Ax the Tax Polk County Commissioners
Click above to go to Polk County Commissioner's page
STOP THE $500 MILLION DOLLAR TAXPAYER COMMUTER
Contact the
Tell the commission to vote NO on the commuter rail disaster!
Ax the Tax
P. O. Box 531101
Orlando, FL 32853
(407) 388-1776
Dear taxpayer:
This year has seen incredible successes on so many public policy and political fronts, none of which would have been possible without your active encouragement and continued support of Ax the Tax, our issues and our causes. As the year nears to a close, I wanted to share with you the many successes that we have had and encourage you to respond immediately to the “Alerts” that I’ve enclosed.
Winter Garden Victories. The victories in Winter Garden were truly stunning. We assisted the citizens of Trailer City in the first successful recall in Florida of an unresponsive elected official since we helped re-write the recall statute in 2000. Commissioner Bill Thompson was recalled with an overwhelming 68% of the vote in a record turnout in Winter Garden’s District one. That in and of itself was a huge victory, but our success didn’t stop there! We assisted in Carol Nichol’s upset victory over an entrenched incumbent in District 4 and supported the landslide re-election of Commissioner Theo Graham. The “takeover” of Winter Garden by the taxpayers was complete when Governor Bush appointed Rod Reynolds to the seat of recalled commissioner Thompson over the strong objections of Mel Martinez, Kevin Beary and Winter Garden Mayor Jack Quisenberry. The resulting shakeup sent the city manager packing and the city attorney fired! Great things are happening in Winter Garden and Ax the Tax helped to make the difference and has set the example for good government and accountability and responsibility in public spending!
Commuter Rail. The battle against the commuter rail boondoggle is picking up steam! Just a week ago, the City of Edgewood voted unanimously to reject commuter rail and passed a resolution requesting Orange County Commissioners to do the same. Mayor Mike Teague joined the Edgewood City Commission in condemning the commuter rail boondoggle. According to Commissioner Judy Beardslee, the sentiment in Edgewood was running 78% AGAINST commuter rail. The battle now goes to other communities and to the Orange County Commission! Taxpayers have rejected rail in every vote taken – what part of NO don’t they get at Orange County! Ax the Tax is leading the opposition and we will be victorious with your help!
Polk County. In Polk County our local affiliate is leading an effort to recall four county commissioners who approved a 24% tax increase. This outrageous increase is being openly opposed by over two thousand Ax the Tax volunteers. Again, Ax the Tax is leading the way for accountability and responsibility in public spending.
Maitland. In Maitland, Ax the Tax lawsuits on behalf of the taxpayers of Maitland led to the withdrawal of a huge development plan that would have changed the character of their city. Ax the Tax involvement has led to several other organizations suing the unresponsive Maitland Mayor and City Commissioners. In March, the only commissioner seat on the ballot went to an Ax the Tax backed candidate… one that was openly criticized in the Orlando Sentinel for contributing to Ax the Tax…. Bob Miller won with 58% of the voter AFTER his opponent tagged him with being an AxTaxer and a Guetzloe “clone” since Miller had contributed $200 to Ax the Tax last year!
Osceola County. Huge victory in Osceola County when Ax the Tax and our Osceola affiliate led the fight against the plan by the Texas-based Faulkner Company to build a taxpayer funded convention center. The Faulkner plan was voted down by the Osceola County Commission after a vigorous direct mail and phone campaign to the Osceola County Commission. Another victory for the taxpayers and for our Ax the Tax Osceola Chairman Steve Burke!
Jan Hall. Ax the Tax is helping Orange County School Teacher Jan Hall fight the Orange County Public School System. The First Amendment must be preserved! Visit our new website for Jan at www.janhall.org!
Battles yet to win.
We have several important battles that need your immediate attention.
1) The out-of-state casino folks want us to allow Vegas style casino slot machines in every area of Florida! We must stop this attempt by the “new mob” to bring their crime-ridden machines to our neighborhoods! Please see the AX THE TAX ALERT and make your contacts today!
2) Commuter Rail MUST BE DEFEATED! We need your immediate contribution AND you must contact the Orange County Commission and County Mayor TODAY and tell them NO TO THE COMMUTER RAIL BOONDOGGLE! Please see the AX THE TAX ALERT and make those contacts today! We need your contribution to take our anti-rail message directly to the voters. IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU DONATE WHAT YOU CAN TODAY to stop this devastating commuter rail disaster from coming to your neighborhood!
