Gaetz Wants End To Sports League Tax Exemptions
September 27, 2017
Update: In a Monday press release, Congressman Matt Gaetz stated that the NFL League Office is tax exempt. While still eligible to be tax exempt, they voluntarily relinquished that status in 2015. When questioned by NorthEscambia.com Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for Gaetz made that clarification and issued an updated statement that is below..
Tuesday, Congressman Matt Gaetz became the lead sponsor of a bill that ends the tax-exempt status of professional sports leagues.
The NFL League Office received a special tax carveout from 1966 until it was voluntarily relinquished in 2015. Though individual teams were not tax-exempt, the NFL League Office was. They are responsible for the construction and development of new stadiums, paid for with over 6.5 billion taxpayer dollars. Tax-exempt revenues for professional sports leagues are higher than $2 billion. According to the Internal Revenue Service, businesses that conduct operations for profit on a “cooperative basis” should not qualify for tax-exempt treatment, yet a special exemption is made for professional sports leagues.
“Though the NFL voluntarily relinquished their tax exempt status in 2015, the NHL, PGA, and LPGA remain tax exempt. There is nothing that prevents the NFL from reclaiming its status. My legislation would end this loophole and generate over $150 million in new revenue over 10 years, according to 2016 estimates,” Gaetz said in a clarified statement Wednesday morning.
“Like many Americans, I was dismayed and disgusted to see multimillionaire athletes sitting or kneeling during the national anthem. Standing for the national anthem shows respect for our nation, and for the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms,” Rep. Gaetz said. “Those hard-fought freedoms include freedom of speech, and free speech does include protest. But nowhere in the Constitution does it say that Americans are required to subsidize disrespect for America, or to have their tax dollars wasted on corporate welfare to sports teams. Tax reform is currently the top priority of Congress. We must close this loophole in the tax code, and end taxpayer subsidies for professional athletics. If players want to protest, they have that right — but they should do it on their own time, and on their own dime.”
In 2016, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that this bill would bring in approximately 150 million dollars in new revenue over ten years.
Job Fair: School District Hiring Support Personnel
September 27, 2017
The Escambia County School District will hold a job fair Thursday for educational support personnel (ESPs).
ESP positions include school bus providers (CDL training provided), teacher’s assistants, substitute teacher’s assistants, food service assisstants, maintenance workers and more.
The job fair will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thursday at 30 East Texar Drive in Pensacola.
These jobs are great positions for parents who would like their work schedule to be similar to their child’s schedule because fall break, winter break and spring break dates would match, according to the school district.
Multiple positions are available at schools in the North Escambia area.
Nursing Homes Look For Answers On Generator Costs
September 27, 2017
With time running out to comply with what could be a $240 million generator mandate handed down by Gov Rick Scott, nursing-home administrators and long-term care lobbyists left a Tuesday meeting without an indication of what, if anything the state will do to help offset the costs.
Members of a nursing-home payment workgroup may have to wait until November before state Medicaid officials discuss generators and whether the facilities can be reimbursed under an existing cost-based reimbursement system that has been in effect for more than 20 years or through a prospective payment system that starts in October 2018. Under a prospective payment system, facilities receive prepaid fixed amounts.
Scott this month directed the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Elder Affairs to issue emergency rules requiring every nursing home and assisted living facility to have a generator that can power air conditioning for 96 hours. He made the move after the deaths of residents of a Broward County nursing home, where Hurricane Irma knocked out the air-conditioning system.
Florida Health Care Association chief lobbyist Bob Azstalos asked Medicaid staff during Tuesday’s meeting to provide the workgroup members with background information that shows how generators would be reimbursed under the existing cost-based system compared to under the prospective payment system, which was passed by the Legislature during the 2017 session.
“I would kind of like some background understanding,” Azstalos told Tom Wallace, the Agency for Health Care Administration’s interim assistant deputy secretary for Medicaid finance and analytics.
Wallace made no promises but said Medicaid officials would “talk internally” and see what could be done.
In opening remarks, Medicaid Director Beth Kidder told members of the Nursing Home Prospective Payment Working Group that while generators may be on their minds, they need to focus on a legislative requirement to submit a report to the governor and legislative leaders with recommendations about how to best transition to the new payment system.
