Quick Guide to the 2012 Florida Amendments – Just Say “No”

By
Bruce Seaman
 – 
October 11, 2012
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This year’s ballot is a mammoth mess for voters thanks to the GOP dominated legislature piling all kinds of nonsense into it. With 11 amendments, impenetrable due to longwinded, complex legalese descriptions intended to befuddle even then most astute, the Marion County ballot runs 4 legal sized pages and will require 65 cents postage to mail back. There is a devious reason for this explained in a previous post. At any rate, make sure to show your appreciation to your GOP legislator(s) for their reckless manipulation of voters.

[Pictured are just pages 2 and 3 of the Marion County ballot.]

Counsel from reliable sources is to simply vote “No” on all 11 amendments. It’s good advice. (Marion County voters should stop for the last ballot question and vote “Yes” for community hospital (Munroe) district bonds, a local matter. Also vote “Yes” to retain the three Florida Supreme Court justices; the campaign against retention is a Tea Party/GOP effort to own the Supreme Court lock, stock, and barrel – see Amendment 5 below.)

Here is a quick rundown on why you should vote “No” on each of the 11 amendments.

1. Health care mandate: This is a settled issue, per the US Supreme Court, and was only put on the ballot to make a political point. It was irrelevant to start off, and has now become completely moot. Vote NO.

2. Extra homestead exemption for combat wounded veterans: Nice idea, but amending the Florida Constitution is silly. The GOP has the majority; just pass the legislation if you’re serious, GOP legislators. Vote NO.

3. Revised caps on government revenue: This is a failed idea (see Colorado) that is part of the right wing inspired Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). Colorado suspended it. Florida already has caps based on somewhat sensible criteria. See the post from 2011 on TABOR here. This is proven dumb. Vote NO.

4. Reduces property tax responsibility primarily for commercial, non-homestead property including second homes. This is an unaffordable giveaway, and adds yet another square to the checkerboard of property tax gimmicks for those of doubtful need. Vote NO.

5. Legislature manages the judiciary: This probably wouldn’t pass constitutional muster anyway. Remember separation of powers, kids? The legislature simply wants to run the judiciary so you could forget separation of powers. Yeah, right. Vote NO.

6. Personal medical decisions by politicians: It would hardly be an election without an abortion item on the ballot. This is useless since federal law already covers this issue. It’s primarily intended to get out the Christian/anti-choice vote. Vote NO.

7. Removed from ballot.

8. Government money for religious institutions: This is a mess. It isn’t needed since faith-based operations can already receive government funding through a separate 501(c)3 non-profit. Authorize diverting funding to private, religious schools? Probably unconstitutional, too, but the GOP clearly hasn’t read that document, eh? Vote NO.

9. Property tax exemption for surviving spouse of veteran or first responder: See the comment on Amendment 2 above. There is simply no reason to amend the bloody constitution for this. Give it a rest, GOP! Vote NO.

10. Extra homestead exemption for seniors: This already exists. It simply needs the county to approve it. Most counties have already done something with it. Marion … nothing. Without some income qualification, a lot of rich seniors will get a much lighter tax ride while you pick up the tab. Vote NO.

11. Bigger homestead exemption for low income seniors: Tired of property/homestead pandering yet? Yeah, me, too. Again, this does not require a constitutional amendment. Vote NO.

12. Different student rep on college Board of Governors: This would replace the existing Florida Student Association rep with a whole new council being formed just to pick a different rep. Really? Is this necessary? No. So what should you do? Vote NO.

There are lots of articles on the amendments, few complimentary. Here is a link to a TBO article providing a quick review of the amendments with links to further articles if you want to dig deeper.

Also, highly recommended is the Florida League of Women Voters Voter Guide to the Amendments which is also blessedly brief – download it here.

Also, download the Progress Florida 2012 Voter Guide.

While you’re at the Progress Florida site, be sure to sign up for Daily Clips so that you’re well informed about all developments in Florida politics.

If you haven’t requested a mail-in ballot, do it now. You do not want to be at the polling place on Election Day where people will actually be trying to read and understand this godawful ballot. In Marion County, call the Supervisor of Elections Office at 620-3290 to make your request.

