Florida's Legislature has a new shell game for voters. It's called the Property Tax Amendment proposal.
          For the last nine years, our state's legislators have shifted more and more of the financial responsibility for public services, such as education, police and fire protection, to city and county governments. These same legislators have literally taken millions of dollars from our state's school children in order to increase billions of dollars in luxury tax breaks for the rich.

Local government leaders have been forced to raise property and other taxes to continue providing these essential services. Now, the same legislators are pointing their fingers from way up in Tallahassee, saying local governments in South Florida have become too fat and need to be cut back.

Our state needs comprehensive tax reform, but voters should not trust the Property Tax Amendment proposal developed by the same legislators who have driven Florida's economy into the ground. They love to take credit for tax cuts but, in doing so, refuse to take responsibility for being fiscally negligent and forcing our local leaders to increase taxes.

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By Pat Santeramo