A Florida sales tax cut would bring unpleasant service cuts
Last Wednesday, the Florida House unanimously passed legislation to permanently reduce the state's general sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25%. The measure also includes corresponding 0.75 percentage point reductions for several other taxes, including those on commercial rents, electricity, mobile home sales and amusement machines.
If signed into law, the rate changes will take effect on July 1 and are projected to reduce state general revenue by $4.89 billion annually and local government revenue by more than $500 million.
Sure, we all want to pay fewer taxes, but how do we run our state and municipal governments, pay for infrastructure improvements, police, fire, air and water quality efforts, education (now that the U.S. Department of Education has been gutted) and many other services that citizens expect government to furnish, when we are sucking air on providing these services today, before a tax cut?
Florida is already nearing the red ink over storm coverage, to the extent that Citizens Insurance Florida can barely cover existing losses, while private carriers are threatening to bail on Florida — again.
George Lipp,
Cooper City
Depressing thought
Anyone who has studied economics at the college level knows what a tariff is along with its negative effects. In 1930, Republican Sen. Reed Smoot and Republican Rep. Willis C. Hawley, backed by a Republican congress, passed the now infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which raised tariffs on more than 20,000 imported goods.
The act spurred retaliatory actions by many nations and was a major factor in reducing imports to the U.S. during the Great Depression. Economists and economic historians alike agreed unanimously that the passage of this act worsened the effects of the Great Depression, hurting every sector of the U.S. population.
Against the backdrop of this history lesson, President Donald J. Trump has unleashed an economic monster set to destroy economies and relationships across the globe — all at the expense of Americans and people of other nations who will surely feel the pain.
Edward Blanco,
Cutler Bay
Deportation details
News articles about the recent deportation of people from the U.S. to prisons in El Salvador referred to an agreement between both countries to accept the deportees.
What kind of agreement is that? Is the U.S. paying the CECOT (Terrorism Confinement Center) prison to keep these people?
Is El Salvador paying the U.S. to send them inmates as possible laborers? Does the prison have a roster of who they are holding for the U.S.?
We need this information to make sense of our Executive Branch's claim that it can't bring back a specific prisoner.
Heidi Markovitz,
Washington, D.C.
Harmful hunches
President Trump's reliance on gut instinct, not evidence-based logic, when navigating the complexities and challenges of his presidency, is a stark reminder of how his dependence on intuition resulted in controversy during his first term. With little or no conscious reasoning for the recent sweeping tariff impositions, which his administration falsely claimed were a tax cut for Americans, Trump is betting heavily on a hunch once again.
His belief that he understands economics better than seasoned economists is being met with near universal censure and is destabilizing our financial markets. Effective governance requires balancing intelligence with pragmatism. When either becomes subordinate to instinct, chaos rules the day. The president would be wise to understand this.
Jane Larkin,
Tampa
Bring these to life
Re: the Miami Herald April 8 online article, ''De-extinction' startup with $10 billion valuation revives dire wolf.' Colossal Biosciences has made a monumental scientific breakthrough by resurrecting the dire wolf from extinction through DNA and bio-engineering.
Dire wolves once roamed Florida more than 12,000 years ago, evidenced by bones discovered in the 1990s at the Cutler Fossil Site near Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade County. Also discovered at that archaeological site were extinct American lions, saber-tooth cats, American mastodons, long-horned bison and more.
Instead of resurrecting the dire wolf, seemingly better choices would have been the Caribbean monk seal, Carolina parakeet, or the passenger pigeon.
Roger Hammer,
Homestead
Police reform
The tragic death of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson in May 2024 showcases the urgent need for comprehensive police reform in Florida. Fortson, a 23-year-old Black serviceman, was fatally shot in his own home by an Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy responding to a disturbance call. According to reports, Fortson was alone at the time, raising critical questions about the circumstances that led to this fatal encounter.
This incident is not isolated. A study by Florida Atlantic University revealed significant 'hotspots' of police misconduct across the state, highlighting systemic issues that disproportionately affect communities of color. As a Black social work student committed to social justice, I find these patterns deeply troubling.
