Palm Beach County Tax Collector Gannon: Rick Scott’s Record On Taxes Shows He’s Misleading Floridians

Palm Beach County Tax Collector Gannon: Rick Scott’s Record On Taxes Shows He’s Misleading Floridians

In response to Rick Scott’s event today in Palm Beach where he is attempting to mislead Floridians about his record on taxes and the economy, today Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon issued the following statement:

“Unfortunately Rick Scott is once again trying to mislead Floridians about his record: he’s backed proposals that would increase taxes on Floridians in our community and across the state. Instead of being honest about how he’s tried to make working families pay more, Scott is doing what he always does – trying to tell a dishonest story that makes himself look good and advances his own political interests. This is another reminder why Floridians can’t trust him to do what’s right for us.”

Here are the facts: Scott repeatedly backed proposals to force Floridians to pay hundreds of millions of dollars more in property taxes that his fellow Republicans called ‘nonsensical;’ Scott backed the GOP’s health care and tax plans that would cut his own taxes while raising costs for middle class families; and newspapers wrote that any savings Floridians could see from Scott’s tax proposals will be “Eaten Up By Higher Costs For…Everyday Expenses.”

THE REAL RICK SCOTT RECORD ON TAXES: HIGHER TAXES AND FEES ON WORKING FAMILIES WHILE TRYING TO CUT TAXES FOR HIMSELF:

Scott has repeatedly backed proposals to force Floridians to pay hundreds of millions of dollars more in local property taxes, including $450 million in 2017, – a move that drew a rebuke from his fellow Republicans.

• Sun Sentinel Editorial Board: Local Property Tax “Increase” Under Scott More Than Any Tax Cut He Had Passed For Working Families. “Speaking of numbers, Scott will tout the cut in the tax on cellphones, but it will mean a whopping $20 per year. The governor will not talk about the increase in local property taxes for schools that the governor will allow by not lowering the levy known as the Required Local Effort. Since property values are rising, homeowners will pay more than they will save on their cellphone bill.” [Editorial, Sun Sentinel, 6/17/15]

• Bradenton Herald Headline: “Florida House Speaker Tells Gov. Rick Scott, Senate: ‘Hell, No’ On Tax Increase.” “‘The governor has in his budget a $450 million-plus property-tax increase,’ Corcoran told the Herald/Times. ‘That’s a ‘hell, no.’ That’s a ‘hell, no.’ We’re not raising property taxes to fund government waste. We’re not raising taxes on property owners to give it to business owners. It’s a non-starter. It’s nonsensical.’” [Bradenton Herald, 2/23/17]

• Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board Criticized Scott For Having Property Owners Pick Up Education Tab Through “Higher Tax Payments.” “Scott’s proposal would increase spending on public schools by $815 million, but more than half the increase would come from higher tax payments from local property owners. Corcoran is pushing back on this detail, too, vowing that the House won’t agree to ‘raise taxes.’ He’s got a point; while the governor has not proposed increasing the tax rate dedicated to school funding, rising real-estate values mean property owners will pay more if the rate isn’t reduced. If Scott thinks education is a worthy investment – we do – he ought to be willing to acknowledge that he’s counting on property owners to pick up most of the tab. Better yet, legislators could reconfigure his spending plan to reduce or eliminate the hit on property owners.” [Editorial, Orlando Sentinel, 2/3/17]

Scott backed the GOP’s health care agenda and tax scam that would reduce his own taxes, while raising taxes and costs on hardworking Floridians:

• Tampa Bay Times Headline: Gov. Scott would be a big winner under GOP tax plan; AMT and estate tax changes would benefit wealthy governor. “Vice President Mike Pence took the GOP tax cut quest to Orlando on Thursday and promised utopia…The plan would also save money — a ton of it — for the man standing with him, Gov. Rick Scott. Among potential savings for the ultra-rich is an elimination of the alternative minimum tax. Scott’s 2013 tax return shows he paid $339,000 in AMT. A year before he shelled out $360,000. The estate tax would also be phased out after six years, a major boon for Scott, who in 2016 had a net worth of $149 million.”[Tampa Bay Times, 11/2/17]

• Politico: Scott would see big tax savings under Obamacare repeal. “Florida Gov. Rick Scott is urging Congress to keep trying to repeal Obamacare, but he’s not mentioning the personal benefit he would derive: a windfall tax cut of anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000.” [Politico FL, 4/11/17]

Editorial Boards And Independent Observers Slammed Scott’s tax agenda: Any Savings From Scott-Backed Tax Cuts Likely To Be “Eaten Up By Higher Costs For…Everyday Expenses”

• Orlando Sentinel Headline: Floridians’ Purses Pinched As Lawmakers Tout Tax Cuts. [Orlando Sentinel, 7/12/15]
• Orlando Sentinel: Any Savings From Scott-Backed Tax Cuts Likely To Be “Eaten Up By Higher Costs For…Everyday Expenses” Like Increased Health And Property Insurance Costs, Higher Utility Bills. “Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers for both parties are touting cable and phone tax cuts signed into law last month, but many Floridians will likely see those savings eaten up by higher costs for a variety of everyday expenses next year. It will cost slightly more to drive Florida’s Turnpike. The state’s top insurance companies are seeking rate hikes for health and property coverage. State regulators recently allowed Florida Power & Light to pass on to consumers the cost of gas drilling known as fracking. Higher contributions to education funding required by the state will put pressure on county governments’ finances.” [Orlando Sentinel, 7/12/15]

PolitiFact Florida: If “Regular, Taxpaying Floridian,” “Not A Whole Lot” Of Benefit For You From What Scott Touts As Tax Cuts. “If you’re a regular, taxpaying Floridian, there’s not a whole lot here for you…Sales tax holidays can change from year to year, and exemptions are temporary. Tax credits only save you money if you spend it somewhere else, and preventing property appraisals from going up if you improve the property means you still have to improve the property. Ending a fee increase isn’t so much a cut as it is saving people from paying more for something they have to pay anyway, like a hunting or fishing license. And don’t forget that many times, local governments may raise taxes to make up for their own lost revenue.” [PolitiFact Florida, 3/3/15]