Environmental groups complain dollars to buy conservation land have been drastically cut since 2009. But, to anyone paying attention, state revenues dropped drastically because of a horrible recession. Everyone did with less! Our legislators scrambled to cover the essential needs of schools, unemployment, Medicaid, and more. Land buying took a back seat to human needs, as it should have.
Amendment 1 limits the Legislature’s ability to deal with crisis by putting into our constitution the requirement to set aside approximately $500 million dollars per year from doc stamp tax revenues to buy conservation land. No matter what happens to the economy, no matter what the pressing human needs might be, that money will be untouchable. Never mind that there are 69,000 homeless children in our schools whose only meals are eaten at school. Never mind that there are 20,000 on a waiting list for Medicaid subsidized elder care.
What’s worse is the bonding authority in Amendment 1. Spokesmen for the environmental groups supporting Amendment 1 say openly that the real intent of Amendment 1 is to sell bonds and finance buying land, buying as much as they can as fast as they can, and pay for it with future tax revenues. That is debt that must be repaid to the bond holders.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce opposes Amendment One. Read about it at:
http://www.flchamber.com/political/2014-election-center/vote-amendment-1/
The Florida Farm Bureau opposes Amendment One. Read about it at:
http://www.floridafarmbureau.org/node/3295
Floridacitizens must say NO to Amendment 1. If not, “We the People” will be on the hook for that land-buying debt and the legislators will have no ability to change that.
The Santa Rosa Tea Party Patriots will have a special presentation on Amendment 1 by Dan Peterson, representative from Coalition for Property Rights on Monday, October 13, 2014 at 6:00pm at the Pace Community Center, Chumuckla Hwy, Pace Fl. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about Florida’s land grab plans using the Constitution and your tax dollars. We will also review the other two Amendments on the November ballot. For more information call 850-994-7548.
Sharon Glass
Pace
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Amendment 1: 20 years of taxation without representation