Encouraged by powerful business interests, Sen. Mike Haridopolos is forming a political committee aimed at defeating the property tax swap on the November ballot. The paperwork could be filed by the end of the week or early next week.

The group may be called Protect Florida's Future, which is the name Haridopolos gave a Web site attacking the plan.

Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, is slated to become Senate president in 2010 and would inherit the burden of replacing billions in school property tax revenue with a higher sales tax and other revenue. He contends there is no way to make it work without a massive tax increase.

He already tried to stop the plan from getting on the ballot, by firing off a series of letters to the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, holding news conferences and a one-day public hearing. But the TBRC sent it to the voters anyway.

Haridopolos said he would wait to divulge more about the committee but
noted that he has been approached by every major group rising in
opposition to the plan. Think Associated Industries of Florida, Florida
Retail Federation ...

That could bring some big bucks into the committee and pose a significant threat to former Sen. John McKay and other advocates of the plan, which needs 60 percent voter approval. Opposition to Amendment 1 was fairly mild but, as Haridopolos said, this round could be "a different kind of fight."