Charlie Crist is distancing himself from comments made six months ago by senior staff suggesting he would oppose a tax swap reducing property taxes for schools. South Carolina voters approved a similar tax swap in 2006 that eliminated most of the taxes on owner occupied homes for school costs.
Florida its proposal, and, apparently so is the governor’s office. Crist’s declaration that the comments of his advisers wasn’t from him almost make it harder to swallow considering their expertise.
“He didn’t talk to me first,” Crist said Wednesday of his chief economist, Christian Weiss.
Crist’s spokeswoman, Erin Isaac, said Weiss drafted the letter and it was approved by Weiss’ boss, budget director Jerry McDaniel, one of Crist’s most trusted aides.
It’s also important to note Florida Republicans are at odds over this issue because the increase in the sales tax won’t cover the school costs and they don’t know where to get the rest of the money from. Opponents are worried about a tax increase.
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