It was another impressively attended meeting of the Flagler County Tea Party Group Tuesday evening. More than 250 people filled Flagler Palm Coast high School’s Dog House Café, including political candidates trolling for votes (among them John Fischer, the local school board candidate, and Joe Horrox, running for circuit judge). The main attraction was the debate over the so-called “economic development tax”—Enterprise Flagler’s hobbling tax-and-build plan that would levy a tax on property owners and use $2 million a year in revenue to build industrial buildings that might attract businesses to the county.
The debate featured Enterprise Flagler’s Michael Chiumento III and Greg Rawls against the tea party’s Vince Liguori, the activist who’d rather see the county commission approve a sales tax and split twice the revenue between the county and the cities. (Enterprise Flagler’s proposal would have its revenue administered by the county.)
Click On:
- Its Initiative in Flames, Enterprise Flagler Hands Tax-and-Build Plan’s Fate to Tea Party
- Memo To Enterprise Flagler: Why Your Tax Plan Is Fumbling (and What To Do About It)
- Enterprise Flagler’s Economic Tax “Game Plan”: More Details, More Questions
- How the Chamber’s Tax Proposal Undermines Schools, Cities and the County
- The Flagler County Tea Party Group
- Why Tea Parties Are More Bunkers than Bunker Hill
- Tea Party Throng Fills FPC’s Dawg House Cafe
The evening was to end with a straw ballot on the issue, giving Enterprise Flagler a sense of how well, or how badly, its measure was doing ahead of the November 2 referendum. Enterprise Flagler opted for that straw-ballot route at its meeting last week, and Tom Lawrence, the local tea party chairman, agreed.
But there was no vote. Just before the meeting at the high school, Lawrence said the voting was canceled. After talking about it last week, Lawrence said, he received a lot of “feedback” suggesting that a vote ran against the tea party’s intention to steer clear of endorsements.
Not that a vote was necessary to know where the tea party crowds stood, or rather sat, on the issue: when Chiumento and Rawls made their presentations, the silence was polite, the applause absent, the gray congregation approximating nap time. When Liguori spoke, life returned to the congregants, Liguori was interrupted several times with applause, and during the Q&A afterward, the only times the crowd erupted was in opposition to the Enterprise Flagler plan—on every count: there was displeasure over the plan’s vagueness, over the exclusion of the public, over the absence of proof that building a structure would attract anyone. What, in sum, have become the usual plaints against a plan that’s never made it out of the neonatal intensive care unit.
“If you build this building, they will come?” one woman asked, to laughter.
“Companies put together a five-year plan. They don’t come down to your county and say I need a building, and I need it right now,” Bill McGuire, a retired executive, said. “What we’re all about and what we should be about is tourism,” not building BMWs, he added.
“This is not only about building a facility and hoping that somebody comes,” Chiumento said, describing the building component as “the farthest thing from the truth.” Rather, he said, it’s about recalibrating the local economy, the local workforce included, and helping local businesses stay here. Again, however, it’s unclear how the small amount of money the tax would raise would achieve all that, legally or financially: the measure sets out, precisely, the proportions that must be spent on infrastructure exclusively (60 percent) as opposed to marketing (up to 10 percent) and tax incentives (up to 30 percent).
Still, it was a stoic performance for Rawls and Chiumento–Chiumento especially. He’s been the face of the economic development tax. He’s also a lawyer trained to read juries. This one was an open, large-print book.
There was plenty of doubt over local government planning of the commercial economy, too. Liguori mentioned three developments and developers that got the crowd’s disapproving recognition: Ginn, European Village and City Walk. “Somebody is not doing their proper planning, are they,” Liguori said.
The question-and-answer period ran longer than the two sides’ presentations. More than a dozen people asked questions or made comments. Virtually no one spoke in favor of Enterprise Flagler or its plan, or asked questions that indicated more than skepticism. Most spoke approvingly of the notion of economic development, but not the type the Enterprise Flagler measure was putting forward. The notion that people were there to educate themselves on the issue was put to rest. Minds are not in flux at tea party meetings, where people gather to revel in their mutual certainties, not to explore ideas.
