The proposal to eliminate Florida property taxes has sparked debate over how schools, public safety and infrastructure would be funded. But a bigger issue is at stake: local control.
Property taxes are one of the few tools cities and counties have to address their needs. Whether fixing a fire station, improving parks or hiring deputies, these decisions are made by people who understand their communities.
Eliminating this revenue source would shift power from local governments to Tallahassee, forcing cities to compete for state funding and undermining the long-standing principle of home rule.
Tax relief sounds appealing, but weakening local authority is too high a price. Before moving forward, Floridians deserve a clear explanation of how this proposal would preserve — not diminish — the ability of communities to govern themselves.
David Rosenof, Parkland
The writer is a former Parkland city commissioner and former President of the Broward League of Cities.
Cameron Kasky and Israel
Young Jewish activist Cameron Kasky, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting survivor, is running for office (from Manhattan). He boasts of his Hebrew School inspiration that ending American-made weapons slaughtering children must now be his goal by condemning Israel’s genocide.
Either he missed classes or misconstrued what he heard, or he would have learned that Israel’s response was to a slaughter of 1,200 innocent young Israeli Jews and hostage-taking of 250, many of whom were murdered, starved, beaten and sexually abused.
The surprise attack by Hamas was led by Yahya Sinwar, who proclaimed “casualties were necessary to achieve victory.” It required fighting in Hamas tunnels under schools, hospitals and homes in order to create causalities, despite reasonable efforts by Israel to minimize them.
Kasky should return to Hebrew School.
Seymour Brotman, Delray Beach
Drilling platforms in Palm Beach?
With regard to Trump’s desire to drill for oil no matter the consequences to our air and life, a reader suggested setting up drilling towers off Palm Beach near Mar-a-Lago.
Since Trump has been guilty of cheating by inflating and deflating the value of his property depending on his financial needs at any given time, I suggest Palm Beach County relieve him of the land and put it to a similar use that it’s getting now, while discouraging people who would own and operate those drilling platforms.
Tracy Anton, Hollywood
Editor’s Note: New drilling in Florida would not be off the Atlantic Coast but in a newly designated South-Central Gulf region, according to the AP. Mar-a-Lago is safe from drilling platforms.
Give Trump a break
Amazing. It seems every letter to the editor is a complaint against Trump.
Not a single person thanks Trump for finally closing the border or doing something against the terrorists who bring deadly drugs into the U.S. I can’t recall anyone complaining when the incompetent Joe Biden had inflation at a 40-year high.
This paper’s one-sided editorial board is going to be the reason you go out of business.
When Democrats rigged the redistricting maps, we didn’t hear a peep out of you. When Nancy Pelosi scammed us on her insider trading scheme, there wasn’t a peep out of anyone.
This paper is only good for wrapping fish, because they stink equally.
Michael Olmstead, Deerfield Beach
Deranged and blinded
I recently had a rather long exchange with a friend whose politics place him a bit more to the right than I am to the left. At some point, he said I had “TDS,” Trump Derangement Syndrome.
I didn’t take kindly to being told I was deranged. So, I told him he was BBB (not Build Back Better, but Blinded By Bull***t). He then apologized for his “deranged” comment, to his credit.
Robert Bialer, Palm Beach Gardens
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