Issue Position: Basic

Issue Position

Basic, good government should protect the citizens as equally as possible.

In Florida, we need to examine all proposed and existing laws on this basic premise FIRST.

Laws that force most of us to pay 6% sales tax on boats but exempt the very wealthy from paying any sales tax on boat costing more than $300,000 does not fit the BASIC rule of good government. The tax is capped at $18,000. Read the law: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/forms/current/gt800005.pdf

Many professionals are required to pay fees to offset the cost of government to regulate their industry. Laws that collect professional fees, permit fees and penalties (often passed on to consumers as higher prices) exist that then create a pool of "extra" money in the State coffers that can be directed by politicians to their favorite donors and support groups. Any extra money collected should be used to lower the fees and not allowed to be directed to specific industry groups. This will lower the cost for everyone and reduce the need for government to be in the middle of directing the "extra" money to their favorite groups.

Florida's tax collection also needs to get back to the basics. Over the years, Florida's tax system has slowly shifted the burden of taxes on it's citizens to become one of the most unequal in the United States. We often think of our taxes being applied somewhat equally to all. Our Federal income tax, after deductions and other loopholes ends up taxing people at the low, middle and high incomes at roughly the same PERCENT OF THEIR INCOME. However, Florida's taxes have become very UNEQUAL as applied to the income of our citizens.

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