The dying of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve compromises public safety and well-being. Florida must implement statewide reforms to address this crisis, including independent civilian oversight boards, mandated de-escalation training and stringent use-of-force policies.
Policymakers, law enforcement leaders and community members must prioritize these reforms. The cost of inaction is measured in lives lost and communities fractured. We must act now to build a system that truly protects.
Jonathan Sanon,
Miami
Awkward MAGA
I remember a time in American when playing the victim was not a good look. However, in the MAGA world, being a victim is good. According to MAGA, America has been victimized by the entire world: victimized by teachers, by doctors, by Muslims, by Black and brown people, victimized by gays.
When life has not gone your way, it's not your fault, you are a victim. You lost your job; not your fault, you're a victim. You have no education; it's not your fault, you're a victim. You have no money; it's not your fault, you're a victim.
America is not a victim. Real Americans make their own destiny. They don't allow another group of people determine their lives and their destinies. Real Americans don't play the victim. Real Americans don't blame someone else for their problems.
America is, by far, the wealthiest country in the world. We have, by far, the strongest military in the world. It is absolutely ridiculous that we play the victim and MAGA thinks that's okay.
Reject calling yourself a victim; it's embarrassing, quite frankly.
Don Whisman,
Stuart
Net worthless?
'No Country for Old Men' was the title of a 2007 neo-Western crime thriller film.
Today, it could easily be moniker for the United States under the second Donald Trump administration.
Trump is the worse president since Herbert Hoover. Just ask any old man who has seen his financial portfolio disappear before their very eyes in recent days.
Barry Levy,
Miami
Malnourished minds
Humans today are not as psychologically fit as we were generations ago. The present deluge of information represents an excess of calories which is fueling an epidemic of political obesity. We are being force fed a diet of information designed to trigger our strongest emotional and physical responses. In a word, we are 'infobese.'
We must stop ingesting these excess political calories maintain a political diet that will keep us in the best physical and mental condition to achieve political longevity without infobesity!
Bill Silver,
Coral Gables
Severe condition
President Trump justifies his tariffs by claiming that we are in a 'national emergency.' I agree with him, not on what the emergency is, but rather, who it is!
Marcia Braun,
Miami Spring
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Starter-Home Sales Rose 4% in June, a Bright Spot in a Sluggish Housing Market
San Diego recorded an 18% spike in starter-home sales, leading all major metros. Fort Lauderdale, FL recorded the biggest drop (-17%). SEATTLE, July 29, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sales of starter homes rose 3.9% year over year in June to the highest level in two years, a bright spot in an otherwise sluggish housing market where sales fell across other price tiers. That's according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. June was the 10th consecutive month in which home sales rose year over year, indicating that first-time homebuyers are jumping into the market. Redfin Home Tiers Home Price Percentile Median Sale Price Median Sale Price YoY Homes Sold YoY Pending Sales YoY Active Listings YoY Starter 5%-35% $260,000 3.1% 3.9% 3.1% 19.0% Mid 35%-65% $370,784 2.1% -0.9% -0.7% 15.1% High 65%-95% $577,117 2.7% -3.6% -2.7% 13.2% Luxury Top 5% $1.29M 4.0% -6.7% -5.0% 9.1% In comparison, sales of mid-priced homes (35th-65th percentile of the market by sale price) fell 0.9% year over year in July, while high-price homes (65th-95th percentile) fell even more, down 3.6%. Pending sales of starter homes are also rising, up 3.1% year over year in June, a sign that closed sales are likely to continue increasing in the coming months. Shop Top Mortgage Rates Personalized rates in minutes A quicker path to financial freedom Your Path to Homeownership In comparison, pending sales of mid- and high-price homes fell 0.7% and 2.7% year over year in June, respectively. "In a market where it's difficult for most Americans to afford a dream home, many are turning toward starter homes," said Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari. "They're typically smaller and more modest, but starter homes remain within reach for some buyers who have been priced out of higher tiers. First-time buyers are especially apt to go for starter homes, as they don't have equity from a previous home sale to help with their payments. Even starter homes are too expensive for a large number of Americans, who are often forced to rent or live with family—especially in metros like San Francisco where the median price of a starter home is nearly $1 million. U.S. homebuyers need to earn $112,131 per year to afford the median priced home for sale, while the typical U.S. household earns an estimated $86,258. "With prices rising and mortgage rates elevated, some first-time buyers may be pushed out of the market by move-up buyers who aren't able to afford the next tier themselves," said