Lawson to GOP: "Stop taxing the little guy!"

Alarmed by the proposals Republicans have outlined to plug Florida's budget shortfall, FAMU alumnus and state Senate Democratic Leader Alfred "Al" Lawson (D-Tallahassee) is urging the GOP’s leadership to rethink what he calls “their latest financial attack on Floridians.”

"You don't staunch an arterial hemorrhage by cutting out the heart," Lawson said. "But the majority of plans they've concocted do just that. The Republican proposals target the little guy by jacking fees on court costs and other services they need and on which they depend. It's another tax noose they want to slip around the necks of those struggling to survive these hard economic times."

The Senate Minority Leader asked his legislative colleagues to reconsider what they're targeting in order to balance the budget, noting that almost $1 billion in much needed revenue could be raised simply by plugging loopholes that put most Floridians at a tax disadvantage.

"We need to begin by following the example of states like Texas and close the combined reporting loophole," Lawson said. "This escape hatch for national chains shifts the tax burden squarely onto the shoulders of independent Florida business owners. Then, we need to close the real estate transfer tax that lets the rich developers skirt paying the doc stamps everyone else has to pay. Finally, let's close the deep sea fishing charter loophole. All that does is give a break to high end recreational fishing buffs.”

"None of these moves raise taxes. They don't burden property owners. And, they don't expand bureaucracy. All they do is wean some very wealthy special interests from the legislative coddling they've enjoyed for years. It's time they joined the rest of us and paid their fair tax share."

Although he believes Democrats would likely support tapping at least $70 million collected from the Seminole Indian Gaming Compact sitting idle in the state's General Revenue pot, Lawson said they would not endorse raiding more money from the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund.

Likewise, the Democrats oppose any attempts to hike college tuition. They're also against deepening cuts to education, health care for seniors, children, and the developmentally disabled or reducing front line state workers whose services are increasingly in demand as the economy worsens.

"I'm not hearing much in the way of ideas to get our economy moving again," Lawson said. "But I'm sure hearing a lot of retreaded rhetoric that got us into this fiscal hole in the first place.

"I urge my colleagues to put aside inconveniencing the wealthy. This session needs to re-focus on finding real solutions for the real people of this state."