This week, the 60 Plus Association is focusing on the Sunshine State, promoting its “Taxpayer Revolt Tour” across Florida.
The 60 Plus Association, the largest conservative seniors group and often a check on the more liberal AARP, notes that its mission in Florida this week is to to raise awareness of three of its chief priorities at the federal level: ending the Death Tax; a full repeal of former President Barack Obama’s health care law; and rolling back regulations enacted by the Obama administration.
Jim Martin, a Florida native, founded 60 Plus and serves as it chairman.
“The goal of the Florida Taxpayer Revolt Tour is simple,” Martin said. “Remind voters that we have a responsibility to make our voices heard, not just on election day but every day and to tell lawmakers that we are watching and will hold them accountable for their actions.”
Spearheading the the bus tour is Apryl Marie Fogel, a native of Titusville and currently the vice president of 60 Plus. Since 2010, Fogel has organized bus tours across Florida for 60 Plus.
Fogel noted the bus tour addresses state issues as well as national ones. On one of the most divisive issues currently before the Legislature, the group is looking to cut corporate welfare and incorporate additional accountability and transparency measures for Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida.
“There is a role and function for state and local government involvement in ‘attracting’ new businesses to the state and counties,” Fogel said. “There is a proper role for tax incentives when there is a verifiable return to the tax base in doing so. This is the basis and needs to be demonstrated and applied equally to any size business that relocates or starts up in the state. The government and its functionaries do a horrible job of picking ‘winners and losers.'"
Another state issue on 60 Plus’ radar is the plan of state Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, to buy farmland south of Lake Okeechobee in an effort to stop algae blooms from taking over water in the region. The conservative group labeled this plan as the “Joe Negron land grab.”
"Senator Negron's South Florida land grab has been the talk of the town at each stop,” Fogel told Sunshine State News. “People are shocked to hear the details of this unprecedented land grab
“What's even more surprising is that there are other ‘conservative’ senators entertaining this over-priced, job killing, big government plan,” Fogel told SSN.
Fogel insisted the bus tour is getting Floridians engaged with the issues.
"The response to the bus tour has been overwhelmingly positive. People are glad to know there's a conservative voice encouraging lawmakers to keep their promises and call out those who have not,” said Fogel.
The bus tour has been visiting cities across Florida including The Villages and Orlando and ends with a rally in Tallahassee Wednesday.
Reach Ed Dean, senior editor at Sunshine State News, at ed@sunshinestatenews.com
