Entries Tagged 'campaign issues' ↓

Early this year, Carl took it upon himself to work with friends and advisors to try and tackle an issue that is termed as a crisis for the citizens of Florida. It is an epidemic of sorts, a drag on household wallets and a painful reminder of inaction in Tallahassee. It’s not going to be an easy fix, yet leadership on the issue is needed to bring about change. The issue, of course, is homeowners’ insurance.

In February, Carl published his policy on homeowners’ insurance on the web and it has been the most popular draw to the site from people doing web searches on the subject. He has also since heard from citizens in the form of emails, phone calls and in-person pleas as the situation has only worsened. Some in the district have seen their rates increase 330% or more! The Florida Legislature didn’t protect homeowners against thousands of dollars in increases or being flat-out dropped. The government’s job is to protect us and they have failed spectacularly.

It’s gotten to a point that the only recourse for some is to move out-of-state, and there is no guarantee even that will work. With property taxes sky high, rising interest rates, the insurance crisis and a saturated real estate market to boot, citizens will find themselves stuck in a rut they can’t escape.

We can all see there is a problem and it needs a solution — yet Republicans are running on empty slogans, hollow claims of support of issues and banal rhetoric about being "tough on" this or that but offering nothing to back it up. Have you had enough of the rampant increases in insurance rates that have been a mainstay the last few years? How can you not have?

Here on the Zimmermann 2006 web site, we’ve added a poll feature (on the left sidebar under the navigation menu) asking residents what is their biggest issue — at state level — of the 2006 election cycle. Does the state of education in Florida top your concern list? How about the rampant escalation of homeowners insurance prices in Florida? Go ahead and vote!

After your vote, you can use the comment feature on this post to discuss the issues that matter to you more in depth.

What are some of your chief concern about the Florida Legislature at current and the state of Florida?

We would love to hear about what you — citizens of District 48 — have on you mind. Please, leave a comment and share some of your concerns as the 2006 election nears.

The most effective way to drastically improve education is through smaller class size. Yet. despite the overwhelming support among Florida voters and a constitutional amendment to shrink class sizes, Jeb Bush and the Republican party are trying to get around it. Using very clever tricks like mandating 65% of all funds be spent in the classroom, the class size reduction issue is being distorted in an effort to repeal it.

Florida News reports there is currently a web site seeking to both inform and unite citizens on the class size issue, please visit Florida Wants Smaller Class Sizes to find out more.

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.