Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–July 30

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Tax breaks pad big pockets

Leaders in Tallahassee promised tax relief for overburdened homeowners.

What they delivered was the largest tax cut in state history.  The biggest winners, however, aren’t the cash-strapped residents whose protests fueled the reform effort but rather utility companies, theme parks, time-share operators and other property-rich corporations.

 

Facing term limit, Geller opens committee

Despite being forced from office next year due to term limits, Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller has started raising money for a new committee of continuous existence (CCE) called Floridians for a Stronger Tomorrow.

 

Schools deal in tax relief realities

The potential for $93-million in cuts over the next four years could force a 40 percent staff reduction.

BROOKSVILLE – Sinking state tax revenues will likely force the Hernando County School Board to cut about $3.2-million from its budget this year, finance director Deborah Bruggink said last week.

 

Not my school, parents vow

Opponents of school closings begin organizing before the proposals appear on the board’s agenda.

Since the news in early July, it’s been a summer of mood changes for Robin Ellis.  “I think it runs the gamut from very angry to very sad, to tired,” she said, describing her reaction to a proposal that names Gulf Beaches Elementary in St. Pete Beach as one of several Pinellas schools that might close next year.

 

Manatee schools face $6M shortfall

A shortfall of $6 million in the Manatee school district’s budget means frozen vacant positions, a 10 percent slash across all departments and a 75 percent cut in the district’s department travel budget, officials say.

 

Use of anti-psychotic drugs soars among Fla. children

The number of Florida children taking powerful anti-psychotic drugs has increased about 250 percent in the last seven years, despite concerns about the long-term affects on children and the cost to state taxpayers, a newspaper reported Sunday.

 

County Readies Down Payment On Faster, Safer Transportation

Property taxes are falling, growth has slowed and the county is struggling to balance its budget. It might seem the wrong time to increase 10-fold the county’s annual expenditure to fix roads and transportation. But the time has never been better.

 

Retirement community residents worry about losing bus service

Kings Point residents say routes are lifeline

Carol Bellin can’t see the steps, but she knows how many are there. She knows the route by heart, even though she can barely make out the trees and streets along the way. And she knows the drivers’ names but can hardly see them.

 

Don’t veto children’s health

In ”Sicko,” Michael Moore resurrects a fascinating bit of history. He found an old recording by Ronald Reagan, who was hired by the American Medical Association in the early 1960s to denounce a fledgling plan for Medicare, health insurance for the elderly, and Medicaid, health insurance for the poor, as ”socialized medicine.”

 

Time’s Up: Libraries To Limit Patrons’ Computer Usage

TAMPA – The days of free, nearly unlimited access to the Internet at Hillsborough County libraries is coming to an end.

 

YMCA to improve on foster-care followup

The Sarasota Family YMCA has a history of failing to make sure all of the foster children in its care are safe, consistently ranking among the worst in Florida for doing monthly checks, state records show.

 

Ethanol As Pork

Hailed as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels and a means of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, the U.S. ethanol program has mutated into a huge tax-financed boondoggle whose costs far outweigh its benefits.

 

Editorial:  LEED the way

Our position: With state’s huge energy consumption, governments should go green.

If you’d told people a year ago that government officials in Florida would be competing to see who’s more green, they’d call you certifiable.