Thanks again for your support in the past and PLEASE help us continue to win the battle for accountability and responsibility in public spending with your donation TODAY!
Sincerely,
Doug
Doug Guetzloe
Chairman
Ax the Tax
Ax the Tax Needs
YOUR HELP TODAY!
“YES DOUG, I’LL HELP AX THE TAX CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THE TAXPAYERS!”
Name___________________________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________________________
City______________________________________________State____Zip_____________
I can help in the following ways:
____Enclosed is my contribution made payable to AX THE TAX in the following amount: _____$1,000 _____$750 _____$500 _____$250 _____$150
_____$100 _____$75 _____$50 _____$35 _____$25 _____$15 _____other
Please send me the following bumper stickers:
_____Mail me _____ AX THE TAX
_____Mail me _____ KEEP JAN HALL – FIRE BLOCKER
_____Mail me _____DON’T BELIEVE THE ORLANDO SENTINEL
Please mail your check and this request form to:
Ax the Tax
750 S. Orlando Avenue
Suite 202
Contribute ON LINE at www.axthetax.org
Click on DONATE NOW icon!
All contributions will be spent on printing, postage and advertising.
Ax the Tax is a volunteer based organization political action committee with no salaried positions.
Since Ax the Tax is an issues-only political committee, there are no limits to the amount that you may contribute – no contribution is too large or too small!
Visit our website at:
Ax the Tax
Taxpayer Alert #1
Action Needed TODAY
Video Lottery Machines (Class II) vs.
Las Vegas-style Slot Machines (Class III) “One-Armed Bandits”
n The Native American Casinos in Tampa, Immokalee and Okeechobee currently offer Class II
Video Lottery Machines. However, if the Legislature allows Class III Las Vegas-style slot machines in Broward, those Native American facilities will be automatically awarded them as well.
n Class III Las Vegas-style slots games (one-armed bandits) are more frequent, allowing for more opportunity for Floridians to lose money.
n According to a January 2005 FDLE report, video poker and Class III Las Vegas-style slots
have been named as the most addictive of all gaming activities.
n Unlike Las Vegas or Atlantic City where casino patrons are primarily tourists, Florida residents
will likely be the primary source for revenue for these pari-mutuals.
CONTACT THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS TODAY
TELL THEM...
NO to CLASS 3 “one-armed bandits” in Florida... NO to out-of-state criminal elements in Florida...NO to new gambling
in Florida!
Representative Allan Bense
Speaker, Florida House of Representatives
The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: 850-488-1450
Representative Andy Gardiner
Republican Leader – Florida House
1013 East Michigan Street
Orlando, FL 32806
Phone: 407-428-5800
Senator Tom Lee
President, Florida Senate
The Capitol
Suite 409 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Phone: 850-487-5229
Representative Frank Atkisson
323 Pleasant Street
Kissimmee, FL 34741
Phone: 407-943-3077
attkisson.frank@leg.state.fl.us
Governor Jeb Bush
Executive Office of the Governor
The Capitol
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Fl. 32399-0001
Phone: 850-488-4441
Please Call, Write AND Email all contacts!
Ax the Tax
Taxpayer Alert #2
DERAIL THE BILLION DOLLAR COMMUTER RAIL BOONDOOGLE.
Contact the Orange County Commission TODAY!
Tell the commission to vote NO on the
commuter rail disaster!
Check the record on the commuter
rail boondoggle:
- Billion-dollar taxpayer funded price tag is low. Average cost overrun of rail projects is 40% OVER original price tag.
- Operating deficit is estimated at $5 million taxpayer dollars per year!
- This project is CONSULTANT driven - not CONSUMER driven.
- Route is from DeBary to Kissimmee and all you get is the bill! You and your neighbors will NOT use the commuter train. No station within miles of your home.
- INCREASES congestion on local roads. Blocks all east-west traffic along route.
- INCREASES AIR & NOISE pollution and decreases air-quality. Uses heavy diesel oil engines.
- INCREASES fatalities at rail crossings.
- You and your neighbors pay millions in our tax dollars for Volusia County rail users.
- Rail projections are that MAYBE 3,500 "trips" per day... that's 1,750 people MIGHT use the train daily within 10 years....Over $1 billion in tax dollars for what? A train to nowhere.
- No agreement with CSX to decrease rail traffic...
