佛罗里达州选民正在权衡是否应取消住宅房产税，而该州州长为应对可能造成的巨额收入损失提出了一个办法：向加拿大人多征税。
Florida voters are weighing whether to scrap residential property taxes and the state's governor has a solution to that potentially huge revenue loss: tax Canadians more.
在佛罗里达州拥有房产的加拿大居民称，自美国总统唐纳德·特朗普去年重新上台并推行明显反加方的政策以来，针对他们、迫使他们拿出更多钱的威胁，不过是一连串 insult 中的最新一桩。
Canadians who own property in Florida describe the threats to shake them down for more money as just the latest insult in a series of them since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to power last year with a decidedly anti-Canada agenda.
共和党籍州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯一直抨击房产税。这笔税收为地方政府及其提供的各种服务提供资金，包括执法、消防、紧急医疗救护、灾害应对准备和灭蚊等。他把房产税比作一种现代封建主义，称房主仅仅因为使用自己的房产，就不得不“向政府掏钱”。为终结这种制度，德桑蒂斯正在推动第3号修正案。这项由其共和党州议会盟友拟定的 ballot measure，将交由选民在下个月的中期选举中表决。
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has railed against property taxes, which fund local governments and the services they provide — law enforcement, fire, EMS, disaster preparation and mosquito control, among many others — equating them to a form of modern-day feudalism where homeowners must "pony up money to the government just for the courtesy of using your own property." To end this, DeSantis is pushing Amendment 3, a ballot measure crafted by his Republican statehouse allies that will be put to voters in the midterm election next month.
如果获得通过，佛罗里达州所谓的“宅地居民”——即永久居民——现有房产税豁免额将大幅提高。
If passed, Florida "homesteaders," as permanent residents are called, will see a dramatic increase in an existing property tax exemption.
据州长办公室数据，任何主要住所价值在25万美元或以下的佛罗里达居民都无需缴纳房产税，这类居民约占所有宅地居民的60%，不过这一数字受到质疑；住房价值高于这一标准的居民，其缴税额也将远低于目前。该措施还要求州政府逐步彻底取消宅地居民的房产税。
Any Floridian with a primary residence valued at $250,000 US or less — about 60 per cent of all homesteaders, according to the governor's office, although that figure has been questioned— would pay nothing and those with a home worth more than that would pay much less than they do now. The measure also calls on the state to eliminate homesteader property taxes entirely over time.
这项宪法修正案需要获得60%的超级多数票才能通过，而至少一项最近的民调显示，它将轻松跨过这一门槛。州经济学家预计，此举每年将造成约120亿美元的税收缺口，迫使依赖这些税收的地方和县级政府大幅削减开支、寻找新的收入来源，或两者兼施。
This constitutional amendment requires a 60 per cent supermajority, and at least one recent poll suggests it will easily clear that hurdle State economists project such a move will cost about $12 billion US annually forcing local and county governments that depend on these taxes to make deep cuts, find new revenue elsewhere or both.
对于那些在佛罗里达州拥有价值约600亿美元房产的加拿大人来说，情况可能会变得更为昂贵。德桑蒂斯明确表示，这些人是填补预期预算缺口的重要资源。
That's where things could get more expensive for the Canadians who own an estimated $60 billion US worth of property in the Sunshine State. DeSantis has explicitly described them as a resource to tap to close expected budget gaps.
“我们必须把重点放在佛罗里达州的居民身上，尤其是本地房主。我们需要把减税优惠集中给予他们，”德桑蒂斯在去年的一场新闻发布会上这样说道。当时他正在为自己提出的降低房产税而非削减销售税的提议进行辩护。
"We need to focus on our Florida residents. And focus on, in this case, Florida homeowners, particularly our homesteaded homeowners, and we need to focus the relief there," DeSantis said at a news conference last year defending his call for lower property taxes instead of a sales tax cut.
