Charles Burkett

Rewrite the unaffordable, broken healthcare laws. Put doctors, not government and insurance companies, in charge. Make ‘Right to Try’ laws absolute. Affirm and codify “My Body, My Choice.” Free Florida medical research from bureaucratic and litigious strangulation.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

3) Rewrite the unaffordable, broken healthcare laws. Put doctors, not government and insurance companies, in charge. Make ‘Right to Try’ laws absolute. Affirm and codify “My Body, My Choice.” Free Florida medical research from bureaucratic and litigious strangulation.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Data centers only permitted after a referendum vote and approval by the citizens of the targeted county and city.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

AI I support the responsible development of AI in Florida, provided it delivers clear benefits to Floridians and does not come at the expense of any of our residents. To that end, I would require the following conditions for any new data center: As a condition of approval, each data center must commit to building or funding additional power generation and infrastructure sufficient to supply at least 120% of its actual power consumption. This obligation would remain in effect for the entire life of the project. Additionally, data centers would be required to pay 110% of the electricity rate charged to residential customers, or 110% of the rate they normally pay, whichever is greater. The extra 10% would be credited back on a pro-rata basis to Florida’s residential ratepayers.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Dismiss non-criminal traffic tickets for drivers with clean 10-year records.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Here’s how it works, no sugarcoating: Ironclad security first. A hardened perimeter seals the entire site. One way in, one way out, with 24/7 security at the gate. Outside predators, gangs, drugs, and chaos are kept out. Period. Safe, dignified housing rises next — clean, affordable units for families who want better. Parks, playgrounds, and real neighborhood features included. Limited retail and offices go in — just enough to supply daily needs inside the Oasis. Residents will still do most of their shopping and work in the wider world. Rigorous rules. Every resident signs on to accountability: no crime, no drugs, school attendance for kids, work or training requirements for adults. Break the rules, and your spot is given to another willing to follow the rules. This isn’t a free ride — it’s a launchpad for serious and committed people who are ready to climb. Once the first Oasis proves it works, we replicate it aggressively until every blighted war zone area in Florida is transformed. One day the walls come down, the gates open, and what was a dangerous slum becomes another safe, thriving Florida neighborhood.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Promote tourism, business and economic development, and sensible, responsible growth, but never at the expense or to the detriment of our Florida residents.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Give our first responders every tool they need to be the best in the business. Pay them, and all our public workers a fair, competitive wage. Honor (unsustainable) defined benefit pension promises to existing employees. Offer all new employees a menu of generous defined contribution plans which provide each employee with the ability to be vested immediately, to receive a generous match from government for each dollar they contribute, to take the plan with them if they leave their current job, and to have access to all of their funds decades before they otherwise would with existing plans.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Employ economic development and tourism programs that benefit Floridians most — not developers, special interests, new Florida arrivals, or tourists.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

A Florida education must focus only on kids, be a model of high standards, and keep costs in line.

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Real education for our kids, not factory-style, educational warehousing. Retain only great teachers — good enough is not good enough for our kids.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

How to fund the relief. 1) Immediately reduce the Florida Constitutional maximum property tax rate by 50%. This change would mean the potential maximum tax rate on one’s property would be necessarily dramatically reduced thereby reducing revenue to government by up to $18B. 2) Reduce school spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, directing those savings to property owners, reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 3) Reduce municipal spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, saving property owners and reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 4) Reduce fraud and waste Statewide likely saving $3B to $5B. 5) Other miscellaneous State and municipal savings of $1B. 6) Note: Florida had a $21B surplus in its most recent budget. These funds should be added to Florida’s version of a savings account for emergencies only, the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF). 7) Last but not least, the law must be changed to allow homesteaded property owners the right to pass down properties to wives and children, without an increase in assessed value - which would otherwise make a family home instantly unaffordable and ensure that Florida families will all be involuntarily displaced.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