“I know there is a lot of post-mortem going on and there’s issues with generators that are focusing a lot of your time, a lot of your thoughts; so it’s kind of hard to drag your attention back to something that seems like it was years ago, but I do appreciate you all being here so soon after getting through this event,” she said.
Lorne Simmons, with the accounting and consulting firm Moore Stephens Lovelace PA, told industry officials last week that it would cost an estimated $350,000 for a 120-bed nursing home to add a generator. In all, he estimated a tab of $240 million.
The mandate came in the aftermath of the deaths of eight residents of The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Broward County. Three more seniors who had been residents of the facility died last week.
The nursing home lost its air conditioning system Sept. 10 when Hurricane Irma knocked out a transformer. The air conditioning had not been restored three days later when the eight deaths occurred and the rest of the facility’s residents were evacuated.
Under the emergency rules ordered by Scott, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities have 45 days to submit plans that would include acquiring generators to ensure temperatures could be maintained at 80 degrees or cooler for 96 hours after losing electricity. Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities would have to carry out the plans within 60 days.
Under state law, emergency rules are designed to be in effect for only 90 days. But lawmakers are already preparing to consider the generator issue during the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January.
The prospective payment workgroup was established after a bitter intra-industry legislative fight over how Medicaid reimburses nursing home providers. The Florida Health Care Association pressed hard for adoption of a prospective payment system and an underlying formula used to help determine how the money is spent and had the support of the Florida Senate.
LeadingAge Florida, which represents smaller nursing homes and senior retirement facilities, tried to beat back the move, arguing that the underlying formula shifted money from high-quality nursing homes and directed it to lower quality nursing homes. Ultimately the Legislature agreed to approve the prospective payment system but delayed implementation for a year.
The Legislature established a workgroup and directed it to review the formula and to recommend any adjustments, if necessary, to the agency, the governor, the Senate president and the House speaker by Dec. 1.
The workgroup was supposed to meet earlier this month, but the Agency for Health Care Administration had to reschedule the meeting because of Hurricane Irma.
In all, it will meet three times before finalizing a report. The next scheduled meeting is Oct. 19 in Tallahassee.
by Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida
Century Business Fire Under Investigation
September 26, 2017
The cause of a commercial building fire in Century Monday night is under investigation.
Passersby reported smoke and flames to be coming from the roof and door of the former used car lot building at the corner of North Century Boulevard and East Cottage Street about 9:50 p.m. The fire was quickly brought under control with moderate damage to the 1,080 square foot building.
There were no injuries reported.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office was called to investigate the cause of the fire.
The building now houses a used merchandise business.
The Century and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Jay Fire Department, Flomaton Fire Department, Atmore Fire Department, Escambia County (FL) EMS, Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office and the Flomaton Police Department were among the agencies responding.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Mintz Lane In Cantonment To Be Closed Thursday
September 26, 2017
Mintz Lane at Muscogee Road in Cantonment will be closed to all traffic Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Construction will consist of upgrading the existing drainage facilities under Mintz Lane, in association with the Muscogee Road widening and drainage improvement project.
Traffic will be detoured via Pace Parkway. The closures/detours are expected to remain in effect for approximately one day.
Every effort will be made to expedite construction efforts to reopen the roads in a timely manner. If other lane or roadway closures are necessary beyond the anticipated time period, another notice will be issued.
October 1-7 Proclaimed As National 4-H Week In Escambia County
September 26, 2017
The Escambia County Commission recently proclaimed October 1-7 as National 4-H Week in Escambia County. The commission’s proclamation also encourages all citizens to recognize the 4-H organization “for the significant impact it has made and continues to make by empowering youth with the skills they need to lead for a lifetime”.
Hurricane Irma Claims Mount — Including 90 Claims In Escambia County
September 26, 2017
Property-insurance claims from Hurricane Irma continue to mount, nearing $3.6 billion in estimated insured losses as of a weekend count — including 90 claims for damage in Escambia County.
As of Saturday night, 562,262 claims had been filed, with the estimated losses at $3,579,859,034, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. The largest number of claims, 63,823, had been filed in Miami-Dade County, the state website said. Others with large numbers included Orange County, with 48,505 claims; Broward County, with 43,845 claims; and Lee County, with 41,799 claims.
