When it comes to the hard truth about taxes in Texas, House Speaker Joe Straus has surrounded himself with a merry band of tax-hiking moderates. And few on the Straus team are more moderate, or more excited to raise taxes, than State Rep. Jim Keffer.
Jim Keffer is in Joe Straus’ inner-circle. In late 2008, Keffer and 10 other moderates joined with 65 Democrats in riding the Obama wave to put “centrist” Joe Straus in charge of the Texas House.
Keffer is also an unabashed proponent of raising your taxes.
Jim Keffer
In 2005, Mr. Keffer actually proposed imposing a wage tax on Texans!
In 2006, Mr. Keffer then took the lead in promoting the burdensome Gross Margins Tax, which has proven to be both ineffective and overly complicated — punishing the state’s small businesses.
In 2007, Jim Keffer decided senior citizens weren’t paying enough taxes, so he voted to levy a “granny tax” on nursing home residents.
In 2009, Keffer struck again, voting to hike gasoline taxes and automotive fees.
Like Speaker Straus, Jim Keffer (R-Eastland) has also refused to support Gov. Rick Perry’s Texas Budget Compact for the coming 2013 legislative session.
Unfortunately, Mr. Keffer was unchallenged in the 2012 primary. He will lose his tax-hiking power when his moderate friends lose their races. And when they lose, Texans win.