AI I support the responsible development of AI in Florida, provided it delivers clear benefits to Floridians and does not come at the expense of any of our residents. To that end, I would require the following conditions for any new data center: As a condition of approval, each data center must commit to building or funding additional power generation and infrastructure sufficient to supply at least 120% of its actual power consumption. This obligation would remain in effect for the entire life of the project. Additionally, data centers would be required to pay 110% of the electricity rate charged to residential customers, or 110% of the rate they normally pay, whichever is greater. The extra 10% would be credited back on a pro-rata basis to Florida’s residential ratepayers.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

CLEAN WATER AND AIR: This one is easy: take all steps necessary to make certain our water and air are clean and that Florida holds polluters accountable.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Transform Florida's slums and ghettos, and give willing residents living there a shot at the American Dream, by enacting my proposed "Oasis Act"

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Transform Florida's slums, ghettos, and war zone neighborhoods by enacting my proposed "Oasis Act”.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

MY PROPOSED "OASIS ACT" Supercharging Florida’s Forgotten – Tough Love Will Work Here, Just Like it Does at Home. Florida’s poor don’t need another handout. They need a real shot — and the support to seize it. We have too many voiceless brothers and sisters trapped in slums, ghettos, and war-zone neighborhoods that no one should have to endure. Enough is enough. We’re done subsidizing failure. We’re done watching good tax dollars vanish into programs that reward dependency and punish success. The failed “Live Local Act” and its clones are a disgrace: they deliver almost zero low-cost housing for struggling Floridians, bulldoze historic neighborhoods, and stuff millions into the pockets of connected developers and politicians. It’s corporate welfare dressed up as compassion. Enter my proposed “Oasis Act” — a no-excuses, results-driven revolution. Instead of scattering money to the wind, the Oasis Act redirects the exact same developer incentives to the worst, most dangerous, and forgotten slum parcels across Florida where the land is dirt-cheap. That means every state dollar stretches dramatically farther — and actually changes lives.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Here’s how it works, no sugarcoating: Ironclad security first. A hardened perimeter seals the entire site. One way in, one way out, with 24/7 security at the gate. Outside predators, gangs, drugs, and chaos are kept out. Period. Safe, dignified housing rises next — clean, affordable units for families who want better. Parks, playgrounds, and real neighborhood features included. Limited retail and offices go in — just enough to supply daily needs inside the Oasis. Residents will still do most of their shopping and work in the wider world. Rigorous rules. Every resident signs on to accountability: no crime, no drugs, school attendance for kids, work or training requirements for adults. Break the rules, and your spot is given to another willing to follow the rules. This isn’t a free ride — it’s a launchpad for serious and committed people who are ready to climb. Once the first Oasis proves it works, we replicate it aggressively until every blighted war zone area in Florida is transformed. One day the walls come down, the gates open, and what was a dangerous slum becomes another safe, thriving Florida neighborhood.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Reverse damage that monied interests and influential lobbyists have inflicted on local communities.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Listen and act upon the best ideas from all voices ...and Parties. Encourage camaraderie and collegiality from all elected officials in an effort to foster agreement wherever possible. Reject virulent tribalism, damaging Party politics, and views that are antithetical to our Country's founding values. Sensibly balance the power structure between Tallahassee and local governments.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Hold government accountable, delivering high quality services while controlling costs to residents.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Copy Texas and create the Florida Bullion Depository. This will allow all Florida residents, including Florida public employees, who wish to invest their savings in gold, silver or platinum a government sanctioned, safe and easily accessible way of storing and protecting their retirement savings.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Slash bloated government, wherever it is, that we don’t need – or want.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Restore trust and ‘FedEx/UPS-style’ efficiency in government: Eliminate excessive pay and pension schemes that reward career politicians and others which will eventually bankrupt our state. Any government position paying more than $250,000 must not exceed a two-year term and be reviewed and advertised for replacement, with interviews of all new applicants, every two years. Prohibit politicians and bureaucrats from wasteful travel. Require all “meetings,” “retreats,” non-physical “training,” and “education,” be conducted by Zoom only.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Rewrite the unaffordable, broken healthcare laws. Put doctors, not government and insurance companies, in charge. Make ‘Right to Try’ laws absolute. Affirm and codify “My Body, My Choice.” Free Florida medical research from bureaucratic and litigious strangulation.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

