Getting It Right-Take A Lot- Give A Little

June 20, 2007

By: Sid Riley

This column presents a non-partisan, conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items that are impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope that you will read the column regularly and that it occasionally influences your opinions and actions. Now, on to the subject of the week::
"The State Politicians are Doing A "Smoke and Mirrors" Act to Fool the Public About Tax Reform"
Over the past two or three years many property owners in the state of Florida have experienced having their property taxes increase by over 200%. This windfall gain in bureaucratic cash flow was tremendous in those counties where the market values soared for resort type properties. Locally, many Jackson county residents who had owned property at places like Mexico Beach, Cape Sand Blas, or Panama City for decades found themselves suddenly faced with huge tax bills.
Locally, we experienced a surge in property values, but nothing to match what happened in the coastal areas. In terms of taxation increases we were fortunate.
The existing problem that developed for many of those other counties came when the clever bureaucracy quickly devised ways to spend all of this "new" funding that was being realized. They spewed out the tax money as if they were watering their lawns.
They gave out hefty raises and increased already luxurious benefit packages to fellow bureaucrats, they increased already inflated staffing, they funded pet projects that were "nice to have" – but actually unnecessary and unjustified, – they spent the money in expert fashion (that is the one thing they are good at).
Then two things happened to stop this "feeding frenzy" that the bureaucrats of these counties were engaged in. First, there was a furor of negative taxpayer reaction. Secondly, there was an economic slowdown centered in the construction and real estate markets. Property values began to fall!
Will they reappraise the properties downward to the new, lower market value and thus reduce their inflow of tax monies? HA!
The proposed tax cuts that they are heralding as a "great political accomplishment" in Tallahassee may install some future safeguards for taxpayers, and may even give some of their recent "ill gotten gains" back. However, the way I see it is if you increase taxes by 150% one year and then give back 40% the next….you are still 110% ahead!
The bureaucrats in some of these counties are talking about the lower taxes causing them to reduce services. One of the old bureaucratic "tricks" is to cut back on essential, visible funding when cut backs occur, or when their flowing current of tax funds is threatened.
For example, when the Federal Government has a funding threat, they close all of the national parks to punish the public. Meanwhile they continue to fund "pork barrel" projects, and engage in wasteful purchasing practices as they ride around in their limos.
The state bureaucracy usually quits buying essential school supplies, closes parks, and reduces road repairs when they experience a funding threat from the public. Let’s wait and see what tricks they come up with once these tax reductions are implemented.
This situation involves one of the "Commandments of the Bureaucracy", the codes they live by. "Once You Have Your Hand In a Taxpayer’s Pocket, Thou Shalt Never, Never Remove It!"
They have thrown a few crumbs of tax relief at us in order to appease the crowd of protesters. All you can do now is select which approach is best for your tax situation, and then vote for it. However, you should let your legislators know that you were not really fooled by their actions. Do this, and you will be "Getting It Right"!
RUDAMENTS – ODDS AND ENDS WORTH MENTIONING:
- Bill Hopkins, my friend and owner of Hopkins Pontiac-Oldsmobile-G.M.C. in Marianna, recently had to have a "valve job" repair performed at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. He is through the operation and recovering on schedule. His motor is running much smoother.
- It has been brought to my attention that our County Commissioners have just received a report on a recommended "Impact Fee" system for Jackson County that would generate hundreds of thousands of new tax dollars for them to spend. These fees would charge every new construction thousands of dollars in up front added costs to pay these government fees. A new house would incur $3000-$4000 in charges before it could be started. We had all better get involved in fighting this one!!
- The referendum on the new hospital is only six weeks away! Everyone should be gathering information on this issue and getting ready to vote wisely.
- Congratulations to Our Sheriff McDaniel and Marianna’s Police Chief Roberts for the fine job their organization has done in catching bad guys in our county during the past two weeks.