Charlie Crist on Tax Reform Republican

2007: lowered property taxes by $33B over 5 years

"We won't let you down," I told a group of public school teachers.

2009: temporary $25 average car fee increase

The 2009 fee hike raised automobile registration fees from approximately $46 to $71, forcing Florida taxpayers to pay an additional $25 on average. Scott recognizes that taking money out of the pockets of Florida's families is the wrong approach to expanding Florida's economy.

Crist says he's glad that Governor Scott got on around to rolling back the fees, and that they were never meant to be permanent.

Double homestead exemption to $50K & taxes drop like a rock

He boasted he would demand that a new law cause property taxes to "drop like a rock." The plan he had advocated as a candidate to double the homestead exemption (a property tax exemption on the first $25,000 of value you could claim on your primary residence) would have reduced property taxes only negligibly. But that hardly mattered to him. His real purpose was to make certain he got the credit for whichever plan passed.

The governor lobbied the senate to pass his plan. The idea polled well, which was why he had proposed it during his campaign. But I criticized it publicly, explaining to the press and anyone who would listen that doubling the homestead most certainly would not make property taxes "drop like a rock."

Pushed moderate property tax relief instead of 1.35% cap

Crist came up with a rival plank and the two sparred in dueling media statements. Later that year Rubio tried another approach suggesting setting a low cap of 1.35% on property tax rates. Neither of Rubio's proposals became law, leaving him visibly frustrated. Although Rubio was unsuccessful in selling his property tax proposals, the legislature and Crist did eventually agree to modest tax relief.

Extend the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers

Reduce the tax brackets to let private enterprise flourish

RUBIO: That program would have eliminated property taxes for all sorts of people. And it was supported by Jeb Bush.

2006: Pledged no taxes; 2009: $2.2B in fees on 16M people

CRIST: No, I don't think I did, and I'll tell you why. The only part of it that was a tax--and it's loosely defined as a tax--was on cigarettes. And I would argue that that's a user fee. If you don't use them, you don't pay it.

Q: But you also signed into law higher fees on drivers' licenses and on motor vehicle registration, motor vehicle tags. You said these aren't broad-based taxes. Governor, 16 million people are drivers in Florida. That's a pretty broad-based tax, isn't it?

Source: Fox News Sunday 2010 Florida primary Senate debate , Mar 28, 2010

Reduce property taxes by doubling homestead exemption

Replace income tax with a flat tax or national sales tax

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support eliminating the Internal Revenue Service?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support instituting a national sales tax?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support requiring a super-majority vote in both houses of Congress to raise taxes?

A: Yes.

Best to extend all tax cuts; but compromise and push later

Meek defended Obama's economic strategy. "There were surpluses," he said. "There are no longer surpluses. So we're digging a deeper hole. And what Rubio and also Crist are representing, let's continue to dig, and trickle-down economics will work for the middle class in creating jobs."

Crist, running as an independent, straddled the positions of his rivals, supporting a compromise on the tax cuts. "I want all the tax cuts extended, but sometimes you've got to give relief to the people and they deserve it now," Crist said. "If there's a way to go ahead and do that in the short term and then after January to push for the other tax cuts, that's what I think the real solution is."

Supports increasing income tax rates.

The Christian Coalition Voter Guide inferred whether candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'Increase Federal Income Taxes or Income Tax Rates' The Christian Coalition notes, "You can help make sure that voters have the facts BEFORE they cast their votes. We have surveyed candidates in the most competitive congressional races on the issues that are important to conservatives."

$12B in federal economic stimulus as state block grants.

The nation's governors urge you to include state countercyclical funding as part of your legislation to stimulate the economy. This would include $6 billion in Medicaid assistance by freezing scheduled federal FMAP reductions and increasing all states' F Congress approved $20 billion in assistance to states, including $10 billion in Medicaid and $10 billion in block grants. The governors' current stimulus proposal is essentially the same, with the exception that it is a total of $12 billion as opposed to $20 billion. This proposal can be enacted quickly, as there is precedent and it is timely, temporary and targeted.

Additionally, governors appreciate federal efforts to use tax policy to get additional money into the hands of consumers and businesses to stimulate the economy. When considering tax changes to spur economic growth, governors urge Congress and the Administration to follow the maxim of "Do no harm" by avoiding changes at the federal level that would diminish state tax revenues or force state actions that would undermine the effectiveness of federal efforts.

We look forward to working with you to enact the appropriate stimulus program.