RADICALLY TRANSFORM HEALTH INSURANCE “Healthcare” has become a meaningless term. It exists only in the fantasy world of policymakers whose laws make care far more costly and complicated than it should be. Policymakers have forced insurers to cover pre-existing conditions—which is just like requiring car insurance to pay for crashes...that have already happened! It sounds compassionate, but everyone knows that’s not how insurance actually works. Yet this is exactly the broken system we have today - thanks to politicians who take orders from their handlers. Our elected leaders have so thoroughly wrecked the insurance market that it is now nearly incomprehensible. Trying to compare insurance policies is a fool’s errand. The language is impenetrable, the costs obscene, and the situation keeps getting worse. Buying any policy is little more than an act of hope that it will actually pay the bills when you need it - and it probably won’t. What can be done? We absolutely, positively must return to basics. 1) Restore real incentives for doctors—driven out of private practice by crushing costs, litigation, insurance companies, and red tape—to reopen small offices, treat patients directly, and bill as they see fit. 2) Restore the sacred doctor-patient relationship, free from bureaucratic interference.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

3) Rewrite the unaffordable, broken healthcare laws. Put doctors, not government and insurance companies, in charge. Make ‘Right to Try’ laws absolute. Affirm and codify “My Body, My Choice.” Free Florida medical research from bureaucratic and litigious strangulation.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

4) Restore our insurance market back to pricing risk, reflected in policy premiums.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

5) For healthy individuals with no pre-existing conditions - rebuild a genuine insurance market.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

6) Radically simplify the choices. Have Government create five clear, cookie-cutter standardized policy categories. For each category, create low-, medium-, and high-deductible versions—producing 15 easy-to-compare plans. Insurers would then compete aggressively on price for each and offer them in the market: a. Diamond Plan – Covers every healthcare circumstance. b. Platinum Plan – Covers most healthcare circumstances. c. Gold Plan – Covers most healthcare circumstances, excluding accidents. d. Silver Plan – Covers only accidents, not routine health issues. e. Bronze Plan – Covers 50% of the cost of most healthcare incidents or accidents.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

For people with pre-existing conditions, there is no traditional insurance option. True insurance is protection against unknown future events, not pre-existing conditions. The truth is, the pre-existing conditions insurance term is nothing more than a government-mandated subsidy scheme, a forced wealth transfer from healthy people (who pay grossly inflated premiums) to people who are already sick. Slippery politicians want you to believe that it is just another form of insurance - it is not. Worse, forcing this scheme into a legitimate market/risk-based insurance system destroys the risk-based market that functioned for centuries hurting more people than it helps. That said, a responsible safety net is essential. It must however be deliberately engineered to minimize moral hazard, and it will require real creativity.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Rewrite the broken laws and bring radical competition into the property and auto insurance market.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Make Florida's current residents, and not new arrivals, a priority in all decisions. Stop the current radical new construction boom which is turning our roads into parking lots. Choose renovation over new construction to first fix what we have, contain overgrowth and preserve the quality of life that is slowly slipping away from each Floridian due to the "Manhattanization" of our beautiful villages, towns, cities, and eventually given enough time, our entire State.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Tell the truth as to why condo owners are under financial attack after the Surfside collapse.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Transform Florida's slums and ghettos, and give willing residents living there a shot at the American Dream, by enacting my proposed "Oasis Act"

