[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

1) Taxes: I support low taxes both corporate and personal

2) Law & Order: I support enforcing all laws, making penalties more strict if anything, and allowing people to defend themselves

3) Environment: I support protecting the environment, beaches and water

Why #1? FL already is an expensive place to live and what are they going to do with that sudden windfall of cash? I wouldn't want to give up a penny more until I hear where the money will be spent.

Look at the sales tax increase (1%), they have done it a couple of times yet nothing seems to improve despite generating billions of new dollars. Look at the "bed tax" they dumped on hotels, claiming the tourists will give free money to spend on whatever. Yet they still need more tax money?

[City Guy997S]

One thing that is going to get expensive is OLD/LOW INFRASTRUCTURE! Ft Lauderdale has announced that they need 3 billion just to fix the sewer system! Both FLL and Miami have seen the effects of high tides flooding streets. It is an inconvenience at this point (flooding on high tides, full moons) but at some point that extra salt water will have to be dealt with.

FLL's sewer issue is based on it is operating at max capacity (example: one new condo with 300 units means 1200+ toilets/showers/dishwashers/washing machines dumping into an overtaxed sewer system that is 50+ years old). Now make that 3000 new condo units and start multiplying. Shortage of fresh water, over capacity sewer system is big trouble. They have had several breaks and that allowed raw sewage to flood streets/canals. They were using portable sewage trucks to relieve certain areas (ridiculously expensive and it literally solves the problem for a couple days).

Miami has to have the same issue as will any older city that has experienced an exponential population boom.

My personal gripe: Public pensions and charter schools. The pension payments that have been agreed to by unions/cities are unsustainable. The loopholes like ramping up overtime the year of retirement to boost that final year's earnings to boost the pension payments is scamming the system. You can't have a person work 20-25 years and then pay them NOT to work 20-30 more years. It is simply bad math.

Charter schools are simply a scam. Take public money to run what is essentially a poorly run private school! These school operators are simply gaming the system and the kids are getting swindled in the process.

[beach43ofus]

Government worker pensions are a massive Ponzi scheme. Reporter John Stossel (a Libertarian) just did a report on this. They won't collapse next week, or next month, but they will collapse sooner rather than later. A legal precendent was set when Detroit collapsed into bankrupcy that the retired government worker's pension benefits can be reduced...by a lot. These promises should have never been made because so many of them will not kept.

2 main streets in downtown Venice are currently torn up to correct storm water runoff and sewer overcapacity issues. I'm not sure if the City of Venice is paying for it, or Sarasota County, or both. I'm glad corrective action is underway. It appears to be more than 1/2 complete.

These 2 topics have a common root cause. Politicians who promise to giveaway money in the short term to get votes, but steal the cash from pension funds, and long range capital project funds to pay for their campaign promises. In effect, they are perpetuating a Ponzi scheme.

Charter schools...I'll have to research the success of this concept. I AM for school choice so students can escape failed schools and not be trapped in them by teachers unions and politicians. Charter schools provide an escape, but I dont know how effective they have been overall. I suppose some are good and some ar bad, and some in the middle. Do you know where I could find any Government produced reports on Charter schools? What % graduate, what % go on to Collge and what % graduate from college?

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Government worker pensions are a massive Ponzi scheme. Reporter John Stossel (a Libertarian) just did a report on this. They won't collapse next week, or next month, but they will collapse sooner rather than later. A legal precendent was set when Detroit collapsed into bankrupcy that the retired government worker's pension benefits can be reduced...by a lot. These promises should have never been made because so many of them will not kept.

2 main streets in downtown Venice are currently torn up to correct storm water runoff and sewer overcapacity issues. I'm not sure if the City of Venice is paying for it, or Sarasota County, or both. I'm glad corrective action is underway. It appears to be more than 1/2 complete.

These 2 topics have a common root cause. Politicians who promise to giveaway money in the short term to get votes, but steal the cash from pension funds, and long range capital project funds to pay for their campaign promises. In effect, they are perpetuating a Ponzi scheme.

Charter schools...I'll have to research the success of this concept. I AM for school choice so students can escape failed schools and not be trapped in them by teachers unions and politicians. Charter schools provide an escape, but I dont know how effective they have been overall. I suppose some are good and some ar bad, and some in the middle. Do you know where I could find any Government produced reports on Charter schools? What % graduate, what % go on to Collge and what % graduate from college?

Politicians promise underpaid teachers pensions to convince them to keep teaching, but then they don't fund the programs. And you and others blame and punish the teachers? Why not blame the politicians? Why not support 401(k) contributions to all new teachers to supplement their salaries in lieu of defined benefit plan promises, as is the norm at many employers these days? Why continue to vote for politicians who refuse to fund pension plan obligations?