Bokhari. Starter home prices hit record as inventory rises to pre-pandemic levels The typical U.S. starter home sold for a record $260,000 in June, up 3.1% year over year. In comparison, prices of mid-price homes rose 2.1% to $370,784 from a year earlier, while high-price homes rose 2.7% to $577,177. Both were just shy of price records set in previous months. While prices of starter homes remain at a record high, price growth has been slowing for six consecutive months. June's 3.1% pace was the slowest in a year. A big reason for slowing price growth in the starter-home segment—and another reason why sales are rising—is soaring inventory, with the number of active listings rising 19% year over year to the highest level for June since 2017. That was the fastest growth among the price tiers. Listings of middle-priced listings rose 15.1% year over year, while upper-priced homes grew 13.2%. More starter homes for sale is good news for first-time homebuyers, according to Redfin agents. "First-time buyers definitely have more opportunities now. Not only are there more lower-priced homes available, but there's less demand. The buyers who are out there are no longer in competition with 10 other offers, or all-cash buyers," said Kathy Scott, a Redfin Premier agent in Phoenix, where active listings of starter homes are up more than 40% from a year ago. "With so many starter homes on the market, buyers have an opportunity to take their time looking for houses that fit their needs. Some are waiting for prices to go down—and they might—but if your plan is to stay in the home for five to 10 years, you will build equity in your home." Metro-Level Starter Home Highlights: June 2025 Redfin's metro-level starter home data includes the 50 most populous U.S. metros. Some metros are removed from time to time, to ensure data accuracy. All changes noted below are year-over-year changes. Prices: The median sale price of starter homes rose most in Milwaukee (15.3% to $212,918), Detroit (13.6% to $93,140) and Newark, NJ (11.6% to $394,487). The largest falls were in San Antonio (-5.5% to $218,631), Austin, TX (-3.8% to $326,440) and Dallas (-1.2% to $297,079). Sales: Starter home sales increased most in San Diego (18%), Providence, RI (17.4%) and Sacramento (14.3%). They decreased most in Fort Lauderdale, FL (-17.5%), Miami (-17.4%) and San Antonio (-9.6%). Active listings: The total number of starter homes for sale increased most in Las Vegas (53.6%), San Diego (44.1%) and Phoenix (43.1%). Only one metro—San Antonio—saw a fall in active listings (-2.2%). New listings: New listings of starter homes increased most in St. Louis (23.6%), Las Vegas (19.5%) and Newark (16.4%). New listings fell most in San Antonio (-13.8%), San Jose, CA (-13.4%) and Tampa, FL (-10.9%). Speed of sales: Starter homes sold fastest in Seattle with a median of nine days, followed by Montgomery County, PA (15 days) and Indianapolis (17 days). They sold slowest in Fort Lauderdale, FL (99 days), West Palm Beach, FL (91 days) and Miami (83 days). To view the full report, including charts and full metro-level data, please visit: About Redfin Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin's clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent. You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at For more information about Rocket Companies, visit View source version on Contacts Contact Redfin Redfin Journalist Services: Kenneth Applewhaitepress@
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Government shutdown talk is starting early ahead of a difficult funding fight in Congress this fall
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's become tradition. Congressional leaders from both major political parties blame each other for a potential government shutdown as the budget year draws to a close. But this year, the posturing is starting extraordinarily early. The finger-pointing with more than two months to go in the fiscal year indicates the threat of a stoppage is more serious than usual as a Republican-controlled Congress seeks to make good on its policy priorities, often with no support from the other political party. Democratic leadership from both chambers and the two panels responsible for drafting spending bills met behind closed doors recently to discuss the strategy ahead. The leaders emerged demanding that Republicans work with them but were careful to avoid spelling out red lines if Republicans don't. 'We are for a bipartisan, bicameral bill. That's what always has been done,' said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. 'The onus is on the Republicans to help us make that happen.' On the Republican side, lawmakers describe the Democrats as itching for a shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Schumer had threatened a shutdown should Republicans pass a bill to roll back $9 billion in public broadcasting and foreign aid funds. Republicans subsequently passed those cuts. 