[mango23]

Originally Posted by MrTudo

You keep believing that.

Not entirely sure how it would work but I would assume it would take 60% of the Florida voters to vote themselves a state income tax. I seriously don't see that happening anytime soon.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by MrTudo

Property taxes are nearly as high as new germany ( Jersey ). And soon they will float a state income tax again and destroy what's left.

Not even close:

Property taxes: Where does your state rank? - MSN Money

NJ = #1 in the country

FL = #22 in the country


As for income tax, you might want to read up on what it takes to get a constitutional provision repealed and replaced.

[TD*]

No way. Florida is and always will be a paradise.

I love other states for other reasons but Florida is Magic.

[ChrisA70]

Florida is magic? Can we make it disappear then??? LOL...kidding. Or am I? I know... I could make myself disappear.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by MrTudo

Property taxes are nearly as high as new germany ( Jersey ).

Um...no. Taxes on our new 3-year-old home on over an acre in Dunnellon are a quarter of what we pay on our over 50-year-old home here in Bayonne, on a property a tenth the size. And believe it or not, our homeowner's insurance on the Florida house is $100 less per year for the same coverage.

Pack to packing for our move. The junk you accumulate in 30 years of marriage....

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

As for income tax, you might want to read up on what it takes to get a constitutional provision repealed and replaced.

Which is why it's so hard to reform property taxes in NJ -- by the state constitution, schools -must- be supported by real estate taxes. Until a new state constitution is written (and they've tried to convene a constitutional convention multiple times in the past), there will be no real reform.

[dreamer1]

If you think Florida Property taxes are high, take the taxes we pay here in good ol Buffalo, NY=$5,500 on a 1,800 sq ft house. I think that stacks up either close or more than what Floridians pay. Add to that our wonderful weather between January and May. Good times. GOOOOOOOOD times.NOT

[StreetSmarts]

^^^Mine (in Central FL) were $4000 on a 1700 sq ft house, plus $100/month for HOA, and we get to stare at foreclosures with weeds up to the mailbox (and even higher). And now, we have neighbors who have now started parking on the lawn. It looks great, especially when your relatives from out of town stop by.

[P Andrews]

I happen to agree with Nomadicus. The over populating of certain areas should be restricted, as well as the condo kingdom along the beach. Not only does it remove all the beauty of what we all live here to enjoy. But IF we experience a major hurricane, we ALL will pay the price. Right now with the cat 1 & 2 storms in 2004 & 2005 we had condos sinking into the Atlantic. Now who do do think foots the bill to rebuild the shoreline because people had to have a front door seat to the beach? If you live in South Florida, whats wrong with driving across the bridge like most people?
As far as change is good, well CHANGE for the BETTER, is good. The changes we have endured have not all been good. We continue to build communities to house people, then build strip malls, more banks & gas stations, and restaurants close to them, to make them seem more appealing. Then the next time we don't have rain, we all are getting fines because we ran our sprinklers. We are repeatedly reminded that we will run out of water if we don't make a change.
We hear people complain that bought houses out in western Palm Beach County that with lots of ran they get flooded, well that's what happens when developers are allowed to fill in swamp land to build a housing development. And not to mention the fact that in taking the woods away from our wild life we are endangering their ability to survive. Some contractors actually entombed Gopher Turtles underground with their nests, to let them die. Rather then contacting the authority's to follow the proper steps, (being the Gopher Turtle is protected) because that would've involved a delay in the construction. It's all about the money.....
Yes, I think a lot is to be said about what kind of CHANGE we are talking about. When I came here in the early 60's you could still see the whole beach from AIA. You could run your dog on the beach, find all kinds of beautiful sea shells. And most of all a public beach, was just that, OPEN to the public!!!!!!! Day or Night...

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by Cruzincat

I grew up in a small town in Ohio, in a small development during the 50's. It was great for us kids, what with all the farmland and woods around. We could go out and build our forts without anyone caring what we did. We flew our kites on the farms after they were plowed and no one cared.
Guess what? If I go back to that same area now there are nothing but houses. The reason? Population increase. Guess what? It happens everywhere!
We are just going to have to accept that the population is increasing everywhere, and is affecting everyone's "paradise".

Exactly.
When I was 14 (in 1968) we moved from New York to my mom's home state of Colorado. Our new home had been open, empty plains when she was a girl.
It has changed even more since then--drastically.

Where I am right now is still, as far as I am concerned, paradise--for now.
We can try to compromise to keep growth sensible, but the reality is, everything changes all the time.