Florida Consumer Action Network opposes all this year's constitutional amendments, including 11, the Florida Senior Homestead Tax Exemption. Why? Why not give tax cuts to low-income seniors?
Amendment 11 is misleading, as are all the amendments. Its intent is not to help low-income seniors, but to further the radical anti-tax, anti-government agenda of the Republican-dominated Legislature.
Members of this Legislature, most of whom have signed Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge, are so determined to follow its ideology that they care nothing for the consequences of their actions.
Taken together, the Legislature's myriad amendments will cost the state government and local governments greatly. Programs that seniors like would be cut. Services to low-income seniors and others would be cut. This Legislature wants to put seniors on notice that they're on their own, along with anyone else who does not have money.
But this same Legislature is all too happy to raise insurance rates and utility rates because of large campaign contributions from those industries.
Bottom line -- the Legislature didn't put this amendment on the ballot because its members wanted to help seniors. The opposite is true. If Amendment 11 passes along with the other measures, services to seniors will be cut and those low-income seniors will regret voting for this measure. This and the other amendments are designed to mislead voters. Vote NO!
Bill Newton is the executive director of the Tampa-based Florida Consumer Action Network.billn@fcan.org
