Deep Six Amendment 5

Will the State of Florida ever be rid of the influence of Jeb Bush? He’s gone but not forgotten and maintains a political force but boy there are many citizens very pleased that his Taxation and Budget Reform Committee (TBRC) may have struck out with an attempt to again, and further undermine the future of the state’s educational system.

I suppose he and his 25 puppies assumed current residents are as dumb as today’s students would be if Amendment 5 were placed on the November General Election Ballot.

The decision of Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper to keep the initiative from being decided by voters was a big blow to construction influences, including builders, real estate brokers, county property appraisers and a whole slew of other supporting businesses.

Actually, Gov. Charlie Crist last year appointed 11 of the current board members and Senate President Ken Pruitt and Speaker of the House Marco Rubio each selecting 7 members. An additional 4 non-voting members of influence in the Florida Legislature, split equally between the two political parties, round out the group of 29 decision-making individuals. Many of these people were followers of Jeb Bush during his two-term, too long a period as governor.

Amendment 5 would have reduced school taxes by 25-40% and replaced with a penny sales tax and reviewing the tax-exempt status of various services, which is believed to possibly bring in $4B but a far cry from lost funds that estimated to be in excess of $10B. There’s also some doubt that if the Amendment were placed on the ballot it wouldn’t pass the required 60% voter approval.

The Amendment would also put a cap on non-homestead properties at 5% assessment value from the 10% currently level.

If the Amendment passes the expected appeal, more would be at stake than just lost funding. If the construction business were to miraculously come bounding back and add more children to the school system, additional funds wouldn’t likely be available. It’s not likely that the Florida Legislature would take the action to replace lost funds by cutting moneys allocated to other budget programs.

School boards, superintendents, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, among other interested parties, made the appeal that challenged the wording of the Amendment. Another opponent is the Associated Industries of Florida, whose mission statement includes the goal “To promote the general welfare and prosperity of the commonwealth of Florida as a whole.” Silly me, I thought that’s what we voters elected our officials to do!

Florida residents want reduced taxes but it would be a sad day for education in Florida if the Amendment eventually appears on the ballot and passes. When teachers are given little choice but to teach to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) standards; when extra curricular activities are suspended to provide additional time to prepare students for the test; when financial bonuses are given to schools that have a passing grade or improve their scores; when parents and teachers view the test as a hindrance and a poor judgment of student achievements; when all of these items are considered, FCAT’s own failure as a learning tool is demonstrated by Florida’s education rating level last among the 50 states.

A senior having failed the FCAT three times has the option of using scores from the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). Another option is to pass Florida’s Common Placement Test (CPT), which is required for entrance to any community college or state university.

Of course, there’s that other acronym: GED.

For now, Amendment 5 has been given the Deep 6 by the grace of a Leon County Circuit Judge. Will the sound of the judge's gavel on the block reverberate through Election Day or will it be silenced by the decision of a higher judicial official?

Is there anything Judge Cooper can do about the placing the Florida Hometown Democracy on the November ballot. All he's have to do is allow all petitions be counted that had been submitted by the deadline of February 1?