Lawmakers Should Put An End To Their Property Tax Farce

Lawmakers abruptly left Tallahassee yesterday with no agreement on how to cut property taxes. They should end the charade. They are searching for a fix that can't be found in a week.

Besides, it's clear that political expediency, not the long-term welfare of the state, much less taxpayers, is their overriding concern.

Most lawmakers simply want to be able to brag that they cut property taxes. Little thought is being given to the costs, consequences or inequities of the many proposals being batted about.

A divided Senate passed a bill favored by Gov. Charlie Crist that would double the $25,000 homestead exemption to $50,000 and allow homeowners to take the tax savings afforded by Save Our Homes with them if they move. The $11 billion savings package would also provide a 25 percent assessment reduction for first-time homebuyers.

Meanwhile, the House failed to pass any legislation and left town with all sorts of new ideas for tax reductions being floated, including eliminating property taxes altogether and raising the sales tax, a proposal pushed by Speaker Marco Rubio.

In short, the Legislature is ill-prepared to vote on responsible property tax cuts in time to meet the deadline next week to put an amendment on the Jan. 29 ballot.

The truth is that fast-paced and limited special sessions do not offer lawmakers the time to consider every aspect of an issue as complicated as tax reform. Lawmakers should instead spend the next few months studying the various proposals and take up the issue again during next spring's regular session.

By then, the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission led by former Speaker Alan Bense and currently holding public meetings throughout the state will have finished its deliberations and proposed solutions. This could provide guidance, something badly needed in the Capitol.

Gov. Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt and especially Rubio are not helping their constituents by demanding a vote when there are so many unanswered questions.

Remember, these are the leaders who cheered the complex amendment passed five months ago but rejected by a judge as confusing and misleading because it did not make clear that it would eventually rid the state of the Save Our Homes amendment. If lawmakers thought that was such a swell idea, why didn't they simply fix the language - instead of entertaining dozens of other complex tax proposals within a week?

There is no reason to believe, in light of this history, that a plan rammed through for political purposes would solve the problem.

Reform is needed to make Florida's property taxes more equitable and less burdensome. Small businesses, in particular, need relief. But for now, lawmakers should throw in the towel rather than make a bigger mess than they already have.