“I’m not going to pay one cent more on my property taxes,” one woman said, claiming the Q&A microphone for what seemed like an entire presentation of her own. “I’m sick and tired of people coming to me to take my property tax, that ain’t going to happen to me.” She was roundly applauded. Tea party meetings, of course, are not much concerned with fact, either, especially the sort of facts that contradict their mythology.
The applauded woman was Anne Martone, who’s also complained to the Palm Coast City Council about taxes. You’d never know that her taxes have gone down each of the last four years, and will go down again this year. She paid $1,404 in taxes in 2006, when her house was valued at $114,000. She was down to paying $957 this year, with her house value down to $94,000. In 2010 she’ll be paying taxes on just $31,000, so her property taxes will most likely fall again even as the the county tax rate will rise, and would likely fall even if the “economic development” tax was tacked on.
Precision and transparency, however, as Enterprise Flagler itself is learning, doesn’t score as high as sloganeering.
Carmine Pantuso says
Palm Coast, Florida
Enterprise Flagler wants tax dollars to support private business. Government is not the answer. We tried tax breaks for the Ginn Hanger and Cakes Across America we all no how that turned out.
Los Angeles spent 111,000,000 and saved or created 55 jobs need I say more. Vote NO Palm Coast.
Carmine Pantuso, Realtor Watson Realty Corp.
Charlie says
Once again, criticism and not one suggestion of how we reduce unemployment in Flagler. Can you spell IMPLOSION?? Can you spell, GREATER TAXES NEXT YEAR?
What The? says
If Palm Coast City Council would allow businesses to come to Palm Coast, such as the Wal Mart distribution center. Or how quickly do we forget that they have pushed many good companies away from Palm Coast.
Barney Smythe says
Let Enterprise Flagler go private. They’ll be closing their doors in a month! Why should tax payers keep this stone around our necks??/
wsh302 says
i agree with What The said and i think what all that happened in this country during the past several years, people do not trust bankers and lawyers anymore. i know the trust has gone out of my life with these people
Dorothea says
Thanks for bringing to light the actual property taxes paid by Anne Martone. Ms. Martone, Tea Party member, publicly makes statements at local government meetings that her property taxes are going up and she’s going broke as a result. Her speeches (whines) are followed by hearty applause from her fellow tea-baggers. Seems that Ms. Martone is not telling the truth. I wonder just how many of her fellow tea party whiners are also making up stories about their so-called rising and exhorbitant property taxes.
George says
@Barney: Enterprise Flagler is a private entity funded in part by tax dollars, it’s an example of what most anti-government people say the private sector can do better than the local government, but in this case a big fat fail by Enterprise Flagler a private sector organization.
Liana G says
A Wal-mart distribution center in PC? er no thanks! Please no more dead end jobs ! Or our high schoolers won’t be motivated to graduate HS let alone go to college / technical school. Quality jobs for an educated workforce is what we should be striving for!
Dave J says
You know what is sad is that Anne Martone is the quintessential face of the Tea Party. They, the “tea party” have prospered with their State jobs and have brought their state pensions to our community. And she and the other tea partiers say they hell with everyone else.
Currently we have had the highest unemployment in the State for over two years. Young and middle class families, the “working class” are losing their home for the lack on jobs, we have over 150 Flagler County students living in fosters homes because their parents are homeless, they lost their home, and all Anne can say I am taxed enough.
You know I didn’t hear one word from Anne or the Tea Party over the past thirty years when this Country was racking up debt and State and Federal Governments were providing unsustainable pensions. Of course not they were benefiting from this irresponsible behavior.
And what is sadder is the tea party’s definition of economic development is having more restaurants and shopping. Vince has said, “We need economic development such as restaurants, shopping and a new community center”. Who is Vince thinking about, himself or others? Is he going to tell his kids or grandkids come to Palm Coast you can serve me my dinner at Olive Garden? Vince and the Tea Party were so giddy and excited when Olive Garden announce they were coming to Palm coast; that was a big economic win for THEM. How do you raise a family or pay a mortgage on those wages?
