A Glimpse Into Our Future

A BIT OF TAX FOOD FOR THOUGHT. THESE ARE THE CURRENT RATES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES…..WILL THE U.S. BE NEXT?

Denmark.. Income Tax: 58%...
VAT (Value Added Tax): 25% TOTAL: 83%

Sweden.. Income Tax: 55%...
VAT: 25% TOTAL: 80%

Norway.. Income Tax: 54.3%...
VAT: 25% TOTAL: 79.3%

Finland.. Income Tax: 53%...
VAT: 22% TOTAL: 75%

Netherlands.. Income Tax: 52%...
VAT: 19% TOTAL: 71%

United Kingdom .. Income Tax: 50%...
VAT: 17.5% TOTAL: 67.5%

Greece.. Income Tax: 40%...
VAT: 25% TOTAL: 65%

Portugal.. Income Tax: 42%...
VAT: 20% TOTAL: 62%

Spain.. Income Tax: 45%...
VAT: 16% TOTAL: 61%

France.. Income Tax: 40%...
VAT: 19.6% TOTAL: 59.6%

(And to these renderings for Cesar you can add the cost of licenses, fees, permits, fines, penalties, and assessments. Why bother to work if you have to pay it all to the bureaucracy?)



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It is Time To Turn the Ship!

“It is time to turn the ship around and chart another course. Rough weather and rocky reefs lie ahead on the current heading.” Hopefully that is the message voters will deliver to our current Captain and Crew on November 2. If not, the USS America is in peril.

At best, the return voyage to smooth, safe waters will be long and slow. After five decades of foundering, misdirection and neglected maintenance, our “ship of state” is far off course and may never again enjoy the smooth sailing and high water line we once took for granted.

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Some New Initiatives For Our Elected Representatives To Sponsor

If you have occasion to speak with any of our elected State representatives in the State House or State Senate, you might want to take advantage of the occasion to recommend that they begin an initiative in support of one or more of the issues which will be discussed in this column. In creating a new initiative the Legislator normally solicits agreement and support from other legislators, and collectively they create and sponsor a bill for consideration by the body.

Issue One – Septic Tank Requirements Removal from Springs Bill:
Issue Two – Modification of Procedures For Selection of Public Service Commission Members:
Issue Three – Campaign Finance Reform

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Abusing the Amendment Process

Abusing Florida’s Ragged Old Constitution:

The U. S. Constitution has only been amended 19 times in the last 235 years, while the Florida Constitution has been amended 15 times in the last three election cycles. I think this demonstrates that there is a flaw in the process within our state. We have six proposed amendments on the ballot which is currently being utilized by early voters across the state, and will be on the ballots completed in the voting booths on November 2.

The reason for this marked difference is simply that it is difficult to comply with the requirements for amending the U. S. Constitution, while it is easy to amend the Florida Constitution. In fact, if Amendment 4 is enacted, it will be almost the same procedure for amending the constitution as it is to modify the zoning on a comprehensive plan. In my opinion, our legislators should take a critical look at this situation and then enact an amendment to amend the amendment process.
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