the 9 proposed amendments Floridians vote on this November

... and what an amazing list this is. Clicking on each one should, I say should, take you to the full text of the amendment on the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections website. If it does not, go there by copying this link into your browser:

http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/initiativelist.asp?year=2008&initstatus=ALL&MadeBallot=Y&ElecType=GEN

1. Relating to Property Rights/Ineligible Aliens Deletes provisions currently in the state constitution allowing the legislature to regulate or prohibit certain property rights for aliens not eligible for citizenship.
2. Florida Marriage Protection Amendment legally defines marriage as between one man and one woman only.
3. CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS NOT AFFECTING THE ASSESSED VALUE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY

4. PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION OF PERPETUALLY CONSERVED LAND; CLASSIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF LAND USED FOR CONSERVATION

5. ELIMINATING STATE REQUIRED SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX AND REPLACING WITH EQUIVALENT STATE REVENUES TO FUND EDUCATION

6.  ASSESSMENT OF WORKING WATERFRONT PROPERTY BASED UPON CURRENT USE

7.  RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

8.  LOCAL OPTION COMMUNITY COLLEGE FUNDING

9. REQUIRING 65 PERCENT OF SCHOOL FUNDING FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION; STATE'S DUTY FOR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION

 I myself am not especially politically active, at least not usually. Our presentation today by Representative Ron Reagan actually inspired me ... it is our government, and if we say it is run by numbskulls, whose fault is that? 

Watch out ... these tersely-worded amendments may not be as simple as they look. For example, #7 actually serves an interesting purpose that seems to have nothing to do with its wording. Last year, the legislature allowed parents of about 700 kids in failing schools to use half of the tax money that would have been spent on their education to pay for alternative education in schools of their choice ... some of the schools were private, some were church-based, some were home-based tutoring, etc.

By the way the kids did great -- 95% of them improved significantly!

This was challenged on the basis that it was said to be unconstitutional to spend government money on non-government schools. As a result, this year, those kids were forced to go back to their failing schools. Amendment 5 reportedly addresses that flaw so that they can have the freedom to go where they want.

A plain reading of this amendment would never tell you that it was about school vouchers! So do your homework, read a little before voting, and so on.

Since we're talking about real estate, I'll just call your attention in particular to Amendments 3, 4, 5, and 6, which deal specifically with property tax. I'm particularly excited about #6 and will tell you why in a later posting!