Implementing Our Mission

Florida citizens are facing huge property tax bills and are nearing the breaking point. People are trying to decide if they can afford to live in Florida anymore. Businesses are feeling the pinch and passing taxes onto consumers who see rising prices. Renters face higher rents as landlords pass on their taxes to them. Older home owners who want to downsize are trapped in their homes for fear of a higher tax bill when they move. The young and first time home buyers can’t consider buying or must buy a small house in a neighborhood they don’t want. As Floridians are suffering and tightening their belt, there is one group in Florida that don’t have these problems: the government that raises the taxes.

The root cause of these runaway taxes is continued irresponsible and excessive spending by local governments. County commissions, city councils, school boards and other taxing authorities have grown rich off of property values that have doubled since 2000. While they get richer, they think they can fool the tax payer by offering a token tax cut even when they collect more and more tax money every year! Their governments grow and grow while citizens work harder to support them and their expensive programs. The larger government size requires even greater future spending to keep maintain the staff and projects. Larger government also allows politicians to gain favor with special interests who request funding. These special interests then support the politicians for reelection so they can keep raising taxes and wasting our money.

Cut Taxes Now is a grassroots organization that seeks to end this cycle. Through research, public education and political activism we seek to provide tax relief for citizens from local and state taxes by promoting responsible government spending and taxation policies. Cut Taxes Now offers the following tangible goals we seek to accomplish over the next two years.

¨ A Florida Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR): Cap government tax and spending increases to no more than inflation and population growth.
Local and state government should no longer collect tax revenues higher than is necessary to overcome inflation and population growth in their communities. Any increase in tax revenue beyond inflation and population growth should be approved by voters in local referenda. Thus, if the government needs $10 million dollars to build an overpass to ease traffic congestion, it can seek the approval of the voters. If the voters have felt the need for such an overpass, it will pass. A government that spends its tax revenues wisely will only rarely have to go to the voters for such requests. It is time for government to live within its means just like Floridians do every day. When the government collects more than this cap, the excess should be returned to the taxpayer or be used to reduce future tax burdens.

¨      Support responsible government spending which results lower taxes for citizens. Insist on a rollback in local government budgets to responsible levels.
Local governments and the State of Florida should reevaluate how they spend taxpayer dollars and assure that spending is consistent with its primary functions. Local governments have traditionally provided for public safety through Police and Fire Departments, basic transportation and road maintenance and public utilities. Spending for activities beyond that should be carefully considered and pursued only rarely. Most other functions such as economic development, social services, the arts and recreation are often better provided by the local economy, charities, and civic organizations. Time has shown that when citizens, organizations and businesses live in an economy with low taxation and regulation, they more effectively provide such services themselves. Bloated government budgets can be cut to levels that are more responsible and less burdensome on taxpayers starting this year.

¨      Support political candidates that seek to limit tax and spending growth and will cut budgets to responsible levels.
Our democracy is meant to be a representative one and should not require frequent ballot votes to determine spending and taxation of its citizens. However, a representative democracy that supports limited taxation and responsible government spending requires elected officials of courage and conviction. Such officials are rare in our political climate which rewards politicians who spend taxpayer dollars in ways that support special interest groups with a variety of agendas from all points on the political spectrum. This may account for low voter turnouts since many voters have simply given up on politicians who spend millions on social programs that never seem to work (or cause harm) or to benefit large corporations that give sizable donations to candidates. Cut Taxes Now seeks to support responsible candidates and let them know that our grassroots network will be there to keep them in office when they say no to special interests and yes to the taxpayers.

¨      Insist that property appraisers value propety fairly and rollback property values to fairly appraised values.
Too often, local property appraisers are confining their appraisals to "highest and best use". This means that property that is being used for a small business or residence, may be assigned a value that is artificially high, as if it were used for a large business or mansion. A bait and tackle shop on the water should not be assigned a value of a high rise condo soley because that structure could be built on that site. Property appraisal reform is needed this year to ensure that the property's actual and fair value is used for appraisals. (Learn more about property valuations here).

To accomplish these goals Cut Taxes Now will engage in the following activities in 2007 and beyond:

¨      Support a Statewide cap to limit tax and spending growth of all governments through legislative action and/or a statewide constitutional amendment.

¨      Conduct detailed research into local and state government budgets.

¨      Based on our research, educate the public about spending and taxation that may be unnecessary and can be decreased.

¨      Regularly attend local budget meetings and advocate for responsible government spending, preferably at levels lower than previous years.

¨      Interact with local neighborhood, civic and political organizations to spread our message, recruit and share results of budget and tax research.

¨      Work with willing elected officials to limit tax and spending increases to a figure based on inflation and population growth and to cut spending and taxation.

¨      Work with tax reform groups from accross Florida to provide tax relief for all Florida Taxpayers.

¨      Support candidates and elected officialswho seek to accomplish our mission.

Cut Taxes Now will accomplish our mission through the efforts of many volunteers and a dedicated staff. Our Board is based in St. Petersburg and includes persons with career experience in federal tax law, budget investigation, financial planning, business and grassroots and traditional political activism. Our Group is a Florida not For Profit Corporation which relies on the generosity of those parties who support our mission. We have formed important alliances and relationships with reputable organizations advocating for limited government and taxation including the Floirida Taxpayers Alliance, FreedomWorks (founded by Dick Armey, former U.S. House Majority Leader), The James Madison institute (Tallahassee) and others. We have earned significant media attention through activism beginning with the 11/06 general election and attract frequent interview requests from local media.