Hurricane Irma struck the Florida Keys on Sept. 10 and then made a second landfall in Collier County, moving up the entire length of the state before exiting as a tropical storm on September 11. The insurance claims show the heaviest property losses appear to be in the southern portion of the state, where the storm was in its most powerful stages.
Of the 90 claims filed in Escambia County to date, 21 claims have been paid, nine have been closed with no payment and 60 remain open.
Jim Allen Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
September 26, 2017
Jim Allen Elementary School has named Students of the Month for September. They are Austin King (left) and Dasia Vickers. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Proposal Would Pay Tuition For Some At Florida Colleges
September 26, 2017
A South Florida Democrat filed a proposal Monday that calls for the state to pay the tuition costs of many students at state colleges. Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park, filed the measure (HB 181), which would create the “Sunshine Scholarship Program.” Under the proposal, the state would pay 100 percent of tuition costs for state-college students with household incomes of $125,000 or less. The proposal would impose other requirements, including that students would have to live and work in Florida for periods of time after finishing their studies or leaving college. Also, the funding would apply only to tuition, not other costs associated with college. The bill is filed for the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January.
by The News Service of Florida
Court Approves Class Action Lawsuit Against International Paper Over 2014 Flooding
September 25, 2017
A federal judge has approved a class action notice in a lawsuit against International Paper over flooding in several neighborhoods.
The class action suit against IP claims that flooding during record rainfall in April 2014 was caused by failure of the “Kingsfield Road Dam”, located on IP’s mill property in Cantonment. The plantiffs claim IP was negligent by not properly maintaining or removing the dam.
Chief Judge M. Casey Rodgers of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida has granted class action status to a lawsuit brought on behalf of owners of real property as of April 29, 2014, in the Bristol Park, Bristol
Woods, Bristol Creek, or Ashbury Hills subdivisions in Cantonment.
“We are pleased that the Federal Court has Certified this Class Action against International Paper, on behalf of the residents of Bristol Park and Asbury Hills subdivisions. We look forward to fighting for our clients at the trial which is set to begin February 20, 2018,” said J.J. Talbott, one of the plantiff attorneys in the case.
The lawsuit claims that between 10:30 and 11:30 p.m., a large “swell” or “wave” of water breached and overflowed into Eleven Mile Creek, including the Bristol Park and Ashbury Hills subdivisions, Devine Farms Road and other surrounding areas, as a result of International Paper’s dam or levee. Both residential areas are located in “Flood Zone X” on flood insurance maps, meaning they are not in special flood hazard areas and require no mandatory flood insurance.
The failure, the lawsuit asserts, was the result of IP’s negligence in maintaining the Eleven Mile Creek Dam and levee, failure to counteract continued development, failed to control debris buildup in and around the dam, and of a failure to notify those downstream of the potential or ultimate failure of the levee system.
The lawsuit seeks damages for loss and damage to personal and real property, diminished property values, loss of enjoyment, mental anguish, loss of income and additional expenses due to the flooding in the neighborhoods.
International Paper has denied responsibility for the flooding, contending that he flooding was caused by the rainfall during the April 29-30 storm.
In a May 2014 statement, International Paper told NorthEcambai.com:
“On April 29, 2014, the Pensacola Mill experienced the storm/flood event that the rest of the county experienced. There was significant erosion and wash-out of an inactive erosion control structure near Kingsfield Road. The structure was previously used to control erosion at this now abandoned outfall point, but it has been out of service since the mill completed transition to the pipeline in October of 2012.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been directly affected by the area floods. Many of our team members were impacted by this event. On April 29, record storm water flows from across the entire 48-square mile watershed of Elevenmile creek rapidly exceeded the capacity of the creek. During and after the storm, the Pensacola mill continued to discharge to our pipeline, which bypasses the Elevenmile creek watershed. No part of the mill’s waste treatment facility failed or collapsed during or after the storm event. We have fully communicated with both state and local agencies regarding the impacts of the storm on the Pensacola mill.”
Pictured: Aerial photos provide by Attorney J.J Talbott show what he said is the failure a dam and levee owned by International Paper that allowed flood waters to rush down Eleven Mile Creek. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
