Governor Undecided on Campaigning for Amendment 5

Governor Charlie Crist gave more lip service to a massive tax swap plan, but says he still hasn’t decided whether to campaign for the ballot proposal known as Amendment 5.

For at least two months Crist has been saying he supports the proposed state constitutional amendment, which will be on the November ballot if it survives a legal challenge.

He spoke out again for Amendment 5 at one of his periodic “Tallahassee Tuesday” meetings with constituent groups. This time the group was made up of business people. But, Crist remained noncommittal on his role in the campaign.

Amendment 5 would cut property taxes about 25 percent for all property owners, not just homeowners, by eliminating most school taxes. It would also require the state to replace that money - currently about $8 billion a year - through various means including a sales tax increase and spending cuts.

Crist has been scheduling meetings with business leaders to get a better idea of what needs to be done to jump start the state’s economy.

The very group Crist invited to the Governor’s Mansion to talk about the state’s sagging economy is sharply split on Amendment 5.

The slumping real estate industry sees it as a vital economic stimulus and has pledged to spend at least $1 million to pass it. Many other business groups, though, oppose it because they’re afraid of new taxes of other kinds, especially a tax on services, to replace the property tax cuts.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)