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The Freedom Forum False Information Printed in the NWFDNFrom: Richard Vajs CommentsIn last Sunday's newspaper, the NWFDaily News published in it's Political Section an article about Richard Vajs, write-in candidate for Property Appraiser, which was totally false. In fact, what was written amounted to Libel. It seems they got their information from Mr. Vajs' opponent and didn't bother to confirm it. Practically everything in the article was either grossly misleading or an outright falsehood. The newspaper has since checked the information and learned of their errors and have agreed to print a retraction...(hopefully before the election and not hidden in an obscure location in the paper.) However, they refuse to print Mr Vajs' letter to the editor to address one of the misstatements that was made in the article...namely his opponent's statement that "Mr Vajs simply has not read the law."(It wasn't possible to address all of the erroneous statements in only 200 words) Below is the letter they refused to publish: "Back in 1994, Florida voters approved a Constitutional Amendment entitled, "Save Our Homes". The intent of this Amendment was to limit property assessment increases to residential property to a maximum of 3% or the c.p.i. (consumer price index) in any given year. The voters wanted to stop runaway taxation of their homes. "By the time the Legislature implemented this Amendment, the wording had gotten changed so the new law read that homestead and residential property assessments HAD TO BE raised 3% or the c.p.i. (whichever was less) each and every year. This means that in a flat or declining market, homestead and residential property assessments get increased the maximum every year even if commercial property assessments get reduced (to follow the market). "Even officials at the state's Department of Revenue realize fraud has been promulgated. A bureau chief at the DOR, Mr. Hugh Harrel, told me that the DOR has been expecting some county Property Appraiser to challenge this law. But, he said, "no-one has come forth". "The incumbent Okaloosa County Property Appraiser, Mr. Pete Smith, has not "come forth". If I’m elected Property Appraiser, I have every intention of "coming forth". Richard Vajs ______ Last changed: March 04, 2008
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