I am a fiscal conservative. Although we have a projected surplus of $3.2 billion dollars in collected revenue this year, I would not support other ideas passed or pending in the Legislature like:
- Rolling back the tax rates charged for schools
At a time when schools are under-funded, we cannot afford to lose $570-million annually. - Repealing the intangibles tax on stocks, bonds and notes (benefiting the wealthier and creating a loss of revenue for the future - $130 million dollar loss per year)
- Creating a one-week sales tax holiday for big-ticket items like plasma TVs and automobiles, which only benefit those able to afford such luxury items including foreigners and out-of-state visitors not Florida residents who do not have the disposable income to purchase large ticket items during the sales tax holiday week.
In addition, I would support the review of all sales tax exemptions individually to determine the merits of each one as it pertains to that industry or service today. Many of our sales tax exemptions have been ‘on the books’ for a very long time with no formal review process in place. For every $1 you pay in sales tax; someone else is getting a $1.35 tax break. Some if these exemptions are very appropriate; others are purely the result of special interest lobbying efforts. According to the Committee known as Floridians Against Inequities in Rates (FAIR), Florida’s tax code has not been reviewed since 1949. Bipartisan efforts by distinguished legislators, past and present, including John McKay (R), Bob Butterworth (D), Bob Milligan, and Jack Latvala (R) to place a Constitutional Amendment on the 2004 ballot forcing the legislature to review its outdated tax structure failed to reach the voters after the wording was reviewed by Florida’s Supreme Court. Legislators can and should take the initiative to conduct this review on their own without voters demanding it via a ballot initiative.
Furthermore, we need to assess our needs five to ten years into the future and not just until the next election cycle.
If you are a fiscal conservative like me, I ask you to support my candidacy. Let’s not place the cost of our existing needs on the backs of our children and grandchildren.
