (two judges point that out in their dissent). They thus invented new law - legislated from the bench. The only good news is that they did overturn other invented law and stated that this tax cut did NOT violate the "single subject" requirement that was arbitrarily invented by former Chief Justice Steven Grimes in the '90's. This leaves the only chance for the 1.35% initiative with the Florida Legislature - and not a moment too soon since property taxes are still up 23% since 2000 and only dropped about 3% in 2008. A property tax cut will provide MASSIVE Stimulus for the Florida Economy by putting money in the pockets of citizens where it belongs. Again, the 1.35% cap will cut property taxes back to year 2000 levels and still allow Save our Homes to survive. It will not hurt local governments and schools that are finally realizing how they have grossly overspent - off the backs of taxpayers. (Read more at www.floridataxpayersunion.org).
Last year, despite all of our efforts, the Florida Senate refused to allow a floor vote on the Senate for the 1.35% cap that was approved by the Florida house with ease. That decision was made by ONE MAN: then President Ken Pruitt. He personally ensured that it would not get scheduled for votes in committee or make it to the floor. Already, there are games afoot as the current bill (S738/H0385) for the 1.35% initiative have been scheduled in SEVEN Senate committees - a classic move to kill bills. Senate President Jeff Atwater can prove himself to be a better leader than his predecessor. He can insist that the committees hear these bills rapidly and that they get moved to the floor for a vote. He can make sure that political games don't impede the bills progress. It is highly unlikely that a majority of Senators will vote against this bill in Committee. Only games will stop that and Atwater can stop the games.
We will conduct this email and phone-in campaign through the Session until Senator Atwater publicly promises his support for the 1.35% cap to reach the ballot this year.
Senator Jeff Atwater District Offices: 824 US Highway 1, #210 North Palm Beach, FL 33408 (561) 625-5101 Senate VOIP: 42500 FAX (561) 625-5103 Statewide: 1-866-757-1902
Oakland Park City Hall 3650 NE 12th Avenue Oakland Park, FL 33334 (954) 847-3518 Senate VOIP: 42510 FAX (954) 847-3519
Tallahassee Office: 312 Senate Office Building 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 (850) 487-5100
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January 29, 2009
Use our Email/Letter tool to tell Congress: NO MASSIVE FEDERAL SPENDING INCREASE WITH PHONY "STIMULUS" BILL! CUT OUR TAXES!
Take Action by going to: http://www.votervoice.net/Groups/FLTPU/Advocacy/?IssueID=16124&SiteID=-1 (Does the proposed Postal Service Delivery cut teach us any lessons? - See below) "The government should pay people to dig holes in the ground and then fill them up." Central Planner and Socialist Economist John Meynard Keynes Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a massive lobbyist-written government expansion and enitlement bill that will worsen our economy in the long term. (Fortunately, the Senate can still stop it). The $825 billion economic stimulus program will create a terrible tax burden on Americans, our children and grandchildren. It will create new government programs that will not help our economic situation since it is these very types of programs that have gotten us into this mess. Like giving drugs to an addict, it will give more money to state and local government so they can continue to waste local tax dollars to sustain projects built by the Feds! See a list of the wasteful spending at: Read The Stimulus.ORG. Even the Congressional Budget Office points out major problems of these porkbarrel and political projects masquerading as "stimulus".
Together with uncontrollable printing of money by the Federal Reserve, massive and irresponsbile govenment spending is crippling our country. Consider the amount of money printed by the Federal Reserve in the last year to cover these spending programs and other "bailouts" (as popularized on Glen Beck Show this week: "An Inconvenient Debt"). This uncontrollable printing of money is destroying the value of the dollar and risking massive inflation - a hidden tax. This massive inflation can destroy economies and countries (see the recent unrest in Iceland where the government is crumbling due to a financial crisis). A good case for abolishing our Federal Reserve and restoring the Gold Standard ended in 1971 by Richard Nixon.
The House of Representatives passed this in a one sided vote favored only by those who like big government. (Yes - 244 Dems. No - 11 Dems and 177 Reps).
Fortunately, the bill will go to the Senate where it can be FILIBUSTERED, CHANGED and DOWNSIZED!!
Please contact your Florida Congressmen and Senators and tell them to cut spending and let you keep your tax money. Remember, this same amount of money would be the equivalent of a $1,500 check to each taxpayer in the country. A far better way to stimulate the economy - CUT TAXES!
What Does the Postal Service Teach Us? Do you wonder why the U.S. Postal Service wants to cut Service from 6 days/week to 5 days/week? They don't know how to manage an enterprise and cut spending - they would rather cut your service! They, and the government, see the postal service not as a mail delviery service, but as a jobs program! Why trim cut costs, cut workers and cut incredibly generous employee benefits (as the private sector must) when they can just ask Americans and businesses to get by with a day's less worth of mail. This is all on the back of the taxpyaer supporting excessive health and reitrement benefits for current and retired workers - more than most taxpayers can get in the private sector!
Just think what will happen with the massive expansion of government programs under consideration in Congress now. What will happen as they fail? Will they be downsized and made to work efficiently or will those who grow dependant on them just have to get by with less?
The lesson: Government progams are not about providing good service at a good price. They are about politics and agendas of politicians and special interests. In this case they are about creating "jobs" to dig and fill holes!
House Passes 1.35% Tax Cap for Voter approval - 2nd year in a row! 
St. Petersburg Times celebrates temporary setback of 1.35% cap, says: The only Way to Cut Property Taxes, is to Raise OTHER TAXES!