SEBRING – Should some items be taxed, and others not?
The Florida House of Representatives studied that issue last week to decide whether to levy sales taxes on rent, sports tickets, gym admissions, toll road charges, and hundreds of other goods.
If the exemptions were removed on drugs and groceries, for instance, the state of Florida could collect $4 billion in sales taxes. The state will be more than $6 billion in the hole for fiscal year 2009-10, so the move could fill 60 percent of the budget problem.
Today I was pleased to stand alongside Florida business leaders in a grassroots effort to help Floridians save money. Together we unveiled the Florida Backyard Card, a money-saving incentive for Floridians to spend their money wisely and locally.
Through the Florida Backyard Card, hundreds of businesses across Florida are offering incentives for their customers with benefits reaching beyond discounts and values.
The State of Florida is pleased to join the coalition of businesses rewarding customers through the Florida Backyard Card. With support from the Florida Lottery, the Backyard Card will be available at lottery retailers across the state. In addition, VISIT FLORIDA is managing www.FloridaBackyardCard.com, where consumers can download a card and search for the best deals in their backyard.
At www.FloridaBackyardCard.com, Floridians can enter their zip code and search for participating businesses to save on apparel, restaurants, groceries, home improvement, vacation rentals and many more goods and services.
When Floridians spend with local businesses, their dollars go to employee wages, building rent, utilities and state and local taxes which support schools and emergency services. Every purchase impacts our economy. In fact, 75 percent of Florida’s gross domestic product comes from consumer spending.
I am personally urging Floridians to go out today and get a backyard card from Florida lottery retailers across the state or online atwww.FloridaBackyardCard.com.
I already have mine and plan to use it well to help boost our economy.
Whether you like his ideas or not, you have to admire the way Clay County School Board Chairman Charlie Van Zant Jr. thinks outside the box in trying to come up with methods to cut expenses for the cash-strapped system.
Earlier this year, Van Zant broached the subject of a four-day school schedule. I think he knew he wouldn’t get much support for the unpopular idea but he put it out there anyway.
Now, Van Zant wants to hear from the public about another idea he has: a longer school day that would result in fewer teaching days in the school calendar year.
Van Zant says there are two bills in the Legislature that would make it possible to change the actual numbers of days taught, thus possibly saving money. Scenarios running from adding 20 to 40 to 60 extra minutes a day could shorten the mandated 180-school year by X number of days if the Legislature passes versions of the two bills. Read the rest of this entry »
U.S. data show growth still slowing, inflation in check
Nissan to sell $1.3 billion in auto-backed debt
IMF, OECD cut growth forecasts
BOJ boosts bond purchases
U.S. stocks and Treasuries gained ground this week as investors cheered the U.S. Federal Reserve Board’s plan to buy $1 trillion of bonds in an effort to lower consumer borrowing costs and bring an end to the recession. The upward equity move was blunted by week’s end as the Fed’s plan rekindled concerns of inflation, and those worries drove the dollar sharply lower and the price of gold higher. Read the rest of this entry »
(This story appeared in the Panama City Herald Friday.)
The Florida Legislature is considering a proposal to transfer the administrative responsibility for court records to the courts and away from the locally elected county clerks.
The Supreme Court supports this legislative evaluation. We, as former chief justices of that court, believe that this is a logical and rational idea that could save substantial tax dollars particularly in this new electronic era. It warrants a reasoned discussion based on facts. We both believe that trial court record keeping and administrative functions need to be uniform and electronically compatible throughout the state. Read the rest of this entry »
TALLAHASSEE — If the Seminole Tribe of Florida follows through with plans to expand its casinos and resorts in Florida, it will siphon off $95 million in annual tourist and convention business from around the state and gain an even greater competitive advantage, according to a story on tampabay.com Friday.
Those were the conclusions of Amy Baker, the Florida Legislature’s chief economist, in a report presented to the House Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review on Friday. The panel is writing legislation to guide the governor on how to renegotiate a new gambling agreement with the tribe.
The Clay County Education Association is planning a community rally at Orange Park High School on Friday, March 27 4-7 p.m.The keynote speakers will be Florida Education Association President Andy Ford.Invited guests include: Clay County School District Superintendent Ben Wortham and School Board members, local state legislators, and Clay County commissioners.
Everyone is invited to wear red and show your support for public education.Parents, students, and community members are encouraged to bring signs and posters to rally for support from our leaders in Tallahassee.There will be informational booths, letter/postcard writing stations, sign making, and much more!
For additional information on the Clay County Education Association Community Rally for Education, contact Lea Rhoden lea.rhoden@gmail.com or Jennifer Wood jwood272@yahoo.comwith education rally in the subject line and visit clayeducation.blogspot.com.
In an editorial today, the Miami Herald blasts the idea of a 1-cent sales tax hike as regressive. According to the Herald: “As to K-12 funding, legislative leaders have said they will consider everything put on the table. So far they have been lukewarm to: raising the tax on tobacco products; lifting any sales tax exemptions; imposing sales taxes on Internet purchases.”
This week we have been celebrating Sunshine Week – recognizing Florida’s open government laws. We serve the people of Florida with openness and transparency every day. However, every year during this week, we strive to find new ways to make state and local government more accessible to the public. To achieve this goal, today we launched a new Web site,www.FlaRecovery.com.
As you know, these are challenging times for our nation and for our state. Yet, I believe that Florida will weather this storm as we have weathered storms in the past. Brighter days are ahead. We know people are hurting, and that is why I am grateful for Florida’s fair share of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
posted
Mar 25, 2009 by Lamar Thames
