We’ve all heard about “trickle-down economics;” that an individual or corporation’s financial success at the top tends to trickle down on lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder thus benefiting, to some degree, those below. The metaphoric equivalent is: “A rising tide lifts all boats.” For conservatives, the efficacy of “Trickle-Down Economics” is not only common […]
By J. Brent Pichard “The art of taxation consists of plucking the goose so as to obtain the most feathers with the least hissing.” ? Jean-Baptiste Colbert The amount of property taxes paid directly by property owners and indirectly by renters and consumers is a function of two components: 1) the market value of each taxable property […]
It was a sad day for Tallahassee, but a political opportunity for Jack Porter. Hours after Tallahassee received the devastating news about JetBlue pulling out of the Capital City, City Commissioner Jack Porter wasted no time in taking the opportunity to further divide the community and score cheap political points. “This news is really unfortunate— […]
By J. Brent Pichard For an engaged citizenry, healthy skepticism about government in general is prudent. Why? Because left to its own devices and unchallenged by vigorous public scrutiny, government at all levels will grow and eventually confiscate – one by one – the wealth and liberties of a complacent people. However, when an agency […]
It may be time that Republican County Chair Evan Power publicly declare Leon County Democratic Chair Ryan Ray as their Most Valuable Republican Secret Agent. What facts suggest such a possibility? For the first time going back to the 1980 Presidential elections (this is as far back as I have voter registration records), Democrats have […]
By J. Brent Pichard Question #1: Why would a conservative Republican stronghold invite three Democrat City Commission candidates to come and ply their political wares, especially when Democrats outnumber Republicans in our town by a 2 to 1 margin? Answer: Because conservatives are responsible, engaged citizens and because the only choice they will have in […]
During my research related to the current controversy over City Commissioner Jack Porter’s failure to disclose information about her travel, I discovered that – unlike the current city policy – a number of other local governments require specific travel expenses for elected officials be approved by their colleagues. In some locations, the expenses related to […]
By John C. Kramner For decades, Florida has been viewed as one of the worst places to do business, mainly because of our litigious justice system. We seemed to be stuck on the annual “Judicial Hellholes” list put out every year by the American Tort Reform Association. That all changed in 2023 when Governor Ron […]
This Wednesday the City Commission will vote to take another step towards placing a referendum on the 2024 general election ballot asking City electors to decide whether the City Charter should be amended to raise the salary of the members of the City Commission. In my view, this is a bad idea. But first the […]
The Florida Legislative session concluded March 8 and while so much progress has been made to restore balance to the tort system in Florida, much remains to be done. Make no mistake about it. Due to the work of the legislature and governor in last year’s legislative session, Florida’s lawsuit culture has improved by leaps […]