Comments on: Tax Swap: Hocus Pocus? Good? Bad? Tell us … http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/ The official blog of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:31:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: George Long http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-382 George Long Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:11:14 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-382 Reggie may have changed my position on this tax issue. What he says makes a lot of sense. Reggie may have changed my position on this tax issue. What he says makes a lot of sense.

]]> By: Reggie Martin http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-378 Reggie Martin Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:27:45 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-378 Remember, that you have to be a Florida Resident to take advantage of this new proposed tax. All the winter residents, people who own vacation homes here but are residents of other States would still have to pay the regular property taxes. Remeber also that not everyone buys a new refrigerator every year or a new car. And just like buying a new car there will be limits in place for the increase when making a purchase like a car, just like there is on the 1% sales tax that Polk has, only the first 5,000.00 of the car is taxed. (I believe my number is correct, but could have changed since I bought my last car in 2004) Remember, that you have to be a Florida Resident to take advantage of this new proposed tax. All the winter residents, people who own vacation homes here but are residents of other States would still have to pay the regular property taxes. Remeber also that not everyone buys a new refrigerator every year or a new car. And just like buying a new car there will be limits in place for the increase when making a purchase like a car, just like there is on the 1% sales tax that Polk has, only the first 5,000.00 of the car is taxed. (I believe my number is correct, but could have changed since I bought my last car in 2004)

]]> By: Reggie Martin http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-377 Reggie Martin Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:19:42 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-377 Yes I support the tax increase and doing away with property tax. 89 million visitors to Florida last, 35 million in Orlando alone. Everyone wants to make is sound as if the Rich and elite are getting away with something and the poor are getting stuck again. Hog wash! Remember, all ther groceries that you buy, the consumables, are not taxed so there is no increase. Yes if you smoke, and drink alcohol you will pay more, but please remember this, the wealthy pay more simply because they Spend more. Lets look at something, if you spend 10,000.00 a year in taxable products in Polk county you now pay 700.00 in sales tax. With the 2.5% increase you would pay 950.00. Now if you have a yearly propery tax bill of 1200.00 that leaves 950.00 that still has to be paid (the increase was 250.00) So now you would have to spend an ADDITIONAL 10,000.00 at the new tax rate of 9.5% to make up the difference of 950.00. People, start doing the math and look at this and stop listening to all the local officials and others who say this would hurt us. Remember 89 million tourist to Florida alone last year which means if those 89 million spent just 100.00 in one day and paid the 9.5% sales tax for that one day alone it would create roughly $845 million. Out of that $223 million would be for the property tax......Think about, that's just ONE day. Yes I support the tax increase and doing away with property tax. 89 million visitors to Florida last, 35 million in Orlando alone. Everyone wants to make is sound as if the Rich and elite are getting away with something and the poor are getting stuck again. Hog wash! Remember, all ther groceries that you buy, the consumables, are not taxed so there is no increase. Yes if you smoke, and drink alcohol you will pay more, but please remember this, the wealthy pay more simply because they Spend more. Lets look at something, if you spend 10,000.00 a year in taxable products in Polk county you now pay 700.00 in sales tax. With the 2.5% increase you would pay 950.00. Now if you have a yearly propery tax bill of 1200.00 that leaves 950.00 that still has to be paid (the increase was 250.00) So now you would have to spend an ADDITIONAL 10,000.00 at the new tax rate of 9.5% to make up the difference of 950.00. People, start doing the math and look at this and stop listening to all the local officials and others who say this would hurt us. Remember 89 million tourist to Florida alone last year which means if those 89 million spent just 100.00 in one day and paid the 9.5% sales tax for that one day alone it would create roughly $845 million. Out of that $223 million would be for the property tax……Think about, that’s just ONE day.

]]> By: Dorothy Walters http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-348 Dorothy Walters Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:01:36 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-348 If this would come to pass, would ALL the tax money go to Tallahassee to be redistributed? Haven't we seen that when local control is lost and more hands are in the pot, less of our money comes back to the local area? There will another cabinet post andother office and another layer or two or three of bureaucracy. Think about it. If this would come to pass, would ALL the tax money go to Tallahassee to be redistributed? Haven’t we seen that when local control is lost and more hands are in the pot, less of our money comes back to the local area? There will another cabinet post andother office and another layer or two or three of bureaucracy. Think about it.

]]> By: Rick Hemenway http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-316 Rick Hemenway Wed, 07 Mar 2007 23:05:44 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-316 I completely agree with George Long, while we do not want to inhibit free speech and the flow of thoughts, personal attacks need to be weeded out. This Blog is one of the best features that the Chamber has added in years! Thanks Bob! I completely agree with George Long, while we do not want to inhibit free speech and the flow of thoughts, personal attacks need to be weeded out. This Blog is one of the best features that the Chamber has added in years! Thanks Bob!

