Not much 'reform' in Florida's timid tax panel

By Howard Troxler, Times Columnist
In print: Sunday, March 30, 2008

Story Tools E-mail this story Contact the editor Print this story Comment on this story Social Bookmarking [+] Digg Facebook Stumbleupon Reddit Del.icio.us Newsvine

ADVERTISEMENT

Every 20 years, a group of smart people is supposed to get together in Florida to decide whether to overhaul our state's taxes, budget and spending.

This outfit is not just some "blue-ribbon" study group, either. It has real power. It can put its ideas directly on the statewide ballot.

This is the year. The group, called the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, is meeting now to decide what we'll vote on in November.

But I gotta tell you, anybody looking for the Thoughtful Big Picture out of this current crop is going to be disappointed.

So far the tax commission has given preliminary approval to only one sizable idea. That idea is a "tax swap," replacing part of our school property taxes in Florida with higher sales taxes.

But even that idea is only half-baked and threatens to be troublesome. The sales tax is not nearly enough to make up for the lost dough. The Legislature would have to figure out how to replace the rest.

Come on. You and I could do the same thing — wave a magic wand and say, "Hey, here's an idea! Let's get rid of school property taxes and let somebody else figure out how to replace them!" Then we could knock off early and catch a ball game.

Making the hard choices that the political system is unwilling to make is precisely why this "reform" outfit — 25 voting members chosen by the governor and leaders of the Legislature — exists in the first place.

Beyond the tax swap, the commission has done little more than churn out a puny menu of new tax breaks and push ideological agendas, notably:

• Removing Florida's ban on using tax dollars to support religious institutions. Really? That's the big reform this state needs?

• Giving a tax break to "working waterfront" businesses such as fisheries and marinas. Really? We need more tax breaks? This one doesn't even help all those mom-and-pop hotels and restaurants that need it.

• Giving a tax break to owners who set their land aside for "conservation." Some enviro-types like the idea, but it should be said it also would benefit large corporate landholders.

Nothin' personal against the members of the commission. They have no doubt worked hard, attended a bunch of meetings and pored over the ideas.

But you might have noticed that Florida has deep problems with its tax structure. We keep whacking at property taxes willy-nilly. Florida's sales tax has hundreds of exemptions. We hurt Florida businesses and help their out-of-state competitors via the Internet. And every hiccup in the retail economy is a disaster.

For my taste, the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission too closely reflects the limitations of the folks who choose it — the leaders of the same system that the commission is supposed to be "fixing."

Really, what we have going here is a shadow "legislature," with the same philosophy and failings as the first one. So who needs two of 'em?

How should we choose the members instead? I dunno. It's tempting to suggest a random drawing, kind of like jury duty. Or a constitutional citizens convention that would vote on reforms and elect its own super-drafting committee to draw 'em up.

As matters stand, we are giving away a once-in-20-years opportunity.