“我希望加拿大游客和巴西游客能为该州提供财政支持，从而让佛罗里达州居民少缴税。我可不想给加拿大人减税。”今年6月，德桑蒂斯在接受福克斯商业频道采访时说道。他表示，如果该提案获得通过，本地房主的房产税收入虽会大幅减少，但加拿大房产持有者却无法享受到任何减税优惠，这反倒有助于充实地方财政。
"I want Canadian tourists and Brazilian tourists subsidizing the state and making it so Florida residents pay less taxes. I don't want to give Canadians a tax cut." In an interview with Fox Business in June, DeSantis said that while homesteader property tax revenue will be a fraction of what it once was if the measure passes, Canadian property owners won't see any of that relief, which could help pad local coffers.
“地方政府会对非本地居民所拥有的房产征税——包括普通住宅、用于出租的Airbnb房源、加拿大‘候鸟式’房主的房产以及商业地产。这些都是相当可观的收入来源，”德桑蒂斯这样描述地方及县级政府的税收来源。
"They tax property that is non-homestead: residential, Airbnb, Canadian snowbirds, commercial. That's a lot of money that they have," DeSantis said of local and county governments.
这项提案在为佛罗里达州居民减税的同时，还规定由加拿大人或其他非本地居民拥有的非本地房产，其评估价值每年最多可上涨5%，从而稳步增加地方政府的税收收入。
While reducing taxes for Floridians, the ballot measure also dictates that the assessed value of a non-homesteaded property — owned by a Canadian or another non-resident — can increase by up to 5 per cent a year, steadily raising the revenue local governments can collect.
“这样一来，地方政府无需新增税种就能从现有税收中获得更多收入，很快就能步入稳定的财政状态，”德桑蒂斯说道。“候鸟式”房主忍无可忍德桑蒂斯经常拿加拿大开玩笑——甚至调侃该国屡战屡败的冰球队。起初，他嘲笑因贸易争端引发的加拿大游客抵制行为，认为这种抵制不会产生实质性影响；然而去年，佛罗里达州旅游局的报告显示，来自加拿大的游客数量出现了两位数的降幅。一些已在该州定居多年的加拿大人早已对这些嘲讽忍无可忍。
"They are going to start getting more revenue from existing taxes without having to add new taxes and they're going to end up in a very stable situation very shortly," DeSantis said. Snowbirds 'fed up' DeSantis has routinely poked at Canada — including its perennially losing hockey teams. He initially mocked the trade war-induced travel boycott, saying he didn't think it would meaningfully materialize, only to see his state tourism bureau report a double-digit drop in Canadian arrivals last year. Some Canadians who have put down seasonal roots in the state have had enough of the taunts.
来自安大略省威亚顿的格伦·麦吉尔过去15年来一直在佛罗里达州北迈尔斯堡过冬。这里曾是众多寻求阳光的加拿大人的聚居地。
Glenn McGill of Wiarton, Ont., has been wintering in North Fort Myers, Fla., a community once well-populated with fellow Canadian sunseekers, for the last 15 years.
但在特朗普再次当选后，据他描述，大量加拿大人纷纷离开这个他与妻子黛布视作“第二家园”的养老社区，形成了一种“蜂拥而出”的态势。
But after Trump's second win there's been what he describes as a "stampede" of Canadians out of the park he and his wife Deb long thought of as a second home.
他表示，如今在这个规模庞大的养老社区里仅剩下4名加拿大人，这一数字远远不及他最初移居南方时的规模。
He says there are only four Canadians left in the sprawling retirement community, a fraction of what there once was when he first started going south.
不少“候鸟族”加拿大人如今都想离开佛罗里达。由于当地房地产市场不景气，他们很难脱身。麦吉尔指出，德桑蒂斯威胁要依靠加拿大人来弥补流失的房产税收入，这一举措只会促使更多加拿大人离开，他自己也不例外——他已将自己的房子挂牌出售。
Some snowbirds want out of Florida. A bad housing market makes it hard to leave McGill said DeSantis's threat to lean on Canadians to make up for lost property tax revenue will only drive more of them away, including himself — he listed his home for sale.
