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Todays Letters: Let's lower everyone's property taxes

Letters to the Editor
Published December 3, 2007

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I'm voting against the property tax amendment the Legislature is putting on the Jan. 29 ballot. It doesn't even come close to being a fix, and this view is coming from a senior citizen of low income.

Our legislators have shown they are totally inept at tax reform and unwilling to make the hard choices needed. State and local government have been overspending and it is time we stood up to out-of-control spending.

Cut Tax Now has a new amendment they are trying to put on the November 2008 ballot. It would cap all properties - commercial, rental, homesteaded or nonhomesteaded - to be uniformly taxed at no more than 1.35 percent of their taxable value.

It also means that most homes protected by the Save Our Homes cap will enjoy increased tax savings through this lower tax rate, in addition to maintaining all the existing SOH benefits. It provides for a level playing field, more equitably distributes the ad valorem taxation of property and cuts taxes an average of 26 percent statewide, cutting almost $8-billion in property taxes.

To sign the petition and help get this one on a ballot, go to www.CutPropertyTaxesNow.com before Jan. 31.

If members of the state Taxation and Budget Reform Commission notice a huge grass-roots movement for the Cut Tax Now amendment they might, if pressured enough, put it on the ballot without the required number of signatures. The Legislature skated along through several special sessions on the subject. Does anyone know what that reform commission is doing with their time?

Karen Doulin, Brooksville

Save Our Homes is fair

I am tired of the people saying Save Our Homes is unfair. I am a Florida resident receiving the benefits of the SOH amendment. When I moved here I was paying higher taxes than my neighbors but I thought that was fair. Because of me and others who moved in at that time, the roads, schools, utilities and other government services had to be increased to accommodate the population increase. Now, 10 years later, I am paying less tax than some of my neighbors as my new neighbors pay for the additional services and facilities required because of the population increase attributable to them. In 10 years, they will be paying less than their newer neighbors. I think that is fair.

Our winter residents say that it is unfair for them to be here six months and pay a full year of property taxes. Because of the winter population increase we have to build six-lane roads, add additional water and sewer lines and make other service increases. We have to pay for these. We cannot get a refund or discontinue services and dismiss personnel during the summer months, so the winter residents have to pay their share on a yearly basis to assure continuity. I think that is fair.

As nonresidents, people here for the winter are not eligible for SOH. The reason most snowbirds do not list Florida as their primary residence and get SOH is that they are getting other tax and property benefits as residents of their home states. Why should they be allowed to double-dip and receive similar, additional benefits from Florida? Limit them to benefits from one source. I think that is fair.

Peter E. Profiro, New Port Richey

Republican debate

Lame questions

I watched the debate Wednesday and was puzzled when, after seeing a video question from a gay former serviceman, they allowed him to speak from the audience. I thought either CNN or its moderator supported his agenda, or he was a plant from the Democratic Party. Luckily, the bloggers exposed it.

I thought many of the questions were trivial, such as "Do you own a gun?" and "Do you believe every word in the Bible?" There were several hundred questions submitted, and if these and some of the other questions asked were the best of the lot, I think we have a problem.

Kenneth Unger, Redington Beach

Questioner fuels more debate Nov. 30, story

It needed to be asked

I am truly amazed that the background of the questioner at the YouTube debate is of more interest than the question. Then again, if you cannot argue with the message, attack the messenger.

I would have liked to ask that question myself! Does it really matter who asked a question that needs to be asked? In 14 years of "don't ask, don't tell," 12,000 service members have been discharged and countless more have just not applied. On Nov. 29, 28 retired generals and admirals (mostly Republican) issued a letter calling for an end to "don't ask, don't tell." This is not a partisan issue but a matter of security and civil liberties, issues that both parties should support.

Most of the questions asked were designed to allow the candidates to kiss up to the fringe elements of the party. In that regard, the mainstream Republicans were the big losers of the night.

My gripe was that the audience seemed to be encouraged to register instant reaction to questions and answers. It seemed immature and unprofessional, much like a Jerry Springer episode.

David Schauer, St. Petersburg

Putting a kidney on the market Nov. 25

Payment makes sense

It's been suggested that living donors willing to part with one of their kidneys be duly compensated. I wholeheartedly agree with this, and think we should also broaden compensation to include the surviving families of deceased organ donors.

Ask yourself why organ harvesting must happen solely from an "altruistic" donor. Do we insist on such altruism from transplant surgeons, hospitals, anesthesiologists, operation room nurses, ambulances, harvest helicopters, antirejection drug manufacturers? Of course not. The vital components of organ transplantation do not arrive gratis. We fund every link in the transplant chain except the supplier! And we actually wonder why there are four-year waiting lists for organ transplants!

Valerie Wolf, Riverview

Helping boy came first Nov. 29, story

Extraordinary action

After walking through the desert for two days, Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes came across a 9-year-old survivor of a car crash that had killed his mother. Without hesitation, he abandoned his attempt to cross the border and cared for the boy until he was rescued by a group of hunters. Manuel was taken into custody by the Border Patrol - just another illegal immigrant.

Lori Naumann, Spring Hill

Helping boy came first Nov. 29, story

Characteristic behavior

During my 20-year tenure as a health department director, I had the opportunity to come in contact with migrant associations and both legal and illegal migrants.

The actions of Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes in assisting a boy after a tragic accident well represent the character of the migrant community. Whether legal or illegal, they are hardworking individuals committed to their families. Any one of them would have stayed at the boy's side.

A few more illegals like him might improve the character of our nation, which has lost too much compassion in pursuit of material wealth.

Marc J. Yacht, Hudson

Special Report: Medicare D Nov. 27

Excellent assistance

We thank and commend the Times and staff writer Stephen Nohlgren for providing the senior community of Tampa Bay with the excellent guide on "The A,B,D's of Medicare" that you reissued in the Life Times section of Nov. 27. The guidance and advice you have provided is the best concise, plain- English sourcebook of Medicare coverage that we have reviewed after many countless hours of reading paper and computer text on the subject.

Nohlgren's exceptional job helping seniors navigate the Medicare Web site provides important advice and tips that we have found very helpful and time-saving. His review and advice concerning the complicated Part D drug plans are especially outstanding in our experience using the Web site. The charts provided in the special report are also an excellent example of clarity and brevity to explain a very mind-bending system for seniors.

Thanks again to everyone involved for this excellent journalism in senior health care.

Fred and Gelia Borchuck, Apollo Beach

Good reading

Your Life Times section does a great job of presenting meaningful, interesting and humorous stories of interest to those of us on the retirement side of life. Please keep up the good work!

Bill Rogers, Tampa

[Last modified December 2, 2007, 21:54:13]

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