Sunday, August 17, 2008

Special Session? Not So Fast

Less than two days after a state court rejected the language of Amendment 5, the November property tax swap proposal, for being too misleading, some anti-taxers are already calling for a special legislative session to push through property tax cuts anyway. But the editorial board at the Ocala Star-Banner says: not so fast.
Yet another special session on property taxes or the budget, or some combination of the two, would only mean more slashing and burning: Cut taxes or spending (or both); eliminate programs or personnel; shovel the burden onto cities and counties.
Thus, neither the Crist administration nor lawmakers would come to Tallahassee with a new, specific and imaginative plan to address the whole picture: the need to raise additional revenues and broaden sources from which they come; to balance out inequities in the property tax system, both among homeowners and between residential and business taxes; to fix pending budget shortfalls, such as the anticipated $6 billion to $8 billion chasm in education spending, if Amendment 5, and its proposed "swap" of property taxes for new sales taxes, gets back on the ballot and is approved by voters; and to think beyond the next fiscal year.
This is all undeniably true. But what's the alternative? One can hope, beyond hope, that after the election, lawmakers will decide to abandon ideology and start talking frankly about how to achieve a more sustainable tax system. But right now, it sure seems like everyone involved is afraid to talk about true tax reform-- and it's hard to see how waiting three or six months is going to change that.

1 comment:

Property Tax Assessment said...

This article is good.... not so fast...but cut the taxes and spending to eliminate programs....best blog!!