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Florida taxpayers suffer while leaders give away our money

Re: Florida's bidding high for biotech, Oct. 2.

The good people of Florida are getting raked over the coals with soaring property taxes and homeowners insurance. Our governor doesn't give a hoot and just keeps handing our tax dollars over to the corporations. Let's see: Some $310-million of our money is pledged to Burnham Institute, which supposedly will provide a piddly 300 jobs. So we, the citizens of Florida, are going to pay the company more than $1-million dollars for each job. Sound worth it, folks? And this is just one of many "deals" that's going on.

Meanwhile, people here are losing their homes - losing their homes, Gov. Bush! We're paying record- high property taxes because less federal money is going to the states - thanks to George W. Bush.

We're paying record-high amounts for property insurance because high-rise condominiums were allowed to be built all along our shores, where the hurricane risk is the highest. We are all footing the bill for these follies. Small businesses are having to leave the state because they are getting hit with the same bills that we all are, but they're getting hit worse because they don't enjoy a 3 percent cap on their assessments for property taxes.

Well, fellow Floridians, we are going to be plenty hurt when we try to sell our homes. How many people are going to want to buy them when they find out that they will have to pay $10,000 in property taxes? Or $5,000 for insurance? People coming from out of state are going get out of here as quickly as they can. That's why there's a glut of homes on the market right now. Talk about the bubble bursting!

Bev Kelley, Largo

Universities would be a better bet

Re: Florida's bidding high for biotech.

This St. Petersburg Times story indicated that Gov. Jeb Bush has promised almost $1-billion to three California firms to establish biotech research programs in Florida - with the money to come from various government entities. Two of the three biotech firms are estimated to cost some $1-million for each job they will create. The third firm would cost almost a half million dollars per job.

I don't question the emphasis on biotechnology. But just think how much more effectively the $1-billion could have been spent if it had been invested directly in the state university system. These institutions, their laboratories and many outstanding researchers are already in place and could have gone to work immediately, making much more efficient and productive use of such financial support.

Moreover, this financial support would greatly enhance the quality and reputation of our universities and benefit, tremendously, the young people of Florida who are being educated in them.

E.T. York, chancellor emeritus, State University System of Florida, Gainesville

Cap all property assessments

Re: The way we tax land snuffs out mom & pop, by Howard Troxler, Oct. 1.

State law that drives small businesses from their property because of exorbitant assessed values must be revised.

First, current values in real estate are not sustainable. The dramatic rise in property prices can be attributed to low interest rates and frenzy speculation. In the past two years, interest rates have risen, causing the real estate market to cool off and prices to soften. Prices will fall further before the correction bottoms out. Therefore, assessing property at unsustainable, bubble values is unfair and foolish.

Second, raising the assessed values too high on rental and commercial properties hurts everybody, not only small-business owners. Landlords have to increase their rents, and businesses have to raise the prices to cover the extra taxes.

A simple solution is to put an annual cap on assessing values on all property, similar to the "Save Our Homes" cap on owner-occupied residences.

Henry J. Weese, Palm Harbor

Renters need relief, too

Re: Davis property tax plan.

Finally, someone wants to help all property owners, not just the homeowner.

It's a generally accepted fact that the cost of doing business is passed on to the customers. Hence, landlords would pass the tax and insurance increases to the renter.

Yes, renters do pay property taxes by way of paying rent! I believe that a large majority of renters can't afford to buy, the ever-increasing tax and insurance costs are making rents go up and up, and buying is impossible for most working people.

The Save Our Homes plan is so unfair - something needs to be done. Renters vote, too!

Dale Romano, St. Petersburg

Tax only according to need

As usual the St. Petersburg Times and many others take a reverse approach to homeowners and business taxes on real property.

The correct way should be to ask how much money does it take to efficiently run the city of St. Petersburg or Pinellas County government and tax accordingly. The key word being efficiently, not bloated. We must tax to what the various governments really require, not just what these governments can spend.

We could double or triple the local government's income and as sure as "God made little green apples" the various governments could find a way to spend/waste it.

Do we need another a Boston Tea Party to take care of this overtaxation?

Robert Schenkel, Seminole

Where will weather's benefit go?

The hurricane season is winding down. Luckily, we've had a "quiet" one.

Does this mean the insurance companies will lower their rates? Or will they just continue to collect greatly inflated rates and greatly increased profits?

Dorothy E. Karkheck, Dunedin

The assault on the middle class

Re: Boom times for billionaires, by Holly Sklar, Sept. 30.

It doesn't come as much of a surprise that during a Republican administration the rich are getting "richer," and since the poor can't get much "poorer," the rich are now becoming billionaires and more individuals are falling into the poverty.

This should be required reading for all of us: "A record 400 Americans are billionaires - and a record 47-million Americans have no health insurance. America has 400 billionaires - and 37-million people below the official poverty line."

We are becoming an "elitist" society. We are watching the middle class disappear into poverty. We need to turn our country around and focus on the working class. We need to focus on the needy rather than continue to allow the rich to build on the backs of the working poor people.

Margaret Hyde, Clearwater

Record the voices of our history

Re: Close to home, Oct. 6.

The story of Al Williams as told to your staff writer Jeff Klinkenberg is a must-read item.

People aren't prone to reveal their personal selves, but once you get them talking you will be introduced to an earlier America you didn't know.

After all, this country was built on the doings of people like Al Williams. It's too bad more of them aren't being recorded for posterity. They are our true history. Soon it will be too late.

Hartley Steeves, Tampa

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[Last modified October 10, 2006, 02:00:53]