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Eliminate property taxes on homesteaded primary residences. Benefit passes down to children.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Completely rewrite broken property and auto insurance laws.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Eliminate permit fees to repair and improve your home.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Repeal the Live Local Act sham, and all others like it, put in place mostly to line the pockets of developers – who then gladly line the pockets of politicians.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Stop the “Manhattanization” and continued “over-densification” of Florida’s charming and historic communities.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Crush traffic and population gridlock by favoring smart renovation over unchecked new construction, and by favoring current residents over those who wish to move to Florida.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Transform Florida's slums, ghettos, and war zone neighborhoods by enacting my proposed "Oasis Act”.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Lawmakers must tell homeowners the truth; that not all homes and home locations can be made safe against hurricanes, and that there is not a good free market solution available for same.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Poorly constructed homes, homes in flood zones, homes near large bodies of water, are all poor risks (bets) and are likely going to be badly damaged in a hurricane, something all insurance companies will want to avoid, or charge unacceptably high premiums for.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

In the end, owners with hurricane resistant homes and safer locations will enjoy (relatively) competitive rates.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

The other homeowners and their lenders must face the reality that short of a subsidy from government, whether in the form of premium assistance or financial assistance after a hurricane, there are few good options.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

2) For homes that are not candidates for fortification initiatives, and cannot buy affordable insurance, homeowners could be incentivized, one time, to buy a new, hurricane-proof home by providing them with an additional homestead exemption amount on their new home equal to the sale price of their existing home.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Affordable and workforce housing (AWH) are critical components of any successful community. Not everyone can afford market housing options, hence the need for AWH options. To begin, AWH should be located near to the communities they serve. However, some believe that AWH should be built inside the communities they serve. This is not ideal given the cost to build AWH in an already affluent community is extremely high and severely impacts the number and quality of the units that can be built. On the contrary, AWH built nearby, in blighted or lower income areas, has many benefits. Those benefits include the ability to buy land at lower costs, build more and better-quality units, transform the blighted and lower income areas with investments in the community, including roads, sidewalks, funds for better municipal services, new and better infrastructure, community activities and programs and many other benefits that go along with large investments in new projects.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Slash and eventually eliminate property taxes for residency vested Florida homeowners and renters. For each year beyond a year-ten residency vesting period requirement, Florida homeowners would be entitled to a cumulative 10%-point increase of their existing homestead exemption, until their adjusted exemption reaches 100%. Renters in Florida, who meet the ten-year residency vesting period requirement and who go on to purchase a Florida home, would also enjoy the same cumulative 10%-point increase of their new home's homestead exemption, until their adjusted exemption reaches 100%. Additionally and critically, the adjusted homestead exemption shall be transferable to the homeowner's wife or children.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

INSURANCE: The likely best two solutions are: allow radical competition between ALL legitimate and financially strong insurance carriers. Encourage a wide menu of deductibles, so that if customers wish, they can participate in risk in return for lower premiums.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

So, since there is no good free market solution for a large number of homes, what can be done? 1) For homes that can be satisfactorily fortified against hurricanes, the total cost of approved upgrades could be offset against the property’s real estate taxes. Of course, in the short run this would impact local municipalities, but have the long-term benefit of strengthening homes, improving taxable values and retaining residents and entire neighborhoods that could be displaced following a hurricane.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

3) All home lenders must make a determination prior to the issuance of any home loan that the property’s structure is hurricane resistant and following issuance of the loan, shall not be permitted to withdraw the loan or penalize a homeowner in any way, during the term of the loan, related to the hurricane resistance of the structure.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

The real elephant in the room, however, is the massive population growth our State has experienced. As I said earlier, there is a limit to the number of people one can cram into a fixed area, and in much of our State, we have hit that limit. The solution? Stop building new housing until we can absorb the number of residents we currently have and start taking care of the Floridians who are already here and who deserve the quality of life they were promised and expect. In addition, rather than continue to build more new units, let’s fix the broken- and run-down units we already have, making housing better for all. If we stop making the problem worse by mindlessly adding more housing units, and fix and/or improve the housing units we already have, we might be able to preserve the amazing quality of life our current Florida residents envision, get our traffic nightmare under control and further increase the value of all our residents’ investment. All of that would be a home run for everyone.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

