Governor Crist and the Legislature are not dumb people. They have to know, deep down, that a state can't lock in property tax rates at 1995 levels for 40 percent of its tax base and survive for very long in an economic and real estate downturn. Common sense needs to make a comeback in the economics of our state, and common sense tells us that Amendment One is in no way a serious attempt at true property tax reform for the future of the state of Florida and our own hometown communities. ...more

January 25, 2008

Some in the audience of 120 who gathered Wednesday to hear Florida House Speaker Mario Rubio's views on the state's property tax amendment may have been surprised to see Rubio, also a Republican, dismiss Gov. Charlie Crist's proposed initiative as inadequate. If you came to make up your mind on how to vote, it was probably not made up based on what little Rubio had to say on the proposed property tax reforms and how divergent his views are on what is being proposed. Instead, Rubio spoke on gambling, morality, family values, giving your children a better United States, and even his kids. ...more

January 21, 2008

While negotiating with myself over where This Space ought to stand regarding the upcoming vote on Amendment 1: Armageddon or Utopia?, the image I can't shake is President Bush, feet planted on the deck of the USS Lincoln, a celebratory banner - soon to be a long-legged symbol of controversy - pulsing from the observation deck overhead. ...more

January 20, 2008

One by one, they took to the podium to make their pleas. ...more

January 18, 2008

It is a disservice to the public that the Tribune could not set aside its bias in the recent editorial on legislative efforts to change the makeup of the Tampa Sports Authority. It is not about one-upsmanship or Commissioner Jim Norman's future plans. Why not report the fact that itis about the future of commitments made that directly impact more than 1.1 million citizens of Hillsborough County? ...more

January 14, 2008

Michael Mattia of Tarpon Springs critical of city officials' opposition to proposed state property tax system changes. ...more

January 8, 2008

I attended the meeting at the VFW in order to find out what Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio had to say. I was all primed to leave angry, but it didn't happen. ...more

December 26, 2007

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio is set for a visit next week to rally residents around a new tax amendment proposal. ...more

December 12, 2007

A lawsuit by state House Speaker Marco Rubio against Gov. Charlie Crist over Indian gambling in Florida has brought a growing political rift between the two into the open. ...more

December 2, 2007

SARASOTA - Organizers of the downtown New Year's Eve celebration are scrambling for a last-minute plan to collect enough money to pull off the event. ...more

November 27, 2007