“Three Houston-area lawmakers want to allow voters to set up special taxing districts to pay for enhanced security at Texas public schools,” AP reported earlier this week.
“The plan broadly outlined Tuesday allows voters in each district to decide if they want to create new taxes to pay for security from cameras to armed guards. Sens. Tommy Williams and John Whitmire, and Rep. Dan Huberty, say their plan idea is in response to last month’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
“Their plan is separate from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s idea of having the state pay for special weapons training for teachers and other school workers,” AP reported.
Friends, this is a terrible plan that allows schools setup yet another taxing district to get in your pocket, in an unlimited way as every expense will not be sold as just “for the children” but will be “all for the safety of the children”. Texas ISD’s already fund full police departments without new taxing districts. Many districts already have shake-down TSA-style school checkpoints too.
This plan, from Williams, Whitmire, and Huberty will do nothing but encourage more spending on feel-good, look-secure programs to give people a false sense of security. It also will take away incentives for districts to truly address security by allowing those, who will be present when something happens, to have a weapon on their person and be trained to use it.
Tell your area representatives and senators to say “no” to new school security taxing districts.
