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On Perry’s State of the State Address

Watching the State of the State address from the House Gallery, the president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility said on Gov. Rick Perry’s speech was a positive one for Texas’ taxpayers.

Text of Perry’s State of the State Address

Following is the text of Governor Rick Perry’s “State of the State” Address offered at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, in accordance with the Texas Constitution.

A Billion Here…

With state agencies leaving nearly $1 billion in fees and fines uncollected, taxpayers are potentially on the hook for picking up those operating costs. TFR’s Michael Quinn Sullivan told the Associated Press it’s "incumbent on our state agencies to collect these fees." The El Paso Times editorial board agreed, noting, "Texas taxpayers are paying more than enough already without having to underwrite fines and fees that are going uncollected."

Legislature Needs Strong Fiscal Leadership

With the national economic outlook continuing to look dim, Texans must insist that the Legislature focus on policies that ensure the state’s fiscal soundness. Whoever leads the Texas House must be committed to spending restraint, low taxes, property tax reform and a competitive business environment, the president of the state’s most active taxpayer accountability group said today.

TIF Tax Is Dead

Texans are finally rid of a tax, thanks to action taken by the Texas Legislature in 2007. The Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund tax has now been eliminated, an action championed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. At a press conference in the Capitol today, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and TFR’s Michael Quinn Sullivan celebrated the end of the tax.