ALERTS CONTRIBUTE
 

About Us

 

Message to our members

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Over the last 18 months, Florida Taxpayers have come together to work to drive down taxes and control government spending. Efforts started in small numbers in city council, school board and county commission meetings around the state. Those efforts led to a state-wide petition to amend the constitution that has now reached enough signatures for Supreme Court review. The grassroots movement then continued with passage of a bill in the Florida House to cap property taxes at 1.35%. The politicians have heard our voice and are starting to listen. The next challenge is to make our voices louder and stronger than the special interests and insiders that have been in charge of government spending for decades. The Florida Taxpayers Union is here to represent that voice. We will inform Floridians of government spending policies to allow you to be better informed as we continue our fight for lower taxes and smaller government. We urge you to join us today and give hard working Floridians a voice in public policy to make sure your interests are heard in Tallahassee, and to drown out the voice of the dollar-guzzling Special Interests!


 

 

Florida Taxpayers Union is fighting for:


Lower Property taxes
Taxpayers Protection Amendment to restrain the growth of government
AND
Keeping government accountable
BY
Exposing wasteful government spending

 

Isn't it time the Taxpayer's interests were heard in Tallahassee?

The Florida Taxpayers Union Team

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David Mckalip, M.D.
Chairman

St. Petersburg neurosurgeon and founder of Cut Taxes Now a grassroots tax revolt group in St. Petersburg. Co-Founded Cut Property Taxes Now and co-authored and campaigned for the 1.35% property tax cap initiative (to amend constitution). The initiative has gained over 100,000 signatures and would cut property tax 25% across the state. Founded the Florida Taxpayers Alliance and has worked with multiple grassroots organizations to advance their common agendas. Also serves on the board of the Florida Medical Association and is the 2008-2009 President-Elect of the Pinellas County Medical Association.
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John Hallman
President & CEO
Director of Government Affairs

John Hallman serves as President & CEO of Hallman & Associates, a government relations and grassroots advocacy firm based in Boca Raton, Florida. John Hallman also has served as the Florida Director for FreedomWorks, the pro-free market group currently chaired by Dick Armey . John has organized both state and national lobbying efforts, particularly in support of Personal Retirement Accounts and fundamental tax reform; and in 2005 John spearheaded the Florida FreedomWorks "Own Your Future Tour", promoting Social Security Reform throughout the state and debating anti-reform leaders from such groups as Move0n.org and AARP. Recently, John organized grassroots campaigns in support of property tax reform, private property rights, and school choice in the Florida Legislature. John Hallman is an active, longtime voice in all levels of Florida politics and has taught activists schools and is a frequent guest on radio and TV talk shows. John also serves as an adjunct scholar with the James Madison Institute and has written numerous articles promoting the cause of individual freedom.

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Tom Gaitens
Vice-President
Operations & External Affairs

Over the last 30 years, Tom has gained vast experience in grassroots political activism in a variety of areas. Most recently serving as the Florida Field Director for FreedomWorks.org, a national organization dedicated to limited government and lower taxes. Previously Tom has written and spoke on public policy, specifically taxation, energy, education and fiscal policy around the state.

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Doug Guetzloe
Vice-President
State & Local Campaigns

Doug Guetzloe is the founder and Chairman of Ax the Tax. Ax the Tax has helped taxpayers defeat over $25 billion in proposed taxes since 1984. Doug is President of Advantage Consultants, a public relations firm that also specializes in governmental and political consulting headquartered in Orlando.

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Philip Blumel
Advisor

Philip Blumel is President of U.S. term Limits, a single-issue advocacy group operating out of Fairfax , Va. Philip has a long history of activism on limited government issues with a focus on economic education and on institutional reforms, such as term limits and TABOR. Philip was the campaign manager of the successful 2002 referendum to limit the terms of Palm Beach County Commissioners to eight years in office and serves as the Secretary of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida.

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Tim Buckley
Advisor

Tim Buckley has served as lead strategic consultant for many municipal, state and national elections, non-profit organizations and corporations. Tim is a veteran of political campaigns, he has worked with Senator Lamar Alexander, Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Bob Dole and many others. Tim is the owner of Opinion Management Group and Managing Partner at Eligere Strategies, LLC.

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Ed Connor
Advisor


Ed Connor is a volunteer District Director for Americans for Fair Taxation based in Houston, Texas. This is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to the passage of House and Senate Bills H.R.25 and S.25 respectively.

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Randall Holcombe

Chief Economic Advisor

 

Randall G. Holcombe is DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics at Florida State University. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech, and taught at Texas A&M University and at Auburn University prior to coming to Florida State in 1988. Dr. Holcombe is also Senior Fellow at the James Madison Institute, a Tallahassee-based think tank that specializes in issues facing state governments. Dr. Holcombe is the author of twelve books and more than 100 articles published in academic and professional journals. His books include The Economic Foundations of Government (1994), Public Policy and the Quality of Life (1995), From Liberty to Democracy: The Transformation of American Government (2002), and Entrepreneurship and Economic Progress (2007). His primary areas of research are public finance and the economic analysis of public policy issues.

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