How to fund the relief. 1) Immediately reduce the Florida Constitutional maximum property tax rate by 50%. This change would mean the potential maximum tax rate on one’s property would be necessarily dramatically reduced thereby reducing revenue to government by up to $18B. 2) Reduce school spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, directing those savings to property owners, reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 3) Reduce municipal spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, saving property owners and reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 4) Reduce fraud and waste Statewide likely saving $3B to $5B. 5) Other miscellaneous State and municipal savings of $1B. 6) Note: Florida had a $21B surplus in its most recent budget. These funds should be added to Florida’s version of a savings account for emergencies only, the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF). 7) Last but not least, the law must be changed to allow homesteaded property owners the right to pass down properties to wives and children, without an increase in assessed value - which would otherwise make a family home instantly unaffordable and ensure that Florida families will all be involuntarily displaced.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

MY PROPOSED "OASIS ACT" Supercharging Florida’s Forgotten – Tough Love Will Work Here, Just Like it Does at Home. Florida’s poor don’t need another handout. They need a real shot — and the support to seize it. We have too many voiceless brothers and sisters trapped in slums, ghettos, and war-zone neighborhoods that no one should have to endure. Enough is enough. We’re done subsidizing failure. We’re done watching good tax dollars vanish into programs that reward dependency and punish success. The failed “Live Local Act” and its clones are a disgrace: they deliver almost zero low-cost housing for struggling Floridians, bulldoze historic neighborhoods, and stuff millions into the pockets of connected developers and politicians. It’s corporate welfare dressed up as compassion. Enter my proposed “Oasis Act” — a no-excuses, results-driven revolution. Instead of scattering money to the wind, the Oasis Act redirects the exact same developer incentives to the worst, most dangerous, and forgotten slum parcels across Florida where the land is dirt-cheap. That means every state dollar stretches dramatically farther — and actually changes lives.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Here’s how it works, no sugarcoating: Ironclad security first. A hardened perimeter seals the entire site. One way in, one way out, with 24/7 security at the gate. Outside predators, gangs, drugs, and chaos are kept out. Period. Safe, dignified housing rises next — clean, affordable units for families who want better. Parks, playgrounds, and real neighborhood features included. Limited retail and offices go in — just enough to supply daily needs inside the Oasis. Residents will still do most of their shopping and work in the wider world. Rigorous rules. Every resident signs on to accountability: no crime, no drugs, school attendance for kids, work or training requirements for adults. Break the rules, and your spot is given to another willing to follow the rules. This isn’t a free ride — it’s a launchpad for serious and committed people who are ready to climb. Once the first Oasis proves it works, we replicate it aggressively until every blighted war zone area in Florida is transformed. One day the walls come down, the gates open, and what was a dangerous slum becomes another safe, thriving Florida neighborhood.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

IMMIGRATION: Legal immigration is good. Uncontrolled, unvetted, unregulated, illegal immigration is bad.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Make Florida's current residents, and not new arrivals, a priority in all decisions. Stop the current radical new construction boom which is turning our roads into parking lots. Choose renovation over new construction to first fix what we have, contain overgrowth and preserve the quality of life that is slowly slipping away from each Floridian due to the "Manhattanization" of our beautiful villages, towns, cities, and eventually given enough time, our entire State.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Dismiss non-criminal traffic tickets for drivers with clean 10-year records.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Eliminate unfair paid highway express lanes.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Force local government to provide water and sewer at cost.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Crush traffic and population gridlock by favoring smart renovation over unchecked new construction, and by favoring current residents over those who wish to move to Florida.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

TRANSPORTATION: Florida is a victim of its own success. Overcrowding in our State is taking hold in our large cities and traffic is approaching gridlock levels. The problem is that our leaders believe it is possible to put 10 pounds of population into a 5-pound population bag! It is not possible and is having the predictable effect. Florida needs to continue to invest in improving and enlarging where possible, its roadways. Florida also needs to look at common sense mass transportation alternatives like more rail, bus and other transportation modes which will help move our people from point to point.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

