Friday, September 19, 2002

THE SUPREME COURT HAS SPOKEN AND THE BATTLE'S OVER!!!!!!!!

GREAT NEWS FOR FLORIDA'S TAXPAYERS
Supreme Court denies jurisdiction on Amendment 5

Statements by:

Steve Evans, Chairman, Florida TaxWatch and
Dominic Calabro, President and CEO, Florida TaxWatch

The removal of Amendment 5 from the November ballot is a great victory for all Florida taxpayers as well as the rule of law and the integrity of Florida's Constitution.

We are pleased to see that Florida's Supreme Court confirms the well reasoned decision of the unanimous decision of the First District Court of Appeal issued Wednesday, September 18, 2002.

The proposed ballot language was misleading, woefully inaccurate and conclusively defective because it would have misled the voters about a radical change in our democratic-republic form of governing - and remove essential checks and balances that protect the rights and freedoms all Floridians.

There are no shortcuts to meaningful reform. We remain convinced it is possible to accomplish real reform without sacrificing critical constitutional protections and the bulwark of our freedoms.

Through our Center for a Competitive Florida we will continue to work toward modernization of the tax system in a way that will meet the state's revenue needs while encouraging a healthy and diversified economy.