“他们就是一群贪婪的混蛋，”麦吉尔在接受加拿大广播公司新闻采访时说道，“他们想把加拿大人赶走。”他还说：“那些家境优渥的人倒是无所谓，但我们既不算富有也不算穷困，原本能轻松享受在佛罗里达的生活。可要是开始要缴纳额外税款，那就麻烦了。”
"They're a greedy bunch of SOBs," McGill said in an interview with CBC News. "They want to drive Canadians out." "Those who are well off really don't care but we're not rich, we're not broke, we can do the Florida thing comfortably, but starting to pay extra taxes — that would hurt," he said.
“至于特朗普引发的这些政治风波，我真是受够了。”由于大量加拿大人纷纷离开或不再前来，麦吉尔称作为卖家，他在佛罗里达的房产销售过程异常艰难。
"And this political thing with Trump, I've had enough of it." With so many Canadians leaving or staying away, McGill says the housing market in Florida has been tough to navigate as a seller.
“市场行情相当冷淡，”他说道，“房子虽然挂牌了，却迟迟卖不出去。”在佛罗里达州墨西哥湾沿岸地区，加拿大人占外国购房者的绝大多数。
"The market's pretty dry," he said. "It's listed, but it hasn't sold yet." Canadians make up the vast majority of foreign property buyers in areas along Florida's Gulf Coast.
据Realtor.com的数据显示，在包括麦吉尔所住社区在内的开普科勒尔大都会区，加拿大人占国际购房需求的70%以上。
According to Realtor.com data, Canadians represent more than 70 per cent of international demand in the Cape Coral metropolitan area, which includes McGill's community.
由于加拿大人的购房需求远不及贸易战前的水平，该机构指出当地卖家正面临“实实在在的价格压力”，其房产挂牌时间也显著长于全国平均水平。根据该机构的预测，历来最受加拿大人青睐的佛罗里达州地区，今年房价预计会出现最大幅度的下跌。
And with Canadian sales nowhere near pre-trade war levels the firm says local sellers face " real pricing pressure " with properties listed for weeks longer than the national average The areas of Florida that have historically attracted the most Canadian interest are projected to see the largest drop in home prices this year, according to the firm's projections.
埃迪·乌斯利是反对房产税提案的团体“投票反对3号提案”的发言人。她预计，如果该税收政策得以实施，大量加拿大人可能会抛售在佛罗里达州的房产，进而引发房地产市场的剧烈震荡。
Edie Ousley, a spokesperson for Vote No on 3, a group opposing the property tax ballot measure, anticipates more housing market shocks given a possible flood of new Canadian-owned home listings if this tax change takes effect.
“天哪，如果大批加拿大人撤离佛罗里达，我一点也不会感到意外——他们将受到极大的冲击，”乌斯利在采访中说道。
"Gosh, it wouldn't surprise me if there's an exodus of Canadians — they are going to be hit significantly," Ousley said in an interview. "Amendment 3 is a train wreck.
“3号修正案简直就是一场灾难。对佛罗里达州居民而言是灾难，对那些冬季来此度假的人而言也是灾难。那些来自加拿大的‘候鸟式”购房者也将面临额外税负——这其实是税负转移，根本算不上减税，”她补充道。“所有人都会受损”乌斯利指出，即便加拿大人在佛罗里达州的居住人数有所减少，也远远无法弥补因房产税政策取消而造成的损失。
It's a train wreck for Floridians. It's a train wreck for those who come in the winter. Those Canadian snowbirds are going to be impacted with additional taxes — this is a tax shift, it's not tax relief," she said. 'Everyone is going to lose' Ousley said a shrinking Canadian population base alone can't replace what will be lost if homestead taxes disappear.
许多地方政府已发出警告：税基的骤然缩水将严重损害公共服务水平，尤其是执法力量以及紧急呼叫响应效率。“削减开支的结果是所有人都会受损，”她说道。
Many municipalities are already warning that a sudden erosion in their tax base will decimate public services, most notably law enforcement and 911 response times. "Everyone is going to lose with cuts," she said.
来自渥太华的约翰·梅因因为听腻了那些他原本视为朋友的人反复宣扬特朗普针对加拿大的苛刻言论，于是卖掉了自己在佛罗里达州基韦斯特的公寓。
John May of Ottawa offloaded his Key West, Fla., condo after getting sick of hearing people he thought were friends parrot Trump's harsh rhetoric about Canada.
