Reading about Katherine Harris's bid for the Senate reminds me about the deteriorating state of the state of Florida. As its politics become more conservative, the environment, the educational system, and the infrastructure have fallen into decline.
I see a parallel between Florida in 2006/2008 and Colorado in 2004. The anti-tax forces have gutted the infrastructure of the state. But we need leadership to make the people realize that they need to change course.
I think we ought to make a progressive stand in Florida. We frankly don't have much to lose at this point, since the GOP controls the entire state government.
Some starting points for a platform:
*Institute a 2-4% state income tax for families with incomes above $100,000, with proceeds to be used to meet voter-approved educational spending levels, and reduce the sales tax
*Challenge agribusiness special interests, and focus upon phosphorous run-off from the Everglades and its contribution to "red tide"
Florida Issues
Florida has a regressive tax policy with no state income tax. Instead, it relies heavily upon sales taxes. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy notes:
Florida's Tax Code: Soak the Poor and Middle Class, Spare the Wealthy
When all Florida taxes are totaled up, the study found that:
# The state and local tax rate on the best off one percent of Florida families--with average incomes of $946,000--is 3.0% before accounting for the tax savings from federal itemized deductions. After the federal offset, the effective tax rate is a mere 2.7%.
# The average tax rate on families in the middle of the income distribution--those earningbetween $24,000 and $38,000--is 9.9%. After a trivial federal offset, the rate is 9.8%, three times the effective rate on the richest Floridians.
# But the tax rate on the poorest Florida families--those earning less than $15,000--is the highest of all. At a whopping 14.4% it is more than five times the effective rate on the wealthiest Florida families. The study found that Florida's taxes are particularly regressive because the state lacks abroad based income tax and instead relies primarily on an extremely high sales tax to fund public services.
Furthermore, the lack of an income tax handcuffs the government to an inadequate revenue base. Florida is ranked 43rd in educational spending, and 40th in educational achievement. And the problems in the child welfare system (Florida DCF) are well-documented.
Instituting a modest income tax on high-income families is a starting point. The specifics obviously need to be up for further debate.
Likewise, environmental issues are another opportunity. The state's aquifers are being depleted rapidly, although this issue is harder to explain to the voter. The obvious environmental issue is "red tide."
From the Palm Beach Post:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2005/05/22/m1a_redtide_0522.html
ANNA MARIA ISLAND -- Ed Chiles, who runs three waterside restaurants near here, watched and worried as toxic "red tide" bloom washed ashore this winter and the air started to sting.
Chiles, son of the late governor, Lawton Chiles, remembers his throat growing raspy and his eyes beginning to burn. And not just his, but some of his customers.
"When it gets bad, it can ruin your business," Chiles says. "It is potentially devastating."
Red tide is a natural seaborne bloom that, in large quantities, kills fish, sweeping them ashore and littering beaches. It also kills manatees, at least 46 this year. Lastly, it unleashes toxic gases that cause coughing, running noses and respiratory problems in humans.
That means big trouble for the large tourism business in Southwest Florida, from Tampa Bay down to Captiva and Sanibel.
The bloom is natural to the Gulf of Mexico, scientists say. But lately, local entrepreneurs and residents say it is growing worse.
That has led the tourism industry to raise questions, including one very prickly issue: Does runoff water, rich with fertilizers, most of them from agricultural operations inland, cause the bloom to be stronger and more frequent along the coast?
"We're not accusing agriculture, but we want research done," Chiles says. "We want it studied and without regard to whose ox gets gored."
Even worse, the federal government is planning a massive release of fertilizer-polluted water from Lake Okeechobee in fall 2005, and it will flow directly through SW Florida. The "red tide" is likely to get worse.
There has to be an opportunity for a progressive candidate to fight for the average homeowner or small business owner against the agribusiness lobby in Tallahassee.
The Political Calculus
Now, proposing a new tax and fighting big business is a bold, risky move. But we need to realize that our past defeats have been driven by caution and weakness.
But, I would argue that this platform undercuts the GOP in three ways.
*Highlights their ties to "special interests." Blame the "red tide" on GOP donors.
*An income tax for education and children appeals to married couples with children. (GOP base voters) I personally know several couples that are thinking of leaving Florida because the public schools are such a disgrace.
*An environmental platform focused upon "red tide" and Lake Okeechobee appeals to SW Florida, which bears the brunt of the problem. This region (stretching from Sarasota to Naples) is rock-solid GOP territory.