The real elephant in the room, however, is the massive population growth our State has experienced. As I said earlier, there is a limit to the number of people one can cram into a fixed area, and in much of our State, we have hit that limit. The solution? Stop building new housing until we can absorb the number of residents we currently have and start taking care of the Floridians who are already here and who deserve the quality of life they were promised and expect. In addition, rather than continue to build more new units, let’s fix the broken- and run-down units we already have, making housing better for all. If we stop making the problem worse by mindlessly adding more housing units, and fix and/or improve the housing units we already have, we might be able to preserve the amazing quality of life our current Florida residents envision, get our traffic nightmare under control and further increase the value of all our residents’ investment. All of that would be a home run for everyone.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Listen and act upon the best ideas from all voices ...and Parties. Encourage camaraderie and collegiality from all elected officials in an effort to foster agreement wherever possible. Reject virulent tribalism, damaging Party politics, and views that are antithetical to our Country's founding values. Sensibly balance the power structure between Tallahassee and local governments.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Force local government to provide water and sewer at cost.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Repeal the Live Local Act sham, and all others like it, put in place mostly to line the pockets of developers – who then gladly line the pockets of politicians.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Stop the “Manhattanization” and continued “over-densification” of Florida’s charming and historic communities.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Data centers only permitted after a referendum vote and approval by the citizens of the targeted county and city.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

How to fund the relief. 1) Immediately reduce the Florida Constitutional maximum property tax rate by 50%. This change would mean the potential maximum tax rate on one’s property would be necessarily dramatically reduced thereby reducing revenue to government by up to $18B. 2) Reduce school spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, directing those savings to property owners, reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 3) Reduce municipal spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, saving property owners and reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 4) Reduce fraud and waste Statewide likely saving $3B to $5B. 5) Other miscellaneous State and municipal savings of $1B. 6) Note: Florida had a $21B surplus in its most recent budget. These funds should be added to Florida’s version of a savings account for emergencies only, the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF). 7) Last but not least, the law must be changed to allow homesteaded property owners the right to pass down properties to wives and children, without an increase in assessed value - which would otherwise make a family home instantly unaffordable and ensure that Florida families will all be involuntarily displaced.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Copy Texas and create the Florida Bullion Depository. This will allow all Florida residents, including Florida public employees, who wish to invest their savings in gold, silver or platinum a government sanctioned, safe and easily accessible way of storing and protecting their retirement savings.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Give our first responders every tool they need to be the best in the business. Pay them, and all our public workers a fair, competitive wage. Honor (unsustainable) defined benefit pension promises to existing employees. Offer all new employees a menu of generous defined contribution plans which provide each employee with the ability to be vested immediately, to receive a generous match from government for each dollar they contribute, to take the plan with them if they leave their current job, and to have access to all of their funds decades before they otherwise would with existing plans.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

The State of Florida has one pension system, the Florida Retirement System, (FRS). The mechanism for paying the aforementioned pension obligations is an investment account managed by the State. The required size of the investment account is determined by the revenue the account yields in relation to the number of retirees needing to be paid. Currently the account itself has become unable, on its own, to pay the amounts the State is required to pay. Given same, in order to “fix” the pension system, the State would currently have to inject $43B into the fund, an amount equal to almost 50% of the State’s entire budget. Finally with respect to the above structure to pay retirees, in the case where the investment account begins to fail, is cut significantly or goes to zero, the State will likely bear the ENTIRE responsibility to come up with all of the funds, over $200B, a second time, to restore the investment account. Given the size of the investment account, this alone could bankrupt the State and devastate our taxpayers.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Contrast the above with a 401k type account for employees, with the State making very generous contributions; an account which each employee would own. Unlike the defined benefit plan first described above, the 401K type account is a defined contribution benefit plan. The 401k type plan has several benefits. 1) It allows the employee to own their account, benefit from it and take it with them with no strings attached. 2) Since the plan belongs to the employee they can invest and do with the funds in their account upon departure from the State as they wish. 3) It allows the State to pay as you go, budget responsibly, not go into debt and retain employees by raising the State’s contribution to a level which would entice and financially motivate its employees. Lastly a 401K type plan for all new employees, which is intelligently designed, would be good for those new employees, while honoring the promises made to existing employees, and at the same time protect Florida’s residents from making financial promises that they probably can’t afford to keep.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Hold government accountable, delivering high quality services while controlling costs to residents.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Eliminate property taxes on homesteaded primary residences. Benefit passes down to children.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Eliminate permit fees to repair and improve your home.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Slash bloated government, wherever it is, that we don’t need – or want.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

