Opinion: Taxpayers, the joke is on you

Property tax cuts are supposed to be the top priority in Tallahassee, but budget writers have saved the punch line for the fine print. In the proposed House and Senate spending bills, next year's public education budget relies on an additional $545-million from local property taxes. Property owners, the joke is on you.

To appreciate the scale of this hypocrisy, let's first set the context. Lawmakers have spent months berating mayors and county commissioners for taking advantage of soaring property values and raking in more tax money even if they kept the tax rate the same. They have threatened to cut city and county budgets by as much as 20 percent. They have proposed reducing property taxes statewide by raising the sales tax by 2.5 cents, making it the nation's highest.

But the single largest portion of every property tax bill is not for cities or counties or fire districts. It is for schools. And the school tax rate, called "required local millage," is determined by the Legislature. Furthermore, lawmakers have nearly doubled the school property tax in the past seven years as they have shifted more of the burden from the state to local property owners.

So now lawmakers are defending their proposed 7.4 percent increase in school tax revenue by arguing they are not raising the tax rate. That is exactly the same claim they branded as doublespeak when offered by city and county officials. Once again, this is a Legislature demanding that local governments act as it says, not as it acts itself.

House Speaker Marco Rubio has tried to deflect criticism by noting his tax relief plan would eliminate the state-ordered school property tax on homesteads and replace it with a higher sales tax. But his plan suffers from his obsession with raising the sales tax rate, which would be economically regressive to the point of being punitive.

A better approach is to look at the tax freeloaders. Florida exempts some $19-billion in goods and services from the sales tax. Closing just some of the loopholes would be a more equitable way to dramatically reduce school property taxes, including those paid by non-homesteads.

Lawmakers don't need constitutional amendments or new distribution formulas or voter approval to reduce property taxes in Florida. They need only look in the mirror and see they are a big part of the problem. Until they quit taking the easy way out by relying on soaring property values and avoiding their responsibility to properly fund public education, they have no standing to criticize the spending habits of local governments.

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Comments on this article

by Robert	04/03/07 09:43 AM
Mass. inacted proposition 2 1/2 back in the Seventies and this is what is needed here to STOP RUNAWAY SPENDING. I watch seven different school buses stop in from of my home to the tune of over 1 million wasted dollars in school transp. in Pinellas

by John	03/31/07 11:47 PM
Sales tax is the fairer method of paying for services according to last week poll of voters. Everyone should help pay for local services including homeowners, renters, tourists, illegal immigrants, even criminals. Why should just homeowners pay?

by John	03/31/07 11:42 PM
Do you see republicans screaming to throw more money at a problem that can be cured by other means? It's the liberal democrats always screaming for bigger government. People have had enough. Polls says they want taxes rolled back to 2001 level.

by Sean	03/31/07 08:58 AM
The republicans are playing their favorite shell game. They claim they don't raise taxes but that is code for shifting taxes from the rich to the poor because we have to fund education. Property tax to sale tax=rich pay less and poor pay more.

by Sean	03/31/07 01:36 AM
Liberal Democrats? this state has been controled by republicans for atleast the last 10 years.

by Scott	03/30/07 09:26 PM
This state is just like any other. Politicos seem to think that if you throw more money at a problem it will go away. Our legislators work 30 total days a year and they think they ave an idea of what's going on... Jokes on us

by george	03/30/07 08:03 PM
boston tea party?

by geo	03/30/07 07:12 PM
florida education is 48th out of 50 states , its horrible what's happening . as long as all levels of gov are forced to spend there 1/4 budgets or they will be cut back the next 1/4 is changed to saving and not spending , working class is doomed .

by John	03/30/07 05:29 PM
Heck no, we don't need any income tax. It will be just an extra way for local government to squander more money. The way out is to cut taxes. Tallahassee needs to legislate & control local fatcat's pork projects. Best way may be 2.5% sales tax plan.

by Croker	03/30/07 04:03 PM
The bloated education system is tied to the NEA. They killed the voucher program which proved that a kid can be educated for less than 1/2 of what public schools spend, and get better quality teaching. The system and union is out of control.

