The Ship is Sinking

Gov. Crist really gets to me. Ever since he lobbied so strongly for Amendment 1 and won, it has all been down hill for Florida. Everyone got caught up in the frenzy of possibly saving $240 dollars.

Does anyone think that our local property taxes have gone down? More and more costs for services have gone up and in Lake Worth’s case, stormwater and the Fire rescue is now on our ad valorem bill. We are paying more for stormwater. In Lake Worth, electricity is and will cost more, (much higher than FPL) water will cost more, recreation fees are way up and the list goes on. Palm Beach County has just announced that fire rescue will go up 3.1% next budget cycle.

Charlie Crist never reduced property taxes. It is costing every property owner in the State much more money than they ever dreamed. and now with property values down 24.3% in Lake Worth, we will be scrambling. I don't envy Mark Bates. I have to wonder what happened to all that revenue when property values here were over inflated during the biggest boom in decades...what happened to all that cash? The Unions probably came in and demanded it; they don't negotiate. The elected officials and P&Z were approving every development possible even changing the zoning on Sunset for the tax base and the CRA involving $15 million to two roads as well as throwing money into an option on 6th Avenue South. They all got caught up in the rapture. Reality has finally caught up.

The governor has really spoken through forked tongue. Gov Crist just has confused advisors, I guess. How do you say one thing one moment and then do something totally opposite the next as he is doing lately with the property insurance industry, as an example? He was protecting Floridians from the rape of these companies and we thought him our hero even if he was a Republican. Now we will have no protection since he has signed HB 1495 allowing Citizens to raise its rates 10% per annum which will probably last for the next 5 years if not beyond. It opens the floodgates for all private companies to do the same.

We are all overtaxed and in order to try and meet our personal budgets, have been forced to raise our deductibles just to survive or to buy less insurance than we really want. This is not what Charlie Crist promised us when he spoke to the Florida Association of Realtors on August 23, 2007, less than two years ago, when he was speaking on property taxes and insurance-- “I believe these two issues are the key to rejuvenating our economy,” Crist said. “The insurance industry has always had its way in Tallahassee, but not anymore. Enough is enough, and we’re not going to take it anymore. I believe our fundamental duty is to make sure that you have more of your hard-earned money in your pocket, to spend as you see fit. That ship has turned.”

Now he has come to believe more development is the key after just signing SB 360. "The Bill would allow much of the state's developed areas opt out of enforcing so-called transportation concurrency requirements -- which force developers to help offset the impact of projects that put more traffic on congested surrounding roads."

Charlie's ship has made a 180^ turn right back to port and it is sinking.