[tallrick]

Originally Posted by FLBoy

Its true to an extent. I moved away, got an education elsewhere, worked for a few years and have now found something that pays enough to come back. There is a lack of industry and corporations in general in Florida, which cuts down on the number of high paying jobs.

Covebound, your post about property taxes hurting the older folks is also true. My big problem with that is many, many of the older retired folks on fixed incomes in Florida didn't even become Floridians until after they retired. Thus, it is their choice to come here and I have little sympathy for them. Why shouldn't somebody who chooses to relocate here to retire contribute proportionally equal amounts to the state's tax base as long time residents do? My parents are in the other boat. They have worked in Florida for 30+ years. Fortunately, like another poster said, they own their house now and can still make it on a very modest fixed income and not a lot of savings.

Moving is a solution , but it's not fair that the people born and raised here have to move. As for me, it's easier to abandon ship and start over, building a new more profitable business in an area with less expenses, corruption and natural disasters. But I never ran away before, and don't want to run away now. If we the citizens wirk together, we can put pressure on the politicians and fix the problem. How about statewide property tax protests? How about some of the hot-shot attorneys in this state working with us to overturn unfair property tax assessments. Come on people, don't just sit and take it, let's light a fire under the crooks who are draining our wallets!

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Moving is a solution , but it's not fair that the people born and raised here have to move. As for me, it's easier to abandon ship and start over, building a new more profitable business in an area with less expenses, corruption and natural disasters. But I never ran away before, and don't want to run away now. If we the citizens wirk together, we can put pressure on the politicians and fix the problem. How about statewide property tax protests? How about some of the hot-shot attorneys in this state working with us to overturn unfair property tax assessments. Come on people, don't just sit and take it, let's light a fire under the crooks who are draining our wallets!

I like the post we need more action and personal involvement to make a point and show force as a state community....

[tallrick]

Just let me know when you want to go get em.

[Richard Charles Antolinez]

Property Tax has destroyed the right to own property. The right to own property is part of what defines a free society. Originally there wasn’t any property tax; the founding fathers did not want government to have the right to confiscate private property.

There are many ways to collect taxes and some are very intrusive, and can confiscate property if unpaid, however some are unseen, such a value-added tax, import excise tax, and some visible ones are kinder and gentler, such as a sales tax. Some forms of tax collections such as the stamp tax of 1765, and the Tea Act would lead up to the American Revolution. The tea act granted a monopoly on tea trade in the Americas to the East India Tea Company.

Fear has built walls that can be seen from space, and has been used to start wars, control people, animals and slaves. A free society should strive to have a tax system that doesn’t inspire fear, or control, and doesn’t confiscate private property. A tax scheme that replaces a property tax or an income tax system should embrace all of these traits.

A consumption based tax system such as a sales tax that doesn’t require anything of an individual and makes the retailer responsible, is as close to an unobtrusive kinder and gentler tax without fear or control that ensures private property rights that a free society can enact.

Nothing inspires more fear than the three letters IRS!

[watsont3]

Originally Posted by FLBoy

Its true to an extent. I moved away, got an education elsewhere, worked for a few years and have now found something that pays enough to come back. There is a lack of industry and corporations in general in Florida, which cuts down on the number of high paying jobs.

Covebound, your post about property taxes hurting the older folks is also true. My big problem with that is many, many of the older retired folks on fixed incomes in Florida didn't even become Floridians until after they retired. Thus, it is their choice to come here and I have little sympathy for them. Why shouldn't somebody who chooses to relocate here to retire contribute proportionally equal amounts to the state's tax base as long time residents do? My parents are in the other boat. They have worked in Florida for 30+ years. Fortunately, like another poster said, they own their house now and can still make it on a very modest fixed income and not a lot of savings.

Maybe I am losing the theme of this thread.
Covebound said "The taxes are hurting the older people that have been here for a long time.
They live on a fixed income and with the higher taxes and insurance rates, they are having a hard time making ends meet here."
I took it to mean that he was talking about senior citizens who were long time residents of Florida. They are probably the one's at risk of being damaged by the growing taxes ,insurance, etc.
I don't think that too many who retire and move to Fla. are expecting not pay their fair share. In fact they are. I would guess that the majority of them researched the whole situation before they retired and moved. They then made a judgement weighing all the factors.
It sounds like your parents thought about their retirement and planned for it. An awful lot of older folks, for one reason or another, did not give much thought to what was going to happen when the got older. Now all they have is social security and are having a very hard time getting by. I could not survive if I had to depend on only my social security.
I made a conscious choice when I was younger to take a job that paid quite a bit less than my friends were making but had excellent benefits and retirement. I have never regretted that decision.

