TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – July 22, 2008 – With the bipartisan support of State Reps. Frank Attkisson (R-Kissimmee) and Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg), the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR) today launched its “Give Me Five for Florida’s Future” grassroots campaign supporting passage of Amendment 5 in the general election on Nov. 4, 2008.
“This (Amendment 5) is absolutely significant tax reform,” said Rep. Attkisson. “This is major property tax relief. I can’t wait to travel the state to help voters understand what the amendment does and get 60-plus percent of the vote for Amendment 5.
The legislators joined John Sebree, FAR’s vice president of public policy, for a news conference this morning at the Florida Press Center in Tallahassee, announcing the creation of the “Give Me Five for Florida’s Future” political committee and the launch of the www.giveme5florida.com Web site. Flight delays kept Rep. Rouson grounded in St. Petersburg, but he participated in the event via telephone. The two lawmakers serve on the committee’s board of directors.
“Give Me 5 has been established with the sole purpose of educating Florida voters about Amendment 5 and securing its passage this November,” Sebree said. “We believe that passage of Amendment 5 is critical to Florida’s housing market and our overall economy.”
Also at today’s news conference, FAR officially announced that it will be contributing $1 million to the “Give Me Five for Florida’s Future” campaign. Florida Realtors are willing to put their money to work in support of Amendment 5, noted FAR President Chuck Bonfiglio.
“Florida voters are united in their strong feeling that something must be done to cut property taxes in our state,” said FAR President Chuck Bonfiglio. “Over the past six years, property taxes have more than doubled – add today’s higher fuel prices and food costs and it’s no wonder Florida families are struggling to make ends meet. That’s where Amendment 5 can help – passage of Amendment 5 would cut property taxes by at least 25 percent for ALL property owners, and could cut property taxes by up to 40 percent depending on where you live.”
State Rep. Rouson told the media that he is proud to join with his legislative colleague and Florida Realtors “these groups who put the concerns of the people above the convenience of politics” – to promote passage of Amendment 5.
“I get calls from my constituents every day, and they want to talk about the mortgage crisis; they want to talk about the high cost of gasoline and other economic factors,” he said. “But most of all, they talk about how they want and need immediate property tax relief.
As a member of the Florida Tax and Budget Reform Commission that voted 18 to 7 in favor of approving placing Amendment 5 on the November ballot, Rouson added that he believes “this is a very big deal for the people of Florida.”
Addressing some of the claims made by opponents of Amendment 5, Rouson said that its passage “won’t open the door to a sales tax on services.”
“They tried that back in the 1980s and it didn’t work then,” he said. “And it won’t work now.”
What Amendment 5 truly offers is meaningful tax reform, said Reps. Rouson and Attkisson, with the opportunity to shift from an inequitable tax system.
“We’re asking for a more dynamic tax system, one that considers a number of options for providing the revenues needed to fund our schools,” said Rep. Attkisson. “This (Amendment 5) forces our Legislature to consider the many options for consumption-based and economic activity-based taxes, which are more equitable.”
By approving Amendment 5 in November, Florida voters can take the next big step toward much-needed tax reform and property tax relief, said John Sebree.
“We passed Amendment 1 as the first step,” he said. “This is Amendment 1 on steroids – it gives property owners the ability to cut their own tax bill and increase their own disposable income. We urge everyone to become involved in the grassroots effort to reverse the trend of out-of-control property tax increases.”
© 2008 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
