NEWS
School Districts Should Trim Central Office Before Raising Taxes
Edgewood ISD announced this week they are cutting as many as 12 central office positions, though the district says they have 92 more than needed. Other Texas districts should follow – consider that Dallas and Houston ISDs have about 3,000 central office staff while the Catholic school systems in New York and Chicago, each with 100,000 plus students, have between 22 and 28.
Getting Serious On Property Taxes
A special House committee was formed this week to address the state’s out-of-control property taxes. House Speaker Tom Craddick appointed some of the Legislature’s strongest fiscal conservatives to the committee.
Travis County Appraisals Skyrocket
At a time of record foreclosures and declining home values, someone forgot to tell the Travis County appraiser. Values were posted minutes ago and my home rose a whopping 19.3%, sending my school property tax cut up in smoldering flames. However, values are up 31% in Lago Vista.
If you own a home in Travis County, check your value at:
Someone’s Paying Attention
At least Susan Combs is paying attention to the needs of the state’s economy. With businesses struggling to understand, let alone pay, the confusingly complex new business tax, Comptroller Combs announced she’s giving everyone an extra month to make sense of what her office called “the complexity” of the new tax. That the new tax isn’t needed, and shouldn’t have been implemented to begin with, just adds gross insult to very real injury.
More Taxes Just Dandy?
Isn’t it funny that the Dallas Morning News keeps trying to raise sales taxes to fund more mass transit boondoggles, and yet they and their cronies in the newspaper industry lobby against efforts to tax their product?
Not So Fast Eddie!
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Dallas) today called for increasing both the state and federal gas tax, citing a lack of transportation funds. Yet 43% of the state gas tax is being diverted to non-transportation items and an increasing share of federal gas tax revenues are going to rail schemes that move few people for big bucks and even recreational paths.
Did You Know Texas Cities Can Tax Leased Cars?
Even we have trouble keeping up with all the different taxes and fees and today we learned that a 2001 law passed by the Legislature allows Texas cities to impose property taxes on leased cars. The Galveston Daily News reports that League City collects $243 per year on a car appraised at $40,000, but that they may repeal the tax at tomorrow’s Council meeting.
A Mouse In A Cheese Factory
Too many politicians, including those claiming to be conservatives, try to impress taxpayers with the increased activity of government. Conservative activist Chuck Ellis recently commented on the big-spending ways of his local government officials, but the same could be said of lawmakers up and down the political food chain.
Impacting City Spending
Not only did the Empower Texans PAC help elect conservative Ralph Sheffield and defeat Martha “the Taxer” Tyroch, but we turned the spotlight on unchecked spending that allowed Tyroch to frivolously waste taxpayer dollars on fancy hotel suites, gifts and booze. Now, thanks to our work (and her excess), the Temple City Council is looking to change their policies. This welcome news for taxpayers in Bell County… And should be replicated around the state.
Lyrics: Mr. Vo’s Neighborhood (Be A Vo Voter)
State Rep. Hubert Vo (D-Houston) appears to be a slumlord with a fancy title. Now, thanks to Empower Texans, he has a theme song and a video.
Cut the Line on Wasteful Spending
The Tyler Morning Paper published an editorial today that rings true both literally and as a figure of speech.
A Bad Idea Turns Into A Nightmare
Businesses around the state are only now learning how much they are going to have to fork over to Austin under the new business tax — which is due one month from today. The picture isn’t pretty and the results could be disastrous; which translates into lost jobs.