他说，自己仿佛置身于“愚蠢的汪洋大海”之中，关于加拿大的虚假言论随处可见。
He said he felt like he was swimming in "a sea of stupidity" with falsehoods about his country commonplace.
“特朗普会说出一些愚蠢言论，比如‘加拿大是美国第51个州’之类的，那些人就站在那里大笑。我心里就想：‘唉，我对你们彻底失去敬意了，’”梅因在采访中说道。
"Trump would say something stupid, Governor Trudeau, 51st state and all that, and they'd stand there and laugh and I'd say to myself, 'Well, I just lost all respect for you,'" May said in an interview.
“后来我就开始刻意避开这些人，因为我知道他们又会聊什么话题。要是试图和特朗普的支持者进行理性讨论，纯属徒劳，”他补充道。
"And then you start avoiding people because you know what the conversation is going to be. If you try and have a logical discussion with somebody who's a Trumper, just forget about it," he said.
曾在特朗普重新执政前多年都在佛罗里达州劳德代尔堡过冬的加拿大人乔-安·罗也有着类似的经历。
Jo-Ann Rowe, a Canadian who was wintering in Fort Lauderdale for years with no issue before Trump's return, had the same experience.
“关于‘加拿大是美国第51个州’的说法，我的美国朋友们都觉得挺好笑。可我完全不觉得好笑，”她说。
"The 51st state thing, my American friends all thought that was quite funny. And I really don't," she said.
她离开佛罗里达州，前往墨西哥巴亚尔塔港的一处租赁房产。"我觉得这完全是不尊重。我就是受不了了，这是我能做的一点微薄之力，"她说。
She left Florida for a rental property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. "I found it totally disrespectful. And I just couldn't do it anymore, this was my little part to do," she said.
来自安大略省阿尔蒙特的莉莉·怀特过去25年一直去佛罗里达州坦帕附近的塔尔蓬斯普林斯，以及该州另一侧的弗拉格勒海滩，以躲避加拿大的严冬。
Lilly White of Almonte, Ont., spent the last 25 years going to Tarpon Springs, Fla., near Tampa and then Flagler Beach on the other side of the state to escape Canadian winters.
怀特对在那里的时光赞不绝口，但表示在"特朗普2.0时代"情况发生了剧变，她不得不离开。"不是说我们不喜欢那里。只是现在让我们感到不自在。我们永远爱美国。他们永远是我们的邻居，永远是朋友。这是我们可以做出的选择。但我们也可以选择不掉进那边正在发生的事情的兔子洞里，"她在采访中说。"我不喜欢钻牛角尖，"怀特说，任何向加拿大人征收更多财产税的举措，对多年来向该州经济注入大量资金的人来说都是不公平的。
White describes her time there in glowing terms, but said things changed dramatically in the Trump 2.0 era and she had to leave. "It's not that we don't like it. We're just uncomfortable now. We'll always love the U.S. They'll always be our neighbours. They will always be friends. That's a choice we can make. But we can also choose not to fall down the rabbit hole of what's going on over there right now," she said in an interview. "I don't like rabbit holes White said any move to take more property taxes from Canadians is unfair to those who have pumped a lot of money into the state's economy over the years.
她说，许多依赖加拿大"候鸟族"涌入的小企业，肯定正因访客数量在双边关系恶化中暴跌而遭受损失。
The many small businesses that rely on an influx of Canadian snowbirds are surely hurting as visitor figures plummet amid the bilateral bad blood, she said.
数据显示，加拿大人是该州最大的单一国际旅游来源，今年旺季冬季的访问次数下降了20%。"我无法想象企业损失了多少。我知道有多少朋友不再去那边了。而我们曾是大手大脚的消费者，"她说。
Canadians are by the far largest single source of international tourism to the state, and the number of trips dropped by 20 per cent in the prime winter season this year, data shows. "I can't imagine how much the businesses are losing. I know how many of my friends are not going down anymore. And we were big spenders," she said.