Crist aims for 'doable'
tax-cut plan
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Article Courtesy of The Orlando Sentinel
By John
Kennedy and Jason Garcia
Published April 27, 2007
TALLAHASSEE
-- Facing his toughest leadership test yet, Gov. Charlie Crist tried
Thursday to end a bitter clash between House and Senate leaders over how
much to cut property taxes this year.
Just as he did during January's special session on insurance, Crist turned
to "real Floridians" to make his case for slashing property
taxes, as he urged House Speaker Marco Rubio to abandon his controversial
plan to trade lower property taxes for a higher sales tax.
Despite his efforts, House
and Senate negotiators remained deadlocked Thursday,
refusing even to talk to each other. With the two sides far
apart and the political atmosphere growing steadily toxic,
Crist tried to refocus the fight on what he called the
"doable."
"It really comes down to them," Crist said,
nodding to four Florida residents flanking him at a news
conference. "This is not necessarily about our plan, or
the House plan or the Senate plan. It's what's good for the
people."
Then the Republican governor sent a not-so-subtle message to
Rubio.
"We have to be practical, and we have to be
pragmatic," Crist said. "Some of us might want
more cuts. Some of us might want a different element than
another. |
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Gov.
Charlie Crist explains a chart Thursday in Tallahassee regarding his
proposal to cut property taxes by a compromise of the House and
Senate plans. |
But
what is important is that we deliver something we can agree upon . . .
time is running out."
Rubio, R-West Miami, has demanded that any final plan save Florida
homeowners an average of $1,200 a year in property taxes, an amount that
others say would devastate city and county governments -- unless, as Rubio
wants, much of the lost money is replaced with a significant sales-tax
increase.
"If
our numbers are too high, then someone should tell us what they should
be," Rubio said.
With the session slated to end in a week, the House is seeking a combined
$40 billion to $50 billion in tax reductions during the next five years.
The Senate plan would save $15 billion to $20 billion during the same
period.
Crist weighed in Wednesday with a split-the-difference proposal that could
save $33.5 billion over five years.
On Thursday, Crist's allies included Eduardo Burkhart, 47, a
hearing-impaired assistant manager at a West Palm Beach McDonald's who
spoke through an interpreter.
Burkhart said he and his fiancee want to move to a new house, but they
can't because they would face a much higher tax bill. Any savings accrued
under the state's Save Our Homes tax cap is lost when a homeowner moves, a
situation Crist and the Senate want changed.
"I'm stuck; I have no choice," Burkhart said. "What can I
do?"
Rubio later countered Crist by reading numbers to reporters from a
handwritten sheet of paper that he said showed Burkhart would save more in
property taxes under the House plan than the governor's or the Senate's.
Also appearing with Crist was retiree Stan Whitney of Port Charlotte, who
had written the governor about his property-insurance woes. Crist later
visited Whitney's home after the January special session and also brought
him to the Capitol.
Whitney said lawmakers should continue work on making insurance more
available and cheaper.
The toughening talk over property taxes is dominating the Legislature,
shouldering aside decisive action on most other bills and the state's $70
billion-plus budget.
Negotiations over taxes halted Thursday after harsh exchanges between the
two sides ended a brief huddle the evening before, with the House
effectively refusing to budge.
Rubio may have heightened the tension by going on Spanish-language radio
Wednesday night in Miami to suggest he might launch a
constitutional-amendment campaign to achieve his tax plan.
Rubio, whom many think intends to run for higher office someday, told
reporters Thursday that he likely would work on such a petition drive
should he be unable to wrestle his plan through the Senate.
"Sure," he said. "I know it's a possibility."
Crist downplayed any hard feelings, saying he spoke with Rubio earlier
Thursday.
"He's my friend," Crist said. "He told me he was upset with
the process. That's fine."
Though the property-tax debate in the Capitol is now largely focused on
how much to cut, a group of mayors across the state nonetheless met with
key lawmakers Thursday to plead for restraint.
The mayors, including Orlando's Buddy Dyer, once again warned legislators
that deep property-tax reductions would lead to cuts in everything from
garbage collection to police on the streets.
"I don't have the sense that the folks here are on the front lines,
or understand the front lines, of providing essential services," Dyer
said.
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