Tax or Fee?

"Is it a fee or just another way for our elected officials to impose tax increases on the public?" Consumer taxes, fees and franchise fees have increased dramatically in the last several years. Compare the "fees & taxes" on your electric bill, phone bills (cell & land-line), some water bills, cable bills, satellite bills, etc. and take notice of the increases that have occurred over the last several years. The biggest increase to-date was seen on our phone bills, until yesterday. Has anyone dared to look at their electric bill this month? Mine had a fuel adjustment charge of $101.10 which was higher than the charge for the actual energy consumed, plus a $5.16 FL gross receipts tax. And if anyone lives or owns a business in the City of Brooksville, please do not forget the Municipal Franchise Fee, the Municipal Utility Tax, and the sales tax added on to your monthly utility bills. Mom and Pop, who are having trouble making ends meet, are being faced with these increases every day, from the county level to the federal level, imposed on their basic living expenses. Tuesday, an article came out in the Sun-Sentinal that may signal relief for all of us, in reference to these fees in the upcoming Florida Legislative session. Incumbents on both side of the aisle are becoming concerned about voters venting their anger at the polls in 2006 by casting ballots based on their empty pocketbooks. The GOP is concerned that these fee increases will overshadow the tax reductions seen during their control over the Legislature during Governor Jeb Bush's term since 1999. "Senator Nancy Argenziano, R-Dunnellon, said any attempt to campaign as a tax-cutter will fall flat when Floridians, particularly politically active seniors, are struggling to meet monthly expenses."People will just see us as hypocrites," Argenziano said. "Floridians can't take much more of this, and I just wish some of my colleagues could understand what we are doing to average people." Even though Florida has no state income tax system we, as citizens, are feeling the pinch of increases everyday in our household budgets. Nancy Argenziano needs to be commended on her statements, recognizing that fees are just another way to raise our taxes. A novel thought that the Florida Legislature and elected county commissioners may consider when compiling budgets this year is to just spend less tax money.

*Senator Argenziano quote taken from the Sun-Sentinal article, dated January 3, 2006