If this initiative passed Anne Martone contribution (tax) would be $7.82 for the YEAR. I bet she spends more on one early bird, blue plate special at Bob Evan’s! You know the Tea Party’s parents were call the greatest generation because of their selflessness during the trying times of the 1930-1940’s. Too bad the greatest generation raised a bunch of selfish and entitled children. The tea party generation should be called “The most selfish generation”.
Mrs. Martone may I have a piece of cake?
Paul Kelly says
Your article on the 9/21/10 Flagler Tea Party meeting is a bunch of “one sided” diatribe! This article makes the good citizens that have had it with taxes look like denizens of Sherwood Forest, without a Robin Hood! Just because some of us are questioning the Enterprise Flagler project’s viability doesn’t make us greedy old monsters! Most of us in the Tea Party are newcomers to political activism, having spent the bulk of our existence earning a living, raising families, participating in our communities and paying local, State and Federal taxes in our communities of origin and here in Florida. I for one, resent the wise cracks in this article demeaning older people! I thought we were trying to rid our community of ALL biases? My personal observation, as a participant at the meeting, was that there was a healthy exchange of ideas occurred. It was not a flawless meeting, by any stretch, but it was a good start! Both sides presented their respective plans and allowed for dialogue. Some folks got side tracked when it was their turn to talk, and took the opportunity to air personal concerns related to taxation. Again, we are still learning, and not yet ensconced in the niceties of “Robert’s Rules”! Mea Culpa, if any journalists were offended! The mechanics of our Tea Party meetings are not the main focus of the Movement! Our most important purpose is to put all politicians, local, State and Federal, on notice that, “WE, THE PEOPLE”, regardless of a perceived “lack of sophistication”, will be coming to assess and evaluate all elected representatives, as well as those who seek to represent us! Now, if you will excuse me, it’s time for my nap!
Can you hear my cry?? says
We need manufacturing to come to our area and throughout this nation. We have outsourced enough! We don’t make anything anymore. We buy from many different countries. Who is buying from us? I don’t care about Enterprise Flagler and their motives and I don’t care about the Tea Party. I am one of the middle aged persons in your county that is educated and putting my children through school here. I am unable to get a job!!! I am frustrated, depressed, and all everyone is doing is fighting. Please, please, please if anyone can hear me get industry in here. We have educated people just no employment. Don’t bring in low paying industries here either. It is very expensive to live in this county. One blogger is correct, many of our children in this county are in great need. I am very thankful to God it isn’t my children yet.
upset says
HEY PAUL: VERY WELL PUT…
Cindy says
I agree with Dave that the working class have it the toughest right now. The tax is minimal and if it helps bring companies here that can offer 25, 50, or a hundred jobs, lets grab them. The median age at the tea party meeting was retirees. It would be important for this generation to keep in mind that restaurants can not stay in business if there are not enough people that have disposable income to frequent them (case in point: Barbara Jeans closing). What about utilizing some of the money to re-train out-of-work tradespeople for high tech jobs? We won’t know it works unless we try.
Tim M says
wow I must say this very disappointing. I see all the good things that is happening nationally with the tea party: Alaska, Kentucky, Arizona, and Delaware and it bring backs hope that we maybe about to right this country to rid of these career politicians that are bankrupting our country. To get back to a limited federal government; to build an economy based on building stuff instead of an economy based on shuffling paper.
And here we have the local tea party who sees their local economy burning to the ground and all they can say don’t raise my taxes and bring me more restaurants?
This country in store for some painful changes to correct the damages caused by the years of apathy by its citizens and the progressivism of it elected officials.
And as in all cultures the community is going to it’s elders to help lead during these changes.
Note to the local tea party this movement is not about your individual interest; you need to “man up” and help lead this community!
George says
Attract a Green tech company, offer incentives, subsidies, etc. to retrain the current out-of-work workforce (i.e. construction workers, tradesmen, etc.), that’s what Flagler County needs. China is investing heavily in green tech and they are now reaping the rewards as a result, they are leading the U.S. in this endeavor.
Fred Macfee says
Both speakers seemed to agree that funding economic development was a critical need. If is is so critical why have our county and city governments only contributed a token amount to this effort?
