Don’t think about going to the polls next Tuesday and trying to comprehend the meaning of Amendment 1. Here are four simple reasons why you should vote YES:

1. Your “Save Our Homes” is not only protected, it is doubled to $50,000. School taxes are not affected at all and even inexpensive condos will still pay full taxes on the appraised value between $25,000 and $50,000, as well as on everything above $75,000.

2. Passing Amendment 1 will finally allow you to transfer your accumulated “Save Our Homes” benefits to a new homestead. This will free up homeowners who are now trapped in their homes and will spur the real estate market, which is the backbone of the local economy.

3. It will create a $25,000 exemption on assessed value of tangible personal property and this will be a big benefit to small businesses throughout the state.

4. It will limit assessment increases for specified non-homestead real property to 10 percent each year.

Amendment 1 is a good start at much needed reform and deserves your full support.  You can look forward to voting on a revenue cap amendment sometime in 2010, which will end, once and for all, the out-of-control spending habits of our local governments.

You should be aware that there is considerable confusion about one provision toward the end of Amendment 1 that would provide for “homestead exemptions to be repealed if a future constitutional amendment provides for assessment of homesteads ‘at less than just value’ rather than as currently provided ‘at a specified percentage’ of just value”.

Regardless of this provision, Florida voters will still always remain in control of maintaining their “Save Our Home” benefits and will never vote to eliminate them.

Vote Yes on Amendment 1 next Tuesday, January 29.

Presidential Preferences

This is undoubtedly the most “open” Presidential election since 1952 and for the first time in our history, prospective voters have been absolutely deluged with information about the Republican and Democrat candidates for President. Between the candidates’ websites, the Internet, mailings, personal appearances, news articles and the numerous debates, every voter can know exactly what position a particular candidate has taken on a possible issue. Because of this unprecedented access each of us has had into the “minds” of each candidate, we do not deign to recommend one Republican or one Democrat over another.

Next Tuesday, the choice is yours. You know what kind of world we live in. Choose the candidate who can best lead us in the next four years.

David Eller
Publisher