]]> By: George Long http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-314 George Long Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:37:49 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-314 I appreciate this forum and feel that it can be a useful tool to gauge the opinions and attitudes of our local citizenry on various topics. However, I think that it should be monitored to eliminate posts that personally attack other posters on his site, as was done in a recent post. I think if you cannot make your opinion known in an intelligent and even-handed manner without calling out earlier posters or stooping to name calling...then your opinion is irrelevant and not worthy of this site. I appreciate this forum and feel that it can be a useful tool to gauge the opinions and attitudes of our local citizenry on various topics. However, I think that it should be monitored to eliminate posts that personally attack other posters on his site, as was done in a recent post. I think if you cannot make your opinion known in an intelligent and even-handed manner without calling out earlier posters or stooping to name calling…then your opinion is irrelevant and not worthy of this site.

]]> By: Joshua Swartz http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-309 Joshua Swartz Wed, 07 Mar 2007 03:20:32 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-309 I saw this in some realtor news I get and it got me thinking. "Start your engines: Florida legislators open their annual session tomorrow with a new slate of leaders and a new worry: Can they restart the state’s decade-long economic boom by peeling back property taxes? A solution must receive a “yes” vote from three-fourths of each chamber’s members on the complex plan, followed by a special election in which 66 percent of voters approve it" I would love to see the housing sales continue as well as growth in the area. However, lack of control over our funds locally puts us at a disadvantage. And I am left wondering- has this sort of tax program been implemented elsewhere? What has the outcome been? Is there anything we can do to have more control of our funds or generate new funds after a implementing this tax change? I saw this in some realtor news I get and it got me thinking.
“Start your engines: Florida legislators open their annual session tomorrow with a new slate of leaders and a new worry: Can they restart the state’s decade-long economic boom by peeling back property taxes? A solution must receive a “yes” vote from three-fourths of each chamber’s members on the complex plan, followed by a special election in which 66 percent of voters approve it”

I would love to see the housing sales continue as well as growth in the area. However, lack of control over our funds locally puts us at a disadvantage. And I am left wondering- has this sort of tax program been implemented elsewhere? What has the outcome been? Is there anything we can do to have more control of our funds or generate new funds after a implementing this tax change?

]]> By: Jim http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-305 Jim Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:20:29 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-305 I say leave it like it is. Reduce spending and drop the taxes. The majority must like higher taxes......looked at the county commissioners. Only one opposed the hike, and the Ledger makes him look like a nut. Randy is probably the only sane one on the commission. The majority also voted to drastically reduce class size, did you think that wouldn't cost ? What about the rail the majority voted in.....Bush had the common sense to oppose that and put it up for a re-vote. I say leave it like it is. Reduce spending and drop the taxes. The majority must like higher taxes……looked at the county commissioners. Only one opposed the hike, and the Ledger makes him look like a nut. Randy is probably the only sane one on the commission. The majority also voted to drastically reduce class size, did you think that wouldn’t cost ? What about the rail the majority voted in…..Bush had the common sense to oppose that and put it up for a re-vote.

]]> By: Bob Gernert http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-304 Bob Gernert Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:17:01 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-304 As a point of clarification to JB: According to current estimates, for every $100 paid in residential taxes on homes of $200,000 or less, it is estimated that the cost of delivering services to that residence is between $126 and $178. By comparison, for every $100 paid in commercial (business) taxes the cost of delivering service is estimated at $18. Commercial(business) taxes subsidize the shortfall in residential tax collections. To state that businesses pay NO taxes has no basis in fact. As a point of clarification to JB:

According to current estimates, for every $100 paid in residential taxes on homes of $200,000 or less, it is estimated that the cost of delivering services to that residence is between $126 and $178.

By comparison, for every $100 paid in commercial (business) taxes the cost of delivering service is estimated at $18.

Commercial(business) taxes subsidize the shortfall in residential tax collections.

To state that businesses pay NO taxes has no basis in fact.

]]> By: KB http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/perspective/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/comment-page-1/#comment-299 KB Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:11:20 +0000 http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/2007/02/22/tax-swap-hocus-pocus-good-bad-tell-us/#comment-299 People are forgetting that property taxes are DEDUCTIBLE ON YOUR FEDERAL TAXES, sales taxes (after this year, anyway) ARE NOT. So unless they change that those of us with NO property tax will be screwed on our federal return. Oh, and to Jon--just where are your kids going to go to school if there are no taxes on your home? Do you really think the jokers in Tallahassee give a darn about the schools? If they did this would not have made it out of committee. The whole reason that property taxes went up in the first place is because businesses are now paying NO taxes, thanks to Jeb!, and the burden shifted to us. Sorry that you Johnny-come-latelys are paying more than someone that's been here 10 years, but next time perhaps you should plan ahead. People are forgetting that property taxes are DEDUCTIBLE ON YOUR FEDERAL TAXES, sales taxes (after this year, anyway) ARE NOT. So unless they change that those of us with NO property tax will be screwed on our federal return. Oh, and to Jon–just where are your kids going to go to school if there are no taxes on your home? Do you really think the jokers in Tallahassee give a darn about the schools? If they did this would not have made it out of committee. The whole reason that property taxes went up in the first place is because businesses are now paying NO taxes, thanks to Jeb!, and the burden shifted to us. Sorry that you Johnny-come-latelys are paying more than someone that’s been here 10 years, but next time perhaps you should plan ahead.

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