It was also stated that individuals receive services worth $1.34 for every tax dollar paid; business receives only $.28. Don’t you think businesses know this? Do you suppose that is the reason businesses aren’t attracted to our area?
I am voiting no on this measure. This seems to me to be giving a big checking account to the same powers that got us where we are today.
Fed Up says
After all these years and you still don’t understand how government functions do you?
Once elected the first priority is to get re-elected and spending every tax dollars that comes in plus is sop>>>they never start with zero and build a budget…they begin with last years amount and go up….and then make sure they spend every dollar in thier budget before the end of the budget year so they can justify next years increase regardless if they need it or not…
John Inc says
Here’s a suggestion for reducing unemployment in Flagler County: FOCUS ON SMALL BUSINESS. I have been saying this for over two years – no one is listening… except maybe the Kaufman Foundation who published this: http://www.kauffman.org/uploadedFiles/firm_formation_importance_of_startups.pdf
Small business is the key to reducing unemployment. Moreover, where small business succeeds, big business will follow. It’s all about reaching out to small business, finding ways to assist them and their success, and provinding access to meaningful education. Flagler County had the means for forming a Small Buisiness Advisory Council – they repealed it despite my urging exactly the opposite (Section 1 of Ord. No. 2010-06, adopted March 1, 2010, repealed Div. 4 in its entirety. Former Div. 4 pertained to the small business council). Only one commissioner gave it any thought, but she pushed it off to the Chamber. I spoke with the Chamber about forming an advisory Board, only to find that they were more interested in my becoming a Chamber member than going forward in a meanginful way with this idea. Odly, I am a member of the Chamber but was not recognized as such at my meeting. The leadership of this country is obviously lost on the issues of building business and reducing unemployment – if they were not, we would not be in the situation that we are now. And moreover, they seem less interested in accepting help to make things better – if they were then at least one of the people that I contacted in Palm Coast administration, County COmmissioners, or the Chamber would have taken me seriously.
John Inc says
I meant county not country in my post.
Tim M says
Looks like the chamber and enterprise do help local businesses. Half of the projects they worked on were helping local businesses expand (flagersnewgameplan.com) I think it would be goofy to say the Chamber and enterprise do not care about local businesses, but maybe I am wrong.
John Inc says
Just so everyone understands: a retail based economy is a downward spiral – the retailers must always pay out less than they take in to survive; a “big business” economy means businesses must always pay out of town financial interests (Walmart must pay its home base, etc.); and giving away manufacturing facilities is a guaranteed expenditure of taxpayer funds but no guarantee of jobs.
We know that development of a Free Trade Zone (of which an area of Flagler has been designated) has been shown to dramatically increase the flow of money in an area – just ask Dade County, whose western region (Kendall and Doral) expanded faster than their infrastructure could handle as a result of the surprising level of economic activity, due in part to their free trade zone. Didn’t you know we have a free trade zone waiting to be made active and developed right here in Flagler? Probably not because the efforts to make that happen seem to be in the back burner rather than the fore.
So there’s two big and plausible ideas given to you in one day to decrease unemployment and increase jobs in our area. Let it not be said that we are complainers without solid ideas. If only the powers that be will stop thinking of themselves as the answer and accept assistance from the local talent, we might actually have some improvements around here.
And that “flaglersnewgameplan.com” – its a great example of wind without a melody. We should fire Enterprise Flagler and hire the web designer – if they can make nothing look that good, they could probably get some business into our area.
Layla Hansen says
To those of you who missed this forum, it was great. This local citizen learned a lot about what Enterprise Flager is trying to do and I learned even more about local and county taxes. Congratulations to all for putting this on. Have not seen anything else like it in the county.
I don’t understand the personal attacks against the local TEA Party. They at least are attempting to get involved and do something about our situation. How many others can say the same?
Thanks for covering this. I’ll stick with the Tea Party.
George says
@ local teabaggers: could you communicate to your national tea party counterparts to take the time to inform themselves as well?
Sammy says
Ive got some good party ideas from this. Halloween is going be a scary one! Thank you