“Citizens for Home” Rule PAC wants you to Vote NO on Amendment 1 (property tax reform). Chairman and Treasurer is Michael Sittig (League of Cities Executive Director). Florida League of Cities gave them $525,000. Is that our CITY money they used? Where are they getting all that money? Anyway, that is chump change when you look at the opposing PAC.
The PAC “Yes on 1, Save Our Homes” Chairman is Mike Fasano (State Senator?). They have collected over $3,000,000 to try to get you to vote YES for the property tax reform. Among the contributions:
$1,000,000 Florida Association of Realtors
$500,000 Florida Power and Light
$50,000 Florida Home Builders
$25,000 St. Joe Company
$75,000 Gary Kompothecras (Sarasota Chiropractor)
$125,000 Communications International, Inc.
$20,000 The Brown Family (Move the UDB Browns?)
$100,000 Florida Chamber of Commerce
$50,000 Florida Medical Association
$65,920 Clear Channel Outdoor
$50,000 Teco Energy, Inc.
$50,000 Foley Timber and Land
$125,000 Ashbritt, Inc. (helps clients NAVIGATE environmental regulations)
You are being conned either way people. This is a "Make me want to puke" column (stronger than an "Ick" post). I guess after looking at this: I will vote NO. More hateful group for sure want it. Knowing Florida: It will pass because people tend to want instant gratification and a little relief now is better than none...or more later.
P.S. Why oh why did FP&L give a half million??? To help citizens? They could do that by lowering our bills. How do they gain from this amendment? I find it interesting that cities hold little sway over State Government. Developers and Special Interests rule!
19 comments:
Genius
you should also look at the other PAC: for the slots---huge amounts of $$$$ tossed in there. The consultants are having a field day running to the bank to make deposits.
What's in it for FPL? I suppose, it would be more customers. The real estate markets are frozen in Florida. The property tax amendment at least gets people moving in Florida, or some of them anyhow. The League of Cities doesn't like it, because it is forcing huge budget deficits down the throats of municipal governments. But one way or another, there are going to be budget deficits out the wazzoo. We are headed for a rip-roaring recession in Florida real estate... and there's nothing FPL or the realtors can do about it. We are all going to pay for the excesses in property markets that were allowed to grow in the past decade beyond reason.
first comment:
I looked at slots. I reported on them already. Yes, big money.
In the article today in the herald about this, why didn't they go into the funding of the Pac's like you did? Funding opens people's eyes.
Great job unmasking the people behind these campaigns. Since we have no real analytical press in the community, it is really useful to have a blog like this getting to the heart of the matter so we can make reasonable decisions at the voting booth. Keep up the good work.
You should really take a look at the expenses of the last 2 reports posted for the YES for a Greater Miami-Dade PAC. Its raining CASH.
http://www.precinctfind.com/cand_dade.html
Something stinks at Yes for Greater Miami. They have an extensive phone solicitation effort to get absentee votes but they are clearly partisan. There is probably a story there. I hear and see allot of 'vote yes' plastered around town which prompts me to say no. this amendment is classic case of confuse the issue enough so that those who engineer the most consent win. The funding stats say it all. keep up the good work.
Actually if you read the amendment carefully you would know not to vote for it.
I took a look at the Yes Pac and reported on it.
Genius
You reported it on November 11, alot has happened since then and almost $4.5 million dollars later...you should really take a look. Loads of money are being spent around town on Consultants, read between the lines, to get this passed. Money is definitely talking and bullshit is walking.
Perhaps you missed my post of Wednesday, January 02, 2008 and January 16th and Gimleteyes post of January 15th. If you want to add more write a guest blog...I am off to another subject. My attention span is short. They have 5 million from the pari-mutuel operators now. Instead whatever they had .....and they are spending it to con us. What is new about that.
The only interesting thing is the ten thousand to Carrie Meek and the 20 or 30 thousand to Black Americans for Accountability...couldn't find them on Sunbiz...According to the October 15th filing documents Perry Howard is the Treasurer and Gary Beasley is an officer. Now at least I know what they are doing, I didn't on January 2nd.
but reader since you already knew all this you could have posted it and saved me the trouble.
FPL is trying to make up with Charlie Crist for their heavy support of his primary opponent Tom Gallagher.
They were so heavily behind TG, that after Crist won the primary, FPL tried to offer the Crist campaign a huge amount of money, and Crist turned them down.
Now they are trying to get back on his good side, by putting up the most money, when he needs it most.
If the tax referendum goes down, so do Charlie's sky high approval ratings, and probably his hopes of a smooth run into a second term.
I guess this is why I want to keep you around moderate. Interesting take on this....
It's the truth.
FPL offered to pour a cool million into Charlie's campaign against Jim Davis, and Charlie said "thanks, but no thanks".
Could Moderate be right: Look at paper today:
Miami Herald, 1/23/2008
Florida Power & Light is facing $208,000 in federal fines because firing pins were removed from the weapons of Wackenhut guards at its Turkey Point nuclear power plant.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's announcement Tuesday listed four violations: two for ''willfully failing to properly equip'' armed guards, one for failing to promptly report the incident and the fourth for providing incomplete and inaccurate information about the incident.
snip'
Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, Gov. Charlie Crist announced he supported FPL's plans to add new nuclear generators at Turkey Point. ''I think it's innovative,'' Crist said. ''I think it's important to continue to move forward.''
FP&L gave $500,000? Why?
And they ask employees to help with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program?
**I am writing to ask for your support in advocating for more funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This federally-funded program has provided energy assistance for low-income customers for more than 25 years.
Funding for this program in 2008 will most likely not change, despite our best efforts and those of many other organizations to rally for increased federal support. The projected federal funding for LIHEAP this year is $1.98 billion, the same as last year. At its peak in 2006, the program received $3.1 billion in federal funding.
This is not good news for Florida, which continues to see a steady increase in the number of families applying for assistance. The proposed funding will limit Florida’s funding to about $25 million, which is almost half of what it was in 2006. Even when supplemented by other funding sources, including our own FPL Care To Share Program ®, less than 15 percent of eligible households will receive help in 2008.
You can play an important role in advocating for more funding for LIHEAP by writing to your Congressional representatives through the Edison Electric Institute’s Support LIHEAP advocacy Web site www.supportliheap.org.
By doing so, you will be helping those less fortunate in the state of Florida maintain their electric service -- the service we are proud to provide.
Thank you in advance for your help with this special request and for your continued genuine concern for others.
It'll be yet another sad day in the history of Florida if Amendment 1 indeed passes.
When will people start to research how things, such as this amendment, affects them before they vote?
I looked at your blog Adrian Salgado. Interesting discussion on the property appraiser. I don't usually take advice from Rebecca Sosa.
Come on now, Genius. I didn't expect you to.
You should hear her pipe, though. I was once at a wedding of a local prominent politician (wife's side) and she took control of the mic. I have to admit - she's got skills.
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