Go out and VOTE!

[jeffbrig]

Don't forget, it's primary day. Also on the ballot, the expanded homestead exemption, including portability.

I stopped to vote on my lunch break (ran into Ding2daDong on my way out), and there was no wait.

 

[davester1]

Jeff.. with your tag line, the last thing I would expect you to advocate is voting on a large scale.

 

[jeffbrig]

"The best argument against democracy is 5 minutes spent with the average voter"
-W. Churchill


I like to think that you guys are smarter than the average voter.

 

[lpsluver]

Although its too late for meaningful debate...the only people that are favorably impacted by portability are people that have been in there house for a while and have a low property tax bill. It does nothing for those of us who just transferred here and are paying the bulk of property taxes in comparison. It would only be fair if we all paid taxes based on recent re-valuations of our homes.

Off of my soap box now....

 

[davester1]

i agree lps.. i voted no after hearing the average savings would be about 240$. I suspect it would cost more than $240 a person to administer. Combine that with the reduction of services and it does not seem like its worth an amendment.

anyways,

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/01/28/daily28.html

big biz wins again.

 

[gasman059]

so what was the veredict. carry on taxes or what

 

[Lifes A Beach]

My proposal to Gov. Crist and hundreds of other government officials and Realtor Boards (for which I only received *one* response) was that every property owner pays 1% of the assessed value in taxes. $400,000 home = $4000. This way, everyone would pay the same tax according to their home value. A homeowner like lpslover should not be penalized because he bought a home at the height of the market, but his neighbor who may have bought the same type home 10 yrs. ago pays much, much less in taxes. Not fair taxation. Those who have a second home here and not eligible for homestead exemption are paying
ridiculous taxes for services and they are only here part time and not using the services.

My father passed away last year. I inherited the house in Miami he lived in for 53 yrs. Last year, with homestead exemption, the taxes were $1400. The house is no longer eligible for homestead exemption and is now vacant. The taxes this year jumped to $6100. Is that fair? Hell no and no one at the Dade County Tax Assessors office can do a darn thing about it.

Our tax amendment needed alot more work and should never have been rushed through to voters. And 99.9% of homeowners have no idea how to calculate the portability, but it sure sounded good to all the suckers who voted for it!

 

[volunteerguy]

I agree prideprops...I voted no hoping it would push it back to the legislature for meaningful reform.

They can now pat themselves on the back and get away with not doing anything else the rest of the year except wait for Charlie Crist to be the VP nominee for McCain!