Posted in 2012 Election, Budget & Taxes, Constitutional Amendements, Florida Legislature, Judiciary & The Courts, Reproductive Rights, Republicans | 13 Comments »

  • Clayton Ellsworth

    Excellant advise . Vote yes on the bottom of the ballot , after the ammendments , For the MRMC bond levy .

    • chupa cabra

      no vote no the ceos are the only ones that benefit 2014 everyone wil have health care just like everyone gas to have insurance no one says nothing bout that and some of it is rediciouless vote no no more self serving boards in charge get a real job the employees use to get bonuses now the ceos get the big bucks thry hant given a raise in three years they sued the leasing comp won alota millions gave the employees the raise they were do but no back pay they kept it for themselfs millions millions budy say noooooooooooooooooooooooo to that bull private better pay no more dinners payed by the employees

  • JanisL

    Thanks for the guidance for the voters, Bruce. All of these revenue-reducing proposals–does anyone think we can afford them in the fiscal state of emergency FL currently finds itself? Do we think that if Romney admonishes us that we can’t afford to “increase” taxes on millionaires (bunk) that in any universe Florida could afford yet less revenue from the giveaways above? Heck, no! It took me about 10 minutes to fill in the mail-in ballot, put it in it’s “privacy sleeve”, seal the envelope, sign on the line, place 65 cents postage on the envelope, and mail. I will call in a few days to the Supervisor of Elections office and verify that they received my ballot and that it COUNTED.

  • John

    LOL! Isn’t there supposed to be an advisory telling us that this ad was approved by the Democratic Party? Best advice: do the opposite of everything Bruce Seaman suggests; he’s nothing but a stooge for the Democratic Party.

    • Jim C.

      Bruce is a MEMBER of the Democratic Party and makes no apologies for it. Furthermore, this blog clearly identifies itself as progressive, and makes no apologies for it. The juvenile “LOL” is on you, doofus. Do us all a big favor and troll someplace else.

    • frharry

      This is a pretty common logical fallacy we observe in our college freshmen called ad hominem attack. Generally, attacking the messenger suggests that one’s intellectual arsenal is empty. As we used to say in law, if you can’t prevail on the facts, argue law. If you can’t prevail on the law, argue policy. If you can’t prevail on policy, call your opponent names.

      • Don

        Harry, as we used to say in grade school: “He started it!” To be brutally objective about this, Mr. Seaman made the first ad hominem attacks in his demeaning remarks about the GOP.

        • Cobra

          Do you even know what an ad hominem attack is? It’s an attack on someone’s person. First, the GOP is not a person. Second, Bruce criticizes the GOP’s decisions and policies throughout the post.

          Finally, anyone who supports the GOP and what they’ve done in the last 20 years is the last person on God’s green earth who is allowed to lecture anyone on ad hominem attacks.

          • Byproxy73

            Cobra, as for the GOP not being a person, I imagine that Mitt Romney might argue that point.

  • Paul

    Typical post from a progressive moron. Hey people – your money is better spent by you! Remember the saying – “he who holds the money has the power.” Morons like this author are telling you to let the state have your money so they can control YOU. Get a life Seaman.

    • Cobra

      Desperation is a very stinky smell, Paul.

    • frharry

      Of course, there is also a saying, “Of him to whom much has been given, much is expected.” Learning to be responsible to one’s society is a value we used to teach our kids in middle school. “It’s all about me” is pre-conventional moral reasoning. It’s expectable in children but we do expect more from adults.

  • Cookieb

    Thanks Bruce – my eyes are now open to the hypocrisy and deviantness (my word) of these pseudo amendments – - it’s going to be so easy to vote today!!! I used to obsess over not understanding all the gobble -de-gook and maybe making the wrong choice and at times I’ve made -YES – NO CHOICE (which was just as bad as. . .)! :-( I don’t just blindly follow anyone’s advice on voting and it really helped that you posted other links (esp the Women Voter’s Voter Guide – they explained it in such plain language that I was like ‘duuuh’ of course this is ‘their’ agenda. . .)! Like this site already. . .!!! GOD Bless Us ALL. . .