It will be difficult, dangerous and plain foolish to balance next year's budget through spending cuts alone. So why is there no discussion of an increase in the county gasoline tax? With every single source of revenue in decline, and little reason to expect a reversal anytime soon, the BOCC must look for additional sources of income. Five cents per gallon would generate $20 million for Hillsborough County. Such a broad-based tax would create significant revenue while minimizing the pain. It is hard to argue an additional $1 per tankful is an unmanageable burden when gas was $2 a gallon higher just a few months ago. But this is more than a source of badly needed funds. It is the type of policy we need to wean ourselves off oil and reduce emissions. No one likes a tax increase, but compared to some of the budget cuts being proposed, it is the lesser evil. As one local baseball manager might say, 5 cents equals $20 million. ...more

May 2, 2009

We were told that user fees are not a tax. Please put user fees on all alcohol. It will also help save lives. ...more

May 1, 2009

Your tax dollars at work! Today a woman came down my street and told me she was with the U.S. Census. She was "mapping out" all the houses on our street. ...more

April 25, 2009

Students and parents enrolled at the Florida Virtual School plan to gather Tuesday morning at the Capitol in Tallahassee and protest the budget cuts the Legislature has planned. ...more

April 20, 2009

Community Redevelopment Agency Commissioner Jim McCollum has taken an interest in gardening, community gardening that is. ...more

April 13, 2009

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority on Thursday amended the 2009 budget for Tampa International Airport to account for an estimated 8.1 percent decline in passengers this fiscal year that will result in a loss of $12.5 million in revenue. ...more

April 10, 2009

The Senate's plan to expand gambling may net the state far less than its sponsor was predicting. ...more

March 31, 2009

A new report says domestic violence centers in Florida saw an almost 40-percent jump in demand last fall, an increase that experts say is related to the worsening economy. ...more

March 30, 2009

"The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living off of public assistance." Cicero - 55BC. Apparently Cicero was the Ron Paul of that era. ...more

March 20, 2009

The building department has been bleeding money ever since the falloff in construction. ...more

March 14, 2009