Shhh, Can't Say 'Taxes'; But Here's an F-Word That Trips Easily Off the Lips

Cash-starved Florida municipalities are getting sneaky. Even in the middle of a deep recession, "taxes" -- the T-word -- is as verboten as ever in the Sunshine State.

But guess what word isn't? "Fees" -- apparently not such an F-word as you might think, because cities and counties are getting away with murder imposing them.

Fees are being imposed all over the place, on nonresidents' cemetary plots in Hallandale Beach, on ambulance users in Sunrise, on campers on West Palm Beach's Peanut Island. A story in Monday's Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel gives a ton of examples.

The nonpartisan government watchdog TaxWatch, nevertheless, argues that wringing fees out of nickeled-and-dimed residents is a bad idea. Says Robert Weissert, a spokesman for the group, " ... It doesn't help the economic recovery because it reduces the amount of money that families and businesses have to spend."

It's doubtful Florida's local officials, who have fallen in love with user fees, heard a single word Weissert said.