Oh yeah, other states will pay the teachers, especially the best ones, for their services if Florida compensation isn't competitive. Some states fund their pension plans and pay teachers better than Florida. Many teachers either will leave for better-paid jobs elsewhere, or switch careers in order to receive just market value for their labor. Econ. 101.

See How Your State's Average Teacher Salary Compares - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Did you know that military pensions and retiree medical care (Veterans Administration) is entirely unfunded? Do you ask your Congresspersons what they are going to do about this, just one of federal fiscal nooses around the neck of the U.S. Treasury. And yet you champion tax give-aways unprecedented in a full employment economy, when the federal government should be improving, not demolishing its fiscal condition. Unlike even the worst state pension plans, not a single dollar is set aside for military retirement plans. Why isn't this an issue for Trump and his supporters? Oh yean, tax breaks are more important, so let future generations worry about the fiscal mess. Greed-based madness.

Actually, Florida is better than the national average in pension funding, although still vulnerable to sustained market weakness and depreciating bond portfolio values in the face of higher interest rates. I haven't researched if Florida's actuarial assumptions are ridiculous, however.

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/researc...nding-gap-2016

Is it a coincidence that John Stossel is a leading man-made climate change science denier?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S...Global_warming

He apparently is an advocate for the devastation of the world's marine life and a champion of more powerful and destructive hurricanes. Just the kind of journalist that Floridians need at this time.

[Hammocks Bum]

The Tweeter Maniac and The Dick, are floating in a Sea of Slime to their Necks...Slime from Lake "O".

They're getting ready to go under, and their Circus Get Together Town Meetings are happening way out West in America, so no one will be here to help them out of The Swamp.

Happy to say we hid all the Life Jackets. Let loose some Gators and Pythons .So goodbye Norma Jeans it is !!!!!!

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Charter schools...I'll have to research the success of this concept. I AM for school choice so students can escape failed schools and not be trapped in them by teachers unions and politicians. Charter schools provide an escape, but I dont know how effective they have been overall. I suppose some are good and some ar bad, and some in the middle. Do you know where I could find any Government produced reports on Charter schools? What % graduate, what % go on to Collge and what % graduate from college?

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opin...629-story.html

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/ed...918-story.html

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Government worker pensions are a massive Ponzi scheme. Reporter John Stossel (a Libertarian) just did a report on this. They won't collapse next week, or next month, but they will collapse sooner rather than later. A legal precendent was set when Detroit collapsed into bankrupcy that the retired government worker's pension benefits can be reduced...by a lot. These promises should have never been made because so many of them will not kept.

Like the post office, the money to fund these pensions needs to be defined, and set aside.
No longer Ponzi schemes. Don't let your elected officials spend someone in the futures money.

That said, the obligation requires money.

Detroit pensions are temporarily reduced until 2024- with the expectation many will be made up.
Who knows what that future will hold.

If pensions are not protected, don't offer them.
Give the cash up front, raise Gov't employees 20-25% and cut the retirement gig.

Taxpayers will complain again because it will cost them an arm and a leg now, rather than an arm and a leg later.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by WithDisp

Like the post office, the money to fund these pensions needs to be defined, and set aside.
No longer Ponzi schemes. Don't let your elected officials spend someone in the futures money.

That said, the obligation requires money.

Detroit pensions are temporarily reduced until 2024- with the expectation many will be made up.
Who knows what that future will hold.

If pensions are not protected, don't offer them.
Give the cash up front, raise Gov't employees 20-25% and cut the retirement gig.

Taxpayers will complain again because it will cost them an arm and a leg now, rather than an arm and a leg later.

The post office has gotten out of the pension business........they don't offer them anymore, switched to a new system like a 401K.

[trobesmom]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Most don't want industries here in Florida. They pollute too much. We have Phosphate, Sugar, Cattle, Ports, & Citrus just to name a few, and they all bring environmental concerns with them. I'd rather attract IT, insurance, & engineering jobs here than manufacturing industrial jobs.

Can't close the barn door on those though.

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

The post office has gotten out of the pension business........they don't offer them anymore, switched to a new system like a 401K.

You are incorrect, both CSRS and FERS offer defined pension programs for all full time employees.

https://about.usps.com/careers/worki...s/benefits.htm

You might be confusing that with those who pay Social Security, and those who do not. (1984)
Or those who are now mandated to contribute to their retirement. (2012)

What the post office does have to do, is physically set aside the money for retirements and not leave them as an unfunded expense.