by Drew Finn	03/30/07 03:49 PM
Gee - there's a big surprise. The regular people get screwed. This is news? It's time for the Dept of Graft and Corruption to learn to live on what it has just like every body else does.

by scott	03/30/07 02:43 PM
Isn't the lottery funds suppose to pay for schools where does that money go?

by Tommi	03/30/07 02:01 PM
In an age where corporations streamline and downsize in order to remain competitive the largest corporation refuses to follow suit because it has no competition. It isn's just the county, city or state, but govenment on all levels.

by Toni	03/30/07 01:45 PM
Education costs keep skrocketing, but results lag far behind. There has to be a more economical and effective way to provide our children with a good education.

by WALT	03/30/07 12:09 PM
The only fair way to tax is to blend property, sales and INCOME taxes. Only the wealthy don't want income taxed. Both the state and municipalities should have income taxes.

by JT	03/30/07 10:20 AM
Agree that there should be sales tax on services as that truly reflects economic activity in a balanced manner. Sick of hearing about sales tax being regressive. Being poor is regressive but we don't live in a completely socialist society so drop it.

by Carol	03/30/07 09:54 AM
That's right - the joke's on us because we keep electing lawmakers who keep raising taxes and throwing good money after bad instead of reigning in the spending and budgeting. Geeze, when are people going to learn?

by Barbara	03/30/07 09:53 AM
The public schools don't need more money! They need more discipline!

by Carol	03/30/07 09:16 AM
What planet does the Florida legislature come from? They are so removed from the average citizen that they have no concept of responsible gov't. It's time to oust the two faced politicans in office and elect some common sense, problem solving reps.

by Rod	03/30/07 08:55 AM
When a politician says he'll lower your taxes, keep your hand on your wallet. When he says he's here to help you, double-deadbolt your doors. And, when he says he respects you, don't bend over! Prediction: When the dust settles, we'll pay more taxes.

by Howard	03/30/07 08:54 AM
We all remember what happened the last time the sales tax exemptions were put on the table ; noble idea ; bad policy issue! Nobody wants to give up their exemption .

by Steve	03/30/07 08:40 AM
Raising the sales tax and getting rid of the homestead tax is "economically regressive"? Get a clue. Why should property owners pay to educate everyone else's kids? That's what is "economically regressive". EVERYONE should pay for education!

by Jason	03/30/07 08:38 AM
How about the fat cat lawmakers take a statewide 10% pay cut! Quit Governemt squandering and start putting some REAL money in our education so at least the next generation can help repair what they messed up!

by Jon	03/30/07 08:13 AM
This article speaks the truth! It's nice to see a paper not playing partisan politics and just stand up for the people.Our property tax system is broken and out of control. In Broward more are now leaving than coming for the 1st time in decades.

by Kevin	03/30/07 08:06 AM
Ahhh! Why do we elect these morons? Where are the courageous leaders? Not in Government, it's all about getting re-elected. People add up your taxes Federal, Property, Sales Tax, ect...50% of our earnings are going to Taxes!!!

by Tim Shears	03/30/07 06:19 AM
What are these exemptions that are given ? "Florida exempts some $19-billion in goods and services from the sales tax". If the public knew, perhpas there would be more outrage.

by Jim	03/30/07 05:36 AM
The lobbyist/lawmaker liason is too powerful to be broken by an editorial which is ignored by most people.These are the same people who could change this fact if they took time to vote.For this reason tax freeloaders will prevail.We will keep paying.

by John	03/30/07 03:09 AM
I say we eliminate all property taxes for 2.5% more in sales tax (1% for school 1.5% for counties). Everyone including government must live within their means. Also, everyone should help pay for services from local government.

by John	03/30/07 03:07 AM
This problem is caused by all the liberal democrats wanting more funds for education. They have too much money already, they are just not using it efficiently. Look at China, they use 1/10 or less the funds, but better student end product.