LOWER SALES TAX RATE TO 2%

Question: How can the Florida Department of Revenue increase income by lowering sales tax to 2%?

Answer: Tax goods AND services.

You, no doubt, have had work done on your car, or maybe to your home, in which the price of the labor was higher than the price of the parts used in the repair. Yet you had to pay sales tax on both goods AND services.

In my business I sometimes have not even charged the customer for a $2.00 part used in a $100.00 repair job in order to not have to charge the sales tax. Perhaps I am breaking the law.

But the decision would be much easier if all services were taxed at the same rate as goods - a low 2% rate.

To make it work, the taxing would have to be applied to ALL services, whether repairs, or consulting, or educational, or health care. I believe that by doing this the state revenues would actually INCREASE at this lower rate. I understand that each special interest group would want to be exempted, but the state must be firm.

It would be necessary to hire more Dept. of Revenue employees to handle the increased work load. Also, it would be necessary to launch a public awareness campaign for both business owners and customers.

The business owners would have to make sure they are duly registered with the Dept. of Revenue as a legitimate businesses. No more "under the table" businesses.

Customers would have to insist on receiving a proper receipt from businesses on which the Florida Tax Number is shown. They would actually be part of the policing effort to make sure all businesses are legitimate.

I'm sure it would "ruffle some feathers" in the beginning, but considering the fairness of application to all and the low rate, it should become a workable plan.

RUN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN

I urge our president to make the following announcement:

"Even though today the United States must be considered a secular nation, it is a country whose Christian heritage has affected many of its policies. One of those policies is to place a high value on human life, especially that of women and children. Our enemies have frequently taken advantage of this by using women and children as human shields while they meet and plot ways to destroy us, or even while they are engaged in active combat operations.

As of today, we have a new policy. America will no longer allow our enemies to be safe by hiding behind their women and children. We will now place a higher value on our own lives than the lives of the women and children who are used, even though unwillingly, to protect those whose evil plans seek to destroy us.

Women and children in Afghanistan and Iraq, and any other country where Americans may be engaged in active missions to help you gain your freedom, be advised of this: Whenever you see your men meeting to plot evil against us, RUN. Get as far away from those men as possible. Because if we find out they are meeting to make plans against us, we will destroy them.

Yes, we know that they will threaten to kill or hurt you if you leave them. But please realize that the future safety and freedom of women and children in your country is more important than the temporary safety you may feel by listening to their threats.

Make this announcement known widely throughout your land. Tell it in the marketplaces and in the schools and in the mosques. Yes, we would like to protect women and children. We have nothing against you personally. But your men will use and abuse you for their evil ends. We must protect our own people first. In that way we will be able to more quickly free your land of the evil men who would hold you in bondage and fear. Remember - when you see them meeting to make evil plans, RUN!"