2) For homes that are not candidates for fortification initiatives, and cannot buy affordable insurance, homeowners could be incentivized, one time, to buy a new, hurricane-proof home by providing them with an additional homestead exemption amount on their new home equal to the sale price of their existing home.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

The State of Florida has one pension system, the Florida Retirement System, (FRS). The mechanism for paying the aforementioned pension obligations is an investment account managed by the State. The required size of the investment account is determined by the revenue the account yields in relation to the number of retirees needing to be paid. Currently the account itself has become unable, on its own, to pay the amounts the State is required to pay. Given same, in order to “fix” the pension system, the State would currently have to inject $43B into the fund, an amount equal to almost 50% of the State’s entire budget. Finally with respect to the above structure to pay retirees, in the case where the investment account begins to fail, is cut significantly or goes to zero, the State will likely bear the ENTIRE responsibility to come up with all of the funds, over $200B, a second time, to restore the investment account. Given the size of the investment account, this alone could bankrupt the State and devastate our taxpayers.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Contrast the above with a 401k type account for employees, with the State making very generous contributions; an account which each employee would own. Unlike the defined benefit plan first described above, the 401K type account is a defined contribution benefit plan. The 401k type plan has several benefits. 1) It allows the employee to own their account, benefit from it and take it with them with no strings attached. 2) Since the plan belongs to the employee they can invest and do with the funds in their account upon departure from the State as they wish. 3) It allows the State to pay as you go, budget responsibly, not go into debt and retain employees by raising the State’s contribution to a level which would entice and financially motivate its employees. Lastly a 401K type plan for all new employees, which is intelligently designed, would be good for those new employees, while honoring the promises made to existing employees, and at the same time protect Florida’s residents from making financial promises that they probably can’t afford to keep.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Property owners deserve relief and unconscious elected leaders need to do the hard work of caring for taxpayer money, by cutting their overall budgets by at least 5% and preferably 10%.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

Slash and eventually eliminate property taxes for residency vested Florida homeowners and renters. For each year beyond a year-ten residency vesting period requirement, Florida homeowners would be entitled to a cumulative 10%-point increase of their existing homestead exemption, until their adjusted exemption reaches 100%. Renters in Florida, who meet the ten-year residency vesting period requirement and who go on to purchase a Florida home, would also enjoy the same cumulative 10%-point increase of their new home's homestead exemption, until their adjusted exemption reaches 100%. Additionally and critically, the adjusted homestead exemption shall be transferable to the homeowner's wife or children.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

So, since there is no good free market solution for a large number of homes, what can be done? 1) For homes that can be satisfactorily fortified against hurricanes, the total cost of approved upgrades could be offset against the property’s real estate taxes. Of course, in the short run this would impact local municipalities, but have the long-term benefit of strengthening homes, improving taxable values and retaining residents and entire neighborhoods that could be displaced following a hurricane.

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PROPERTY TAXES: First, they are way too high! The truth is, in the Free State of Florida, the high property tax rate is choking residents and enabling unconscious elected leaders in our cities and school boards to spend like the flow of money is never-ending.

