Dear editor,
In November, voters across Florida will be asked to vote on three amendments to our state Constitution.
Amendment One states that “Effective on July 1 of the year following this amendment by the voters, and for a period of 20 years after that effective date, the Land Acquisition Trust Fund shall receive no less than 33 percent of net revenues from the existing excise tax on documents, as defined in the statutes in effect …”
These funds will be used to buy conservation land.
People, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, government-owned land already accounts for nearly 30 percent of our state. Now, the state wants to set aside an estimated $500 million per year to turn more private land into public land, which will generate less tax revenue.
Guess who will pick up that lack of revenue. You know who — we the taxpayers!
Even if you think that turning more land over to the state government is a good idea, does it make sense to put it in our Constitution and take it out of the hands of the people we elect to represent us in budgetary matters — our state Legislature?
Oh, by the way, not only would we be taking it out of the hands of our elected officials, but we would be doing so for 20 years!
Read up on this amendment, vote no, and allow our Legislature to do their job and “We, the People," to keep our hard-earned property.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Stop the Florida land grab