'It was disturbing to see the Democratic leader implicitly threatening to shut down the government in his July 'Dear Colleague' letter, but I'm hopeful that he does not represent the views of Senate Democrats as a whole," Thune said. Where things stand on government funding The federal government is operating on a full-year continuing resolution that provided about $1.7 trillion in spending for defense and non-defense programs. The funding expires Sept. 30. President Donald Trump requested a comparable amount for the coming fiscal year, but the Republican proposed dramatically overhauling how that money is distributed to include more for defense and border security and significantly less for health, education, housing and foreign assistance. So far, the House has approved two of the 12 annual spending bills. The Senate has yet to approve any, but those bills that have advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee are enjoying bipartisan support while the House bills are generally advancing out of committee on party line votes. This week, the Senate is expected to consider the appropriations bill to fund military construction projects and the Department of Veterans Affairs, generally one of the easier spending bills to pass. One or two others could get added to the package. Congress got off to a late start on the funding process. Republicans prioritized Trump's tax and spending cut bill. Most lawmakers agree Congress will need to pass a stop-gap measure before Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown and allow lawmakers more time to work on the full-year spending measures. The view from Democrats Democrats overwhelmingly opposed this year's funding bill that expires in two months. But in the end, Schumer and nine Democratic colleagues decided a government shutdown would be even worse. They voted to allow the bill to proceed and overcome a filibuster, giving Republicans the ability to pass it on their own on a final vote. Schumer took considerable heat from progressives for his strategy. House Democratic leadership issued a statement at the time saying 'House Democrats will not be complicit.' And members of his own caucus publicly expressed disagreement. 'If we pass this continuing resolution for the next half year, we will own what the president does,' said Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 'I am not willing to take ownership of that.' Some liberal groups threatened to hold protests at various events Schumer was planning to promote a new book, and some of those events ended up being postponed due to security concerns. The Democratic frustrations have only grown stronger in the ensuing months. First, the Democrats watched the Trump administration slow-walk or block hundreds of billions of dollars from going out in part through the work of its Department of Government Efficiency. Then they watched as Republicans passed Trump's big tax and spending cut bill without any Democratic votes. Finally, they watched as Republicans this month canceled $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds when much of it had been previously agreed to on a bipartisan basis. Meanwhile, Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, declared that the appropriations process "has to be less bipartisan.' Democrats complain that much of the work taking place in the House has been a waste of time, since those partisan bills have no chance of getting 60 votes in the 100-member Senate. 'At this point in time, why have appropriations if they can just unilaterally through rescissions whack it all away?' said Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill. 'I think what you're seeing is more frustration than I've ever witnessed.' Republicans position for impasse Republicans control all the levers of power in Washington. That could make it harder to blame Democrats for a shutdown. But in the end, any bill will need some Democratic support to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. 'Our concern is that from their standpoint, they want to have a shutdown,' Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said of Democrats. '... The Democrats see it as a way to derail the agenda that we're putting through.' Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2-ranked Republican in the Senate, said Republicans were determined to hold votes on the 12 spending bills. He said that Schumer 'had unilaterally shut down the appropriations process' in previous years by not holding such votes, moving instead to negotiate directly with GOP leadership in the House and then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration on an all-encompassing spending package. 'If Democrats walk away from this process again, simply to protect wasteful Washington spending," Barrasso said, 'they will be the ones sabotaging the Senate and shutting down the government.' ___ Follow the AP's coverage of Congress at Kevin Freking, The Associated Press Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
The Hill
18 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump may rue the day he sued Murdoch for libel over Epstein's birthday card
President Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones — the Wall Street Journal's parent company — and two of the paper's reporters for $10 billion over the Journal's story about a lurid birthday card that Trump allegedly sent to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump claims that the card, which contains arguably compromising statements, was fabricated by unnamed Democrats. He posted about 'a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal.' Murdoch and Trump have had an off-again-on-again relationship over the years. Murdoch's media outlets, principally the Journal and Fox News, after largely opposing Trump during the 2016 Republican primary, have been credited with helping propel him to the White House. According to the Journal's story, a letter bearing Trump's name 'contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.' 'Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person,' the paper reported. It reportedly contained a joking reference that 'enigmas never age' and ended with the words, 'A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Trump denied writing the note after the article was published, posting, 'These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures.' The birthday note, if authentic, hints at Trump's contemporaneous awareness of Epstein's criminal behavior — as might Trump's comment to a reporter less than a year earlier that Epstein 'likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' Dow Jones said it would 'vigorously defend' itself against the lawsuit. 'We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting.' And so the issue is joined in court as well as the court of public opinion. Libel suits have historically been gravely dangerous not only for defendants but for plaintiffs as well. Such a suit often serves only to magnify the allegedly defamatory statements. Roy Cohn advised his clients never to sue for libel. He knew that Oscar Wilde and Alger Hiss sued for libel, and the truth, which is always a complete defense in a libel suit, led to criminal prosecution, conviction and jail. Gen. William Westmoreland sued CBS over defamatory statements about his conduct of the Vietnam War. Israeli Gen. Ariel Sharon sued Time Inc. over its reporting about his actions in Lebanon. Both came up essentially empty-handed. Trump will have a steep uphill climb to make out his complaint against Murdoch. The venerable New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) is still good law, despite Justice Clarence Thomas's stated desire to overrule it. A public official suing for libel must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defamatory statements were published with actual knowledge of their falsity or a reckless disregard for the truth. In this case, we are talking about the Wall Street Journal, not the National Enquirer. It is very unlikely that the Journal knew the birthday card was a fabrication or that they proceeded recklessly, knowing that the source of the document was unreliable. More likely than not, the document came from the files of the Justice Department. Indeed, Trump, apart from lashing back at Murdoch, may have sued mainly to unearth via discovery the source of the leak. Trump claims that he relishes discovery in the case. 'I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case,' the president stated. Trump's lawyers have asked the court to expedite Murdoch's deposition while he is still alive because Murdoch is '94 years old' and 'has suffered from multiple health issues.' But those 'many hours' may prove more harmful than helpful to Trump. Murdoch's lawyers will be able to bring out just where the Journal obtained the birthday card, as well as all the torrid details of the 15-year relationship between Epstein and Trump, including such undisclosed gems as how the friendship began; how close was it; whether it involved under-age women; whether, and, if so, when Trump learned that Epstein was trafficking teenagers; when Trump learned that Epstein was engaged in criminal acts; and when there was a severance of the relationship and why. Reports have suggested Trump and Epstein had a rift in 2004 over competing bids on a Palm Beach mansion, but there may be more to the story. Peggy Noonan reminds us that Trump's mantra is 'fight, fight, fight,' and he will do so even when it hurts him. 'There is no way on earth that [the lawsuit] will be a net positive for him. Which surely he knows,' she writes. 'He fights even when he will hurt himself, because the fight is all.' Trump is essentially libel-proof. What are his damages? His reputation for sexual misconduct is well known. A civil jury in New York found him liably for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room. A New York jury convicted him of 34 counts of felony document falsification to cover up a tryst with pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels. It is too early to tell, but Trump may not have the sort of walk in the park he's had in his recent media lawsuits. He settled with ABC shortly after his reelection for $15 million, arising from George Stephanopoulos carelessly saying Trump was convicted of rape instead of sexual assault. Trump's recent settlement with CBS for $16 million, arising out of the claim that '60 Minutes' left unfavorable footage of former Vice President Kamala Harris on the cutting-room floor, seemed influenced more by parent company Paramount's need for FCC approval of its corporate merger than by the merits of the case. The Murdoch libel lawsuit, if pressed, may be full of booby traps and surprises for Trump. It could result in disclosure of many of the documents in the possession of the Justice Department, which the Journal reported subsequently were riddled with references to Trump himself. People in a position to know tell me that Murdoch will never settle. But he did appear to blink a little with a front-page 'exclusive' Journal article Friday under the headline: 'Jeffrey Epstein's Birthday Book Included Letters From Bill Clinton, Leon Black.' The article was singularly uninformative.
