Hey all, the stock market seems to rallying and everything seems to be doing great, right? Wrong! Who knows what the stockmarket is going to do today or tomorrow or next week for that matter. What is happening right here in our locale is more people getting laid off, a pittance for unemployment, lost health insurance, and our schools are collapsing. We ain’t out of the woods yet folks and our state leadership is way too close to the forest to see those woods.
The legislators are like a bunch of chickens scratching the ground looking for their next kernal of corn. They are cowards for failing to look seriously at how we need to finance the states most basic needs. I’ve heard it from people who say that a state income tax is impossible; it is never going to happen they say. Mark my words, there will be a state income tax in Florida within 5 years from now. If not, we will be living in a thrid world territory depending on the United Nations for help with funding our public school system and we will be turning to the World Bank to finance road construction and other infrastructure needs. No wonder the Guv is trying his damdest to get the hell out of Dodge and plunk himself down in a cushy senate seat; not a forgone conclusion at all.
It is time that we who live here and work here year round begin to stand up and take responsiblity for our own stuff. A state income tax will provide a reliable revenue stream for our state needs and can relieve millage rates on property owners by broadening the tax base and funding sources for local government. Better yet, by truly funding education properly and lowering property tax rates, we can actually attract industry to Florida. Right now, no company in its right mind is going to move its people here when they will get hit with high property taxes and when its management staff won’t tolerate having their children in our schools.
The last time we were forced to “raise” taxes because the education system was collapsing was in 1949 when Florida first introduced a 3% sales tax to save the schools. If the current problem doesn’t committ people to act , when will it. Now is the time and time is now.
Tags: Florida, funding, income tax
can’t get my vote on a state income tax. Where ever the tax rate starts it will keep going up and their will be exemptions for the rich. This is the way it works in every state.
I believe that a value added tax is the only appropriate tax for education. Just look at the 1/2 cent option sales tax for buidling. It worked. So eliminate property tax, no income tax and tax at the point of sale on all but food, clothing and drugs.
Spoken like a true Floridian. You contridicted yourself by stating that you would be for a sales tax or ad valorem tax increase while saying that an income tax would not have your support because it would be increased — like the sales tax you are recommending. The cost of government to meet basic needs at certain standard levels is fairly fixed. The money is either going to come out of your front pocket or your back pocket. Take your pick which one it will be.
I may also sound like a true Floridian. That would not be surprising given my background.
I, too, would contribute a little bit to the fund to heat the oil for income tax supporters. It’s reasonable to do my share.
However, I fear that we are currently wasting sufficient money through government that giving them more cannot be justified. Let us instead consider adjusting our priorities.
Perhaps if we spent more than 30% of the school district budget on classroom instruction we could have better outcomes. This is of course speculation — who knows what would happen if we actually spent half the school budget on education.
If we spent less on tourist development, we’d have fewer jobs. But what jobs are lost? Cleaning motel rooms. Flippnig burgers. These are the sort of jobs that lower economic expectations and lead to the cycle of lousy jobs – lousy education for next generation – lousy jobs for the next generation, and so on.
Can anyone really justify spending over $1000/person on county government?
How can we continue to spend money subsidizing “planning” departments whose job it is to rubber-stamp more sprawl? Yet both the cities and the county do these things, and it is our money they use.
As a result, I’d be willing to pay less in sales tax. I’d also be willing to pay less in ad valorem taxes. In return, I’d be tickled to have less government. And that hot oil? Well, I think we can fund that solely through private contributions.