Tallahassee Tea Party

Join the March 19, Courthouse Tea Party .... RSVP to Pace 556.0709 

"Join the Tea Party planning meeting March 11, details below.  This meeting is in preparation for the Tax Tea Party to be held at the Leon County Commission Chambers, 5th floor, Courthouse, Thursday, March 19. Meet at the north ground floor lobby at 5 p.m." Pace

Leon County voters rejected tax funding for a performing arts center once. But, on March 19 commissioners plan to go around voters again.  Commissioner Bob Rackleff says a public referendum "would kill the project."  John Dailey says, "Bed taxes aren't the problem; the industry needs to pay better attention to what it's charging." I say, "It's tea time; time to rein in arrogant public officials." Pace      Click - Proctor talks about arrogance 20 sec

         Audio: Commissioner Rackleff 20 sec      More Audio from Dailey, Desloge & others 

Audio clips of Bill Proctor supporting a referendum to let citizens vote      

"Commissioners Rackleff, Desloge, Dailey and Thaell voted to raise the 5th cent in 2007.  They all also voted against the referendum to allow voters to decide." Pace

Tax Tea Party Pilau Cook-off

Tallahassee Automobile Museum – U.S. 90 East & I-10

Noon, Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Sponsored by taxteaparty.com, Devoe Moore and Pace Allen

You’re invited to lunch and a community discussion about the Leon County Commission’s proposal to increase tax funding for a Tallahassee Performing Arts Center , “PAC”.

Leon County Commissioners advocate increasing the tourist development tax, “bed tax.” Tallahassee Tax Tea Party opposes raising the 5^th cent bed tax.  Advocates of both views will attend and answer your questions.

Leon County Commissioners fully intend to vote to raise the bed tax.  Commissioners Desloge, Dailey, Rackleff and Thaell voted to raise the 5^th cent in 2007 despite voters rejecting tax funding of a performing arts center in 1993.  These commissioners also voted against a public referendum. Millions of tax dollars have been raised and spent for a PAC without voter approval. The only public hearing about raising the 5^th cent will be Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 6 p.m. at the Commission Chambers.

Where’s the Pilau Cook-off?

When’s the Pilau Cook-off?  Noon, Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Menu: Tea & Pilau will be provided at no charge. You’re invited to bring a crock-pot filled with your favorite pilau recipe. But, bringing pilau is not required!  Attendees will taste the pilau selections and vote by “referendum” for their favorite version.  

RSVP to Pace Allen, Jr. at pace@paceallen.us or Mobile phone 556.0709 Please attend the Pilau Cook-off March 11 and the only public hearing March 19.  If you can’t attend, please tell commissioners at www.leonlistens.org not to raise the bed tax.  More Information: www.taxteaparty.com/bedtax

What do commissioners say? www.taxteaparty.com/audio  The Cost of Culture, www.taxteaparty.com/bof

The Leon County Commission wants your input at their Thursday, March 19 meeting.  Commissioners plan to DOUBLE the Tallahassee Culture Tax from 1% to 2%. Come to the meeting or send commissioners your comment at www.leonlistens.org

Click here to go to Ch. 125, Floirda Statutes, "Tourist Bed Tax"

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Click here to go to the Feburary 10, 2009, press conference of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Bed Tax Tax Coalition.  "Now is not the time to raise bed taxes, Don't Eat the Seed Corn."  Pace

Tallahassee Democrat, Editorial Board

Re: Tourism boost or another bait and switch ?

Doubling Tallahassee’s culture tax from 1% to 2% is not about boosting tourism. It’s not about putting visitor “heads in beds” that regenerate the bed tax. It’s not about putting “cheeks in airline seats” either. Adding the state maximum 5^th cent is all about putting tax funded cultured “cheeks in [culture and arts] seats”.  Commissioner Alan Katz has said many times, “There’s a lot of desire by a small group of people to see the [90% Tax Funded] performing arts center [PAC] go forward.” www.taxteaparty.com/audio.

Chairman Desloge acknowledges that the 5th cent is about PAC funding "in the near future." He also claims that he wants public input and a future voter referendum on the PAC, www.taxteaparty.com/audio. If he really wants to know what voters think, he’ll support the Arts & Culture Citizens’ Referendum now, www.taxteaparty.com/events. Voters rejected tax funding for a PAC in 1993, www.taxteaparty.com/bof . But, commissioners have gone around the Tourist Development Council, “T.D.C.” and voters since then to tax millions for the PAC Plan. The Plan has never been approved by voters and many city and county commissioners agree, the PAC may never be built. Let’s not double Tallahassee 's Culture Tax to please “a small group of people with a lot of desire" to go around Leon County voters once again. Now is the time to redirect the 4^th cent currently dedicated to the PAC to valuable “heads in beds” tax regenerating tourism advertising and marketing.

Chairman Desloge, please show citizens that you truly want public input on the PAC issue. Support the Arts & Culture Citizens’ Referendum instead of going around voters and the T.D.C. once again as you, John Dailey and the Tallahassee Democrat Editorial Board attempted to do in 2007.