Only you can De-rail Commuter Rail
1) Send your letter opposing commuter rail boondoggle to:
Orange County Commission
201 S. Rosalind Ave., 5th Floor
Orlando, FL 32801
2) Telephone the commission at: (407) 836-7350
3) Fax your letter to (407) 836-5879
4) Email your letter opposing commuter rail to all seven commissioners:
Rich Crotty mayor@ocfl.net
Teresa Jacobs district1@ocfl.net
Bob Sindler bob.sindler@ocfl.net
Mildred Fernandez district3@ocfl.net
Linda Stewart district4@ocfl.net
Bill Segal district5@ocfl.net
Homer Hartage district6@ocfl.net
Visit www.axthetax.org click on COMMUTER RAIL for more information on the failures of Commuter Rail throughout the
United States!
Check the
record on the commuter rail boondoggle:
- $500 million dollar taxpayer funded price tag is low. Average cost overrun of rail projects is 40% OVER original price tag. If that average holds this project will cost OVER $700 million in taxpayer dollars!
- Operating deficit is estimated at $5 million taxpayer dollars per year!
- This project is CONSULTANT driven - not CONSUMER driven.
- Route is from DeBary to
- INCREASES congestion on local roads. Blocks all east-west traffic along route.
- INCREASES pollution and decreases air-quality. Uses heavy diesel oil engines.
- INCREASES fatalities at rail crossings.
- You and your neighbors pay millions in our tax dollars for
- Rail projections are that MAYBE 3,500 "trips" per day... that's 1,750 people MIGHT use the train daily within 10 years....$700 million in tax dollars for what? A train to nowhere.
- No agreement with
Only you can De-rail Commuter Rail --- contact COMMISSIONERS TODAY --- NO TO COMMUTER
Visit these websites for more information www.axthetax.org and www.tollscreategridlock.com
Attend the Commuter Rail Meeting to oppose the project:
Orange
Telephone the commission at:
Fax your letter to
Email your letter opposing commuter rail to all seven commissioners:
Listen to THE GUETZLOE REPORT ON WAMT 1190AM - from 11-noon every weekday for updates on battle against commuter rail boondoggle. www.guetzloe.com to listen live on streaming audio.
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Buddy Dyer is proposing an 81% INCREASE in the STORMWATER FEES on all Property owners in the City of Orlando over the next four years! This increase is TOO MUCH; TOO SOON and with TOO LITTLE public discussion! The City wants to raise $100 million in tax increases for a WISH LIST of city drainage projects and not a NEEDS list.. This huge public boondoggle represents the largest public works project for Orlando taxpayers.
Urge the Orlando City Commission to REJECT THE 81% increase in STORMWATER fee's. Contact the commissioner by email; fax; phone or letter to VOTE NO on the STORMWATER tax increase.
Make all contacts BEFORE Monday, September 27, 2004.
Orlando City Commission
400 S. Orange Ave.
P.O. Box 4990
Orlando, FL
32802-4990
407-246-2382
407-246-3010 Fax
The Honorable Phil Diamond, City Commissioner District One phil.diamond@CityofOrlando.net
The Honorable Betty Wyman, City Commissioner District Two bwyman@CityofOrlando.net
The Honorable Vicki Vargo, City Commissioner District Three Vicki.Vargo@CityofOrlando.net
The Honorable Patty Sheehan, City Commissioner District Four Patty.Sheehan@CityofOrlando.net
The Honorable Daisy Lynum Daisy.Lynum@CityofOrlando.net
The Honorable Ernest Page epage@CityofOrlando.net
Orlando City Commission website with each City Commissioner's District map and other information: http://www.cityoforlando.net/elected/council/index.htm
Attend the Public Hearing:
Monday, September 27, 2004 2:00p.m.
Orlando City Hall City Commission
Further information is attached:
The "Consultant Study" and Legal Opinion are attached which are the primary "justification" for the tax increase.
Ax the Stormwater Tax... Vote NO!
Talking points....
- Too much, too soon after the destruction of the hurricanes.
- Too little public process... the legal opinion was given to the Mayor's office in FEBRUARY, 2004... we're just hearing about it now.
- Destruction of major roadways all at once. To replace stormwater systems, you must tear up neighborhood roads and highways... to do this all at once would result in gridlock in Orlando and reduction of public safety vehicles.
- Alternative... vote against the 81% rate increase; seek more public input; reduce unneeded expenditures and spread out a reduced increase over a longer period of time...
Doug "Ax the Tax" Guetzloe
Chairman
Ax the Tax www.axthetax.org
750 South Orlando Avenue, Suite 202
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 681-1776 - office
(407) 896-4555 - telefax
doug@axthetax.org - email
(877) Ax-Taxes - toll-free