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How to fund the relief. 1) Immediately reduce the Florida Constitutional maximum property tax rate by 50%. This change would mean the potential maximum tax rate on one’s property would be necessarily dramatically reduced thereby reducing revenue to government by up to $18B. 2) Reduce school spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, directing those savings to property owners, reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 3) Reduce municipal spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%, saving property owners and reducing revenue to government by $1.5B to $3B. 4) Reduce fraud and waste Statewide likely saving $3B to $5B. 5) Other miscellaneous State and municipal savings of $1B. 6) Note: Florida had a $21B surplus in its most recent budget. These funds should be added to Florida’s version of a savings account for emergencies only, the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF). 7) Last but not least, the law must be changed to allow homesteaded property owners the right to pass down properties to wives and children, without an increase in assessed value - which would otherwise make a family home instantly unaffordable and ensure that Florida families will all be involuntarily displaced.

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By taking all of the above-mentioned steps, the likely result would be that property values would increase, revenues to government would necessarily increase, property owners would receive desperately needed relief and government would be forced to spend the revenue it collects much more carefully.

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MY PROPOSED "OASIS ACT" Supercharging Florida’s Forgotten – Tough Love Will Work Here, Just Like it Does at Home. Florida’s poor don’t need another handout. They need a real shot — and the support to seize it. We have too many voiceless brothers and sisters trapped in slums, ghettos, and war-zone neighborhoods that no one should have to endure. Enough is enough. We’re done subsidizing failure. We’re done watching good tax dollars vanish into programs that reward dependency and punish success. The failed “Live Local Act” and its clones are a disgrace: they deliver almost zero low-cost housing for struggling Floridians, bulldoze historic neighborhoods, and stuff millions into the pockets of connected developers and politicians. It’s corporate welfare dressed up as compassion. Enter my proposed “Oasis Act” — a no-excuses, results-driven revolution. Instead of scattering money to the wind, the Oasis Act redirects the exact same developer incentives to the worst, most dangerous, and forgotten slum parcels across Florida where the land is dirt-cheap. That means every state dollar stretches dramatically farther — and actually changes lives.

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Restore trust and ‘FedEx/UPS-style’ efficiency in government: Eliminate excessive pay and pension schemes that reward career politicians and others which will eventually bankrupt our state. Any government position paying more than $250,000 must not exceed a two-year term and be reviewed and advertised for replacement, with interviews of all new applicants, every two years. Prohibit politicians and bureaucrats from wasteful travel. Require all “meetings,” “retreats,” non-physical “training,” and “education,” be conducted by Zoom only.

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Data centers only permitted after a referendum vote and approval by the citizens of the targeted county and city.

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AI I support the responsible development of AI in Florida, provided it delivers clear benefits to Floridians and does not come at the expense of any of our residents. To that end, I would require the following conditions for any new data center: As a condition of approval, each data center must commit to building or funding additional power generation and infrastructure sufficient to supply at least 120% of its actual power consumption. This obligation would remain in effect for the entire life of the project. Additionally, data centers would be required to pay 110% of the electricity rate charged to residential customers, or 110% of the rate they normally pay, whichever is greater. The extra 10% would be credited back on a pro-rata basis to Florida’s residential ratepayers.

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Lawmakers must tell homeowners the truth; that not all homes and home locations can be made safe against hurricanes, and that there is not a good free market solution available for same.

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Poorly constructed homes, homes in flood zones, homes near large bodies of water, are all poor risks (bets) and are likely going to be badly damaged in a hurricane, something all insurance companies will want to avoid, or charge unacceptably high premiums for.

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The other homeowners and their lenders must face the reality that short of a subsidy from government, whether in the form of premium assistance or financial assistance after a hurricane, there are few good options.

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So, since there is no good free market solution for a large number of homes, what can be done? 1) For homes that can be satisfactorily fortified against hurricanes, the total cost of approved upgrades could be offset against the property’s real estate taxes. Of course, in the short run this would impact local municipalities, but have the long-term benefit of strengthening homes, improving taxable values and retaining residents and entire neighborhoods that could be displaced following a hurricane.

burkettforgov.com · Sources

3) All home lenders must make a determination prior to the issuance of any home loan that the property’s structure is hurricane resistant and following issuance of the loan, shall not be permitted to withdraw the loan or penalize a homeowner in any way, during the term of the loan, related to the hurricane resistance of the structure.

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