[FLBoy]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Moving is a solution , but it's not fair that the people born and raised here have to move. As for me, it's easier to abandon ship and start over, building a new more profitable business in an area with less expenses, corruption and natural disasters. But I never ran away before, and don't want to run away now. If we the citizens wirk together, we can put pressure on the politicians and fix the problem. How about statewide property tax protests? How about some of the hot-shot attorneys in this state working with us to overturn unfair property tax assessments. Come on people, don't just sit and take it, let's light a fire under the crooks who are draining our wallets!

Great...lets go get the "crooks" and get rid of property tax. What's the rest of your plan to replace those tax dollars the state needs to operate?

And, I don't consider leaving to get an education and experience "running away".

[FLBoy]

Originally Posted by watsont3

Maybe I am losing the theme of this thread.
Covebound said "The taxes are hurting the older people that have been here for a long time.
They live on a fixed income and with the higher taxes and insurance rates, they are having a hard time making ends meet here."
I took it to mean that he was talking about senior citizens who were long time residents of Florida. They are probably the one's at risk of being damaged by the growing taxes ,insurance, etc.
I don't think that too many who retire and move to Fla. are expecting not pay their fair share. In fact they are. I would guess that the majority of them researched the whole situation before they retired and moved. They then made a judgement weighing all the factors.
It sounds like your parents thought about their retirement and planned for it. An awful lot of older folks, for one reason or another, did not give much thought to what was going to happen when the got older. Now all they have is social security and are having a very hard time getting by. I could not survive if I had to depend on only my social security.
I made a conscious choice when I was younger to take a job that paid quite a bit less than my friends were making but had excellent benefits and retirement. I have never regretted that decision.

In fact, Covebound appears to be from Pennsylvania, not Florida. And, my parents planned as well as they could, but they were both blue collar very middle class folks and by no means are now or ever have been well off. They have a house that is paid for, and live off social security.

I'm not throwing stones at the older population, but we must consider the realities of Florida's unique population when deciding how to distrubte the tax burden.

[bobsroom]

I think there was a reason for this proposal to stop property taxes in Florida. It is the only way out. The biggest problem is that Condo owners are taxed for the price on the units. Buildings that only rent apartments are taxed on the value of the entire building. They are also insured on the value of the entire building. This is why more and more buildings are being built for strictly rentals, in Florida. The expenses are very low. You have 1000 people in one building and they are not paying property taxes. The renst are $800 per month for a condo, if was owned, would cost $4000 per month for mortgage, taxes, maintainence, and property taxes. Obviously, this is not going to work for too long. The other tax revenues are going way down. Basically, because people that rent one bedroom apartments that are inexpensive, do not have a lot of money to spend anyway. Now, the State is losing the people that have money and spend, spend, spend. They are not spending in Florida anymore. The high property taxes has drove them away. They can not even get 20% of the total cost for property if they rented it out. Only an idiot would buy property in Florida. 11,700 foreclosures last month in Florida. The State is falling apart. Something has to be done.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by FLBoy

At the risk of a firestorm, here are a couple thoughts on Florida Taxes. I see a LOT of people complaining on the board about high property taxes. High compared to what? Florida is 1 of only 7 states with NO state income tax. Are you comparing the property tax to other states with NO state income tax?...or the state you came from that had other means of revenue generation besides property and sales tax?

Just an FYI -- in New Jersey, property taxes raise revenues for the municipality in which the property is located -- not the state. The State of NJ raises revenues in other ways (sales tax, income tax). Individual counties in NJ set the tax rate for each municipality depending on the municipal and school budgets of that municipality -- then add a portion for county taxes. The final property tax rate is comprised of those three portions (and here, at least, the school portion is over 50% of the final rate).

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by Buddy263

Since there is no real sales tax on the internet when you buy something why do we have to pay sales tax at a local store that employs our local people. Consumers often avoid shopping at local stores to avoid the sales tax.

I don't know how much you've bought on the Internet lately, but I pay NJ taxes on my purchases from QVC, HSN, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.