Several election revolutions needed to kick-out lackluster governor, a few dozen incompetent special-interest legislators and appointed officials.
Texas politics killing Texas families: a slow, painful, agonizing death
Oct 18, 2005
By Peter Stern
North Texas e-News
Copyright 2005
Special interest politics and economics are killing Texas families in their wallets and quality of life, slowly but surely. After years of setting-up the public by sliding through "back-door" legislation, the corporate sector and their in-pocket state and local officials are working hard to put the screws into their taxpaying constituents.
Point of Fact: Several election revolutions are needed to kick-out a lackluster governor and a few dozen incompetent special-interest elected legislators and appointed officials.
During the past several years legislators circumvented resolving the inadequate financing of Texas public schools and the repercussions of that avoidance hit homeowners hard in their property taxes. In five years property taxes of some homeowners sky-rocketed from $2,400 to more than $10,000 per year.
Beware of promises! The governor and legislators promised to make school financing and high property taxes the sole priority. Well, blatantly stated, they lied! They did NOT resolve the school finance issue, nor were homeowners provided any relief. In fact, property taxes via tax rate and/or appraisal values rose again.
Furthermore, since the state consistently refuses to resolve the urgent inadequate public school finance issue many districts have had to hold bond elections to repair or build schools. When bond issues are approved by voters, property taxes increase again. In addition, when bond issues are approved the state has pushed its own responsibility onto local government.
Another issue hitting Texans hard is that families no longer can afford to send their children to private higher education institutions thanks to the governor and legislators, who pushed the legislation for tuition deregulation. Even with the tuition deregulation, Texans pay additional taxes to higher education institutions via the state's gasoline tax. You know, that tax that is supposed to go to building and maintaining Texas roadways? Well, a large chunk of the gas tax still goes to universities and colleges. Isn't it interesting that now after diverting those taxes to higher education the governor and legislators want to build toll roads because the state doesn't have the money available to build "free" roads?
Special interests via the governor and state officials are pushing through toll plans and approving projects contrary to the public's wishes. Texans will be paying toll taxes forever and thus, will be a plague upon our children's children. The GOP platform of "NO New Taxes" has left the state on this issue. Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn appears to be the only Republican gubernatorial candidate who plans to keep the Party's platform and who considers Texas families. Most elected officials have sold out to the highest bidder --- like, toll road icon CINTRA. Meanwhile, TxDOT is permitted to sit on taxpayer dollars until the need for toll roads becomes paramount. There is no question that TxDOT needs an independent panel for oversight to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used for those reasons taxpayer provided the dollars in the first place.
Currently, most of the mainstream Texas news media, e.g., Austin American-Statesman, Dallas Morning News, et.al., are advocating all or most of the proposed amendments (November 8th election) to the Texas Constitution PROMISING voters that these 9 proposals are in the best interests of the Texas community.
Voters need to think for one minute.... Now, where have we heard that before?
VOTE "NO" ON ALL PROPOSITIONS on November 8th!
VOTE OUT ALL SPECIAL INTEREST INCUMBENTS in the next several elections!
Peter Stern
© Copyright 2002-2005 by North Texas e-News, llc www.ntxe-news.com
Oct 18, 2005
By Peter Stern
North Texas e-News
Copyright 2005
Special interest politics and economics are killing Texas families in their wallets and quality of life, slowly but surely. After years of setting-up the public by sliding through "back-door" legislation, the corporate sector and their in-pocket state and local officials are working hard to put the screws into their taxpaying constituents.
Point of Fact: Several election revolutions are needed to kick-out a lackluster governor and a few dozen incompetent special-interest elected legislators and appointed officials.
During the past several years legislators circumvented resolving the inadequate financing of Texas public schools and the repercussions of that avoidance hit homeowners hard in their property taxes. In five years property taxes of some homeowners sky-rocketed from $2,400 to more than $10,000 per year.
Beware of promises! The governor and legislators promised to make school financing and high property taxes the sole priority. Well, blatantly stated, they lied! They did NOT resolve the school finance issue, nor were homeowners provided any relief. In fact, property taxes via tax rate and/or appraisal values rose again.
Furthermore, since the state consistently refuses to resolve the urgent inadequate public school finance issue many districts have had to hold bond elections to repair or build schools. When bond issues are approved by voters, property taxes increase again. In addition, when bond issues are approved the state has pushed its own responsibility onto local government.
Another issue hitting Texans hard is that families no longer can afford to send their children to private higher education institutions thanks to the governor and legislators, who pushed the legislation for tuition deregulation. Even with the tuition deregulation, Texans pay additional taxes to higher education institutions via the state's gasoline tax. You know, that tax that is supposed to go to building and maintaining Texas roadways? Well, a large chunk of the gas tax still goes to universities and colleges. Isn't it interesting that now after diverting those taxes to higher education the governor and legislators want to build toll roads because the state doesn't have the money available to build "free" roads?
Special interests via the governor and state officials are pushing through toll plans and approving projects contrary to the public's wishes. Texans will be paying toll taxes forever and thus, will be a plague upon our children's children. The GOP platform of "NO New Taxes" has left the state on this issue. Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn appears to be the only Republican gubernatorial candidate who plans to keep the Party's platform and who considers Texas families. Most elected officials have sold out to the highest bidder --- like, toll road icon CINTRA. Meanwhile, TxDOT is permitted to sit on taxpayer dollars until the need for toll roads becomes paramount. There is no question that TxDOT needs an independent panel for oversight to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used for those reasons taxpayer provided the dollars in the first place.
Currently, most of the mainstream Texas news media, e.g., Austin American-Statesman, Dallas Morning News, et.al., are advocating all or most of the proposed amendments (November 8th election) to the Texas Constitution PROMISING voters that these 9 proposals are in the best interests of the Texas community.
Voters need to think for one minute.... Now, where have we heard that before?
VOTE "NO" ON ALL PROPOSITIONS on November 8th!
VOTE OUT ALL SPECIAL INTEREST INCUMBENTS in the next several elections!
Peter Stern
© Copyright 2002-2005 by North Texas e-News, llc
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Tuesday, October 18, 2005
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