Amendment 5 is still on the November ballot in Florida. While a lower court wanted it removed, the state appealed and until the Supreme Court decides, it will remain on the ballot - regardless of what the media may be inaccurately reporting!
The Florida Supreme Court will have oral arguments on this topic on September 8th in Tallahassee - we will see what they decide.
Many are saying that this is the way to go - lower property taxes by 25% to 40% through Amendment 5 - BUT WHAT IS THE COST???????????????? PUBLIC EDUCATION - AGAIN!!!!!!!!! IT SHOULD BE THE LAST THING to be touched!!!! Our students are the future of the state and nation! Already the counties are having problems with education budget cuts - teachers are leaving the state in record numbers because of the cuts!!! Pay freezes, increased classroom size, reducing elective classes - is this what we want for our schools???????????
Here in Florida we pay less taxes than most states in our nation! We have no state income tax and still we complain about each and every tax increase!!! Folks, this is not the 50's anymore, where everyone comes to Florida to live cheap because everything, including taxes, are well below the national average - this is the 21st Century and Florida's taxes have increased and finally caught up to the rest of the nation! If you were living in Europe, you would be paying a heck of a lot more on ALL of your taxes!
Having schools funded on your homeowner taxes is the only way we are going to get the money we need for our schools. If anything, we should ADD a 1 cent state sales tax that would ALSO go specifically toward funding public education!!!!
I grew up here in the Tampa Bay Area and half of my education was in private schools - my folks still paid taxes toward funding the public school system! As a former teacher, I am appalled at the thought that people are so against paying for educating each and every student in our state! It is one of the rights of each and every individual - the right for an education - and it is the duty of all citizens and residents to fund it in their taxes.
That is my opinion, for what it is worth and I would love to hear what you have to say!!!!!
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