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Hernando Today

'Yes' On 1 A No-Brainer

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Chris Wessel

Published: January 27, 2008

OK, I'm new here, but as I understand it, we can go to

the polls on Tuesday and vote to cut our exorbitant

property taxes.

Or we can cast a ballot against cutting our excessive

property taxes.

OK, so who in their right mind would vote against such

a measure?

Government bureaucrats and unions representing them who

have gotten fat and happy spending the cash cow's

money, that's who. They won't be too delighted if

taxpayers don't continue to fill their troughs as full

in the future. And they have much glut to lose. That's

why they're coming out with all sorts of campaign scare

tactics and gobbledygook reasons to try to convince

voters that cutting their property taxes would somehow

be a bad thing, a nightmare, a sham.

Emergency services would be cut, so your house will

burn to the ground. Schools will lose funding, so

Johnny won't be able to read. It's not real tax reform;

it's a gimmick for the wealthy. Amendment 1 is flawed

and adds further inequities to the state's already

inequitable property tax structure. It's not fair to

nonresident property owners. Government officials can

simply raise mill levies to make up for the loss in

revenue.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Horsehockey, as M*A*S*H's Col. Potter used to say.

Here's what Amendment 1 will really do: It will take

about $300 out of the pockets of bloated government by

keeping it in yours. I don't know about you, but I'd

rather save or spend that money than have government

squander it for me.

If, for instance, Hernando County's budget hadn't more

than doubled in the past six years while the population

climbed 21 percent, I could better understand the

opposition's point of view. If property values, and

subsequently taxes, hadn't skyrocketed in the past six

years, I could better see their point of view. If

government hadn't wasted so much money on incredible

raises and grandiose expenditures, I could better

sympathize with their point of view.

But I don't.

I have empathy for the overburdened taxpayer and

understand that when the taxpayer has more money to

spend, the economy improves. When government has more

of the taxpayers' money to spend, the economy suffers.

Why do you think the feds want to send out checks to

everyone to spark our stagnating economy? Amendment 1

would do the same statewide.

Besides, Amendment 1 wouldn't be on Tuesday's ballot if

local governments had been responsible in reducing tax

levies when millions more in tax dollars kept rolling

in to stuff the coffers.

What's happened in recent years is that local

governments have convinced themselves that they're more

important than the taxpayer. "Government Gone Wild"

wasn't conceived from a fairytale. The truth is

government has not been altogether good stewards of our

hard-earned tax dollars. A Hernando Today series last

summer documented much of the abuse.

If I understand correctly, Amendment 1 basically is a

way for voters to tell their elected officials to learn

to lead with less — forget excessive raises, get by

with fewer employees, buy fewer new vehicles, learn to

live with something less than a John Deere, understand

that government works for the taxpayer and not

vice-versa.

Amendment 1 will send a message to government officials

that the blank-check days of eternal growth and

skyrocketing property values are over, that government

officials must learn to live within their means,

sharpen their pencils and look for ways to do business

cheaper, leaner and better — to do more with less.

After all, isn't that what private business that funds

this government excess has had to do?

Most of us don't get huge raises every year. Many of us

can't afford a new vehicle. Lots of us have to settle

with something less expensive than a John Deere. That's

government arrogance.

On Tuesday, the voters have an opportunity to tell

their elected officials: "It's time to operate within

our means."

The way I understand it, the electorate can cast a

ballot in favor of Amendment 1 that would essentially

double the Homestead Exemption from $25,000 to $50,000

on properties with values of $75,000 and higher; add a

$25,000 exemption to the tangible property taxes that

businesses pay; add portability to the Save Our Homes

legislation to allow homestead property owners to

transfer up to $500,000 of their SOH tax benefit to

their next primary home; and cap at 10 percent each

year rises in assessments of nonhomestead properties.

That's, of course, as long as the politicians don't

simply raise mill levies to make up for the loss in

revenue.

Amendment 1 will have little to no effect on the

funding of public education. Property value declines

may. Longtime homeowners won't lose their 3 percent

cap, even though that's been one of the scare tactics

used. Private businesses, especially smaller ones, will

benefit greatly from the $25,000 exemption on tangible

property — an unfair business tax that should be

eliminated anyway. Government will always work to cut

excess before essential services and personnel are cut,

so emergency services would likely be the last to see

reductions. The truth is, they could probably use a

good look under the microscope as well, especially when

it comes to consolidation.

Here's another way to think about it: If Amendment 1 is

so bad and passage of it will lead to all these ruinous

things, maybe that will finally be impetus enough to

get our local government leaders and our lawmakers in

Tallahassee to get serious about providing real tax

reform for the property owners of Florida.

The taxpayer has lived with the pain long enough.

A "No" vote will send a message to Tallahassee that

this issue isn't that important to the electorate, and

lawmakers will set their priorities on other issues.

A "Yes" vote will get their attention.

Doesn't seem like rocket science to me.

Chris Wessel, editor of Hernando Today, can be reached

at 352-544-5295 or by e-mail at

wwessel@hernandotoday.com.

Chris Wessel, editor of Hernando Today, can be reached

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