In HD-48, Republican Dan Neil is taking his recount battle to unseat incumbent State Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin) directly to the Texas Legislature. Travis County officials are now admitting that (some?) straight-ticket overseas ballots were counted for the November election, but only in statewide races.
PhilFountain
Latest Snub To Military Voters
Following an election recount last week, State Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin) has been declared the winner in HD-48 by 12 votes. But were all the votes counted? Not so, according to Dan Neil, her Republican challenger, who claims Travis County didn’t properly count the ballots of military members serving overseas.
Texas Sales Tax Nexus
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs is challenging Amazon.com for not paying sales taxes while they operated a facility in Irving between 2005 and 2009. Some liberals are saying her action is no different than Bill White’s push for a new Internet Sales Tax. They clearly don’t know much about taxes.
A Rose By Any Other Name
It was revealed this week that four-term incumbent State Rep. Patrick Rose (D-San Marcos) has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which is a commitment to taxpayers to “oppose and vote against any all efforts to increase taxes.” Does this reflect a new attitude, or is it a clever political maneuver? And does it matter?
Feds Playing Politics With Drilling?
After being rebuked by federal courts, President Obama’s secretary of the interior, former U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO), announced that the ban on offshore drilling would be lifted. Not so, in a practical sense, says Elizabeth Ames Jones, a commissioner on the energy regulating Texas Railroad Commission.
Strategy: Keep Voters In The Dark
Some liberal Democrats have begun calling themselves “independent,” trying to obscure their party affiliation. A handful went further, seeking to make it even easier for candidates to hide their true political predilections. Net effect? Keep voters in the dark.
Maldonado’s Tax Hike Forum?
While most voters are concerned about the economy and jobs, it’s interesting that liberal State Rep. Diana Maldonado (D-Round Rock) is hosting a “transportation community forum” to take place just weeks before the election, and will welcome one of the state’s biggest tax hike proponents.
Property Tax Reform Starts At Home
This week some taxpayers can expect to be barraged with a stream of property tax hikes. Many of us frequently complain to our state lawmakers in Austin about property taxes, but yet fail to make our voices heard at home.
Cut The Spending Without Tax Hikes
Earlier this year Gov. Rick Perry, along with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus, called on state agencies to begin reducing their spending and limit their budget requests in anticipation of a tighter budget. According to a new poll, nearly 7 of 10 Texans agree with that decision.
Williamson County Holds Line on Taxes, Cuts Spending
When times are tough most families and small businesses usually seek ways to reduce costs, but government usually doesn’t. However there’s a bright spot for taxpayers in one Central Texas county, where they cut spending and reduced the tax-bite of government. Perhaps this will be a template for state lawmakers to contemplate as they prepare for the next legislative session.