Leon County voters, please visit www.leonlistens.org. At www.leonlistens.org it’s easy to let commissioners and the T.D.C. know you support putting the Arts & Culture Citizens’ Referendum on the next ballot.  It’s high time for a large group of folks with a lot of desire to again send a clear message to our elected officials. To double or not to double the PAC culture tax?  To redirect or not to redirect the 4^th cent to tax regenerating tourism promotion?  These are the questions. www.taxteaparty.com/bedtax 

No matter how you answer the questions, I invite you to the March meeting of the Arts & Culture Citizens’ Referendum Coalition to be held Wednesday, March 11 at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum .  Call me at 556.0709 to reserve our seat. www.taxteaparty.com/events

Respectfully submitted,

Pace

Pace Allen, Partner, Paden Properties, L.L.C., www.paden.info

Professional Green Property Management

Attorney, www.paceallen.us, Certified Public Accountant

former Chairman, Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

104 West 5^th Avenue , Tallahassee , Florida

Mailing: 1700 North Monroe Street, Suite 11-193, Tallahassee , FL 32303

Telephone: 850.556.0709

Related Links:

The Cost of Culture - Tallahassee Magazine, Audio - Desloge, Dailey, Katz and Others,

Don’t Double the Tallahassee Culture Tax, Upcoming Events – Tallahassee Tax Tea Party, Wait! Don’t Dump Tommy Waits, Tallahassee Arts Rock without Taxes, Let’s Build on our History, Florida Welcome Station, Coonbottom Pilau, Book Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Trees R’ Us Tallahassee, Tallahassee Ecotourism, Minutes of Leon County Tourist Development Council, How Goodwould you like a $300,000 Goodwood Bailout?, Use bed taxes to raise more taxes? , Bed Tax Bait & Switch, Leon County Painless Tax Boil,    If you want more links, simply ask Pace 

Motion Approved Unanimously by the Board of Directors

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association - January 27, 2009

In light of the recent $10 million reduction in Legislative support for the State’s tourism promotion and advertising programs, and the subsequently increased importance of local tourism development efforts funded through existing local-option tourism development and convention development taxes; and

In recognition of clear indications that there will be efforts by some state, county and municipal officials in 2009 to increase and divert these taxes from their intended purposes to mitigate other revenue shortfalls, the Board of Directors of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association formally adopts the following motion.

1) The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) is opposed to any changes in Florida Statutes, Chapters 125.0104 (the Local Option Tourist Development Tax) and 212.0305 (the Convention Development Tax) or to any other action by the Florida Legislature that would either expand the currently-permitted lodging-specific taxes or allow the revenues generated by those taxes to be used for purposes not currently authorized under those statutes; and

2) FRLA is opposed to any action by the county governing bodies which administer these local option taxes that might reduce the funding of critical tourism advertising and promotional activities in order to redirect revenues to programs with less direct impact on the development and support of a strong local tourism economy; and

3) FRLA is committed to playing a leadership role in the newly formed Florida Bed Tax Coalition on behalf of its lodging and restaurant members; and

4) This Board authorizes the President/CEO to act immediately on behalf of our membership to educate the Florida Legislature, local government officials, business leaders and others on the importance of maintaining the integrity of these taxes that have become even more critical to sustaining both our tourism economy and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it supports; and

5) FRLA will support an aggressive effort to lobby on behalf of these issues and hereby authorizes the President/CEO and staff to develop strong public relations, research, advocacy and grassroots lobbying programs in support of these positions; and

6) FRLA will work with its membership and with its national affiliates to enlist the participation of high-profile leaders from the hospitality industry to help spotlight its position and protect the long-term integrity of these dedicated lodging taxes.

"Another Approach to Double Tallahassee's Culture Tax for the 90% Tax Funded TWO HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR Performing Arts Center has taken flight." Pace

Prepare for Another Approach by Bryan Desloge and John Dailey as they join flight with Bob Rackleff, Cliff Thaell and the Tallahassee Democrat Editorial Board.  Lowering taxes is a good fit; raising them doesn't fit. Commissioner Desloge led the effort to fire Guy Thompson and get VisitFlorida Tourism Hall of Famer, Tommy Waits off the Tourist Development Council to change the TDC focus to promoting Cultured Cheeks in [airline & performing arts] Seats instead of Heads in Beds. 

Thompson and Waits did not support doubling culture taxes. Cheeks in Seats expenditures do not regenerate bed taxes. In 2007, Commissioners Desloge, Dailey, Thaell, Rackleff and the Tallahassee Democrat efforts failed to double bed taxes for cultured cheeks in seats.  It's 2009 and they have not given up doubling the Culture Tax. Another Approach to get Seed Corn Eating Cheeks in Seats instead of Tax Regenerating Heads in Beds is has taken flight."    Pace 

Here's what our Leon County Commissioners said at the February 13, 2007 meeting:

Desloge ... You crawl before you walk before you run ... I'm fully behind this...

Daily ... I have been and an advocate of the performing arts center ever since the first discussion ...

Thaell ... I could not go to my grave if I did not support this ... 

Proctor ... I don't want to wade in the water by myself ... [against raising the tax]

Rackleff ...  I've got a book here called The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida ...

Tallahassee Democrat Editorial Board said on January 9, 2007:   ... vote ought to be easy for all seven commissioners to cast ... for a new performing-arts center ...

See "Who Pays $3,200,000 per year Leon County Bed Taxes" below.

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