From The Miami Herald:

Q. What’s your overall philosophy about taxes?

A. The kindness needs to be extended to the taxpayer, a kinder, gentler government to the citizens. That’s a phrase that I think that maybe George Bush Sr. developed. Property taxes are always an issue. Property taxes are an issue in my district. Don’t forget, I pay property taxes, too. I’m not exempt from it. We’ll be looking at the recapture rule [which lets local governments keep taxes up as property values fall], the presumption of correctness with property appraisers and putting the burden on the government to justify the appraisal process. We have to go out and pursue and work on restoring the partnership and the trust between governmental bodies, and that’s got to be a two-way street.

Q. You’re new in this position and you have 36 new members. Do members understand your agenda for the next two years?

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