Inside Intelligence: Rainy Day Fund Deal Will...
Our insiders strongly agree that the Legislature will ratify the Rainy Day Fund bailout of the current budget, with 92 percent saying the House and the Senate will produce the needed supermajority votes to spend that money to balance the current budget deficit.
While they think there are other pressing concerns, like protecting schools or nursing homes, most insiders say the strongest impulse in the Legislature right now is to cut spending; 51 percent said that alone, and another 17 percent chose "cut spending and protect the Rainy Day Fund."
And we took their temperature again on ways to raise ...
Comments (6)
Bill Betzen
If you study the percentage of income paid in Texas state and local taxes (from a 2007 report from http://www.itepnet.org/) you can better understand where the "no new taxes" talk is coming from:
Lowest 20% of families with annual incomes up to $18,000: 12.2%
Next 20% of families with annual incomes up to $31,000: 10.2%
Next 20% of families with annual incomes up to $51,000: 8.4%
Next 20% of families with annual incomes up to $89,000: 7.2%
Next 15%of families with annual incomes up to $186,000: 5.8%
Next 4% of families with annual incomes up to $463,000: 4.4%
Next 1% of families with annual incomes over $463,000: 3%
How much money and effort has been invested in Texas to convince Texans that an income tax would be "evil" or “impossible” for Texas? Which income levels above would benefit the most from such propaganda?
HB 354 only touches income in excess of $150,000 a year which would touch less than 4% of families. It would balance the Texas budget without hurting our public school system and the progress that is happening therein. If anyone believes that Texas Public Schools are not making progress, just study the graphs at http://schoolarchiveproject.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-progress-by-texas-schools-shown-by.html
Such progress must NOT stop! Our legislature will have created a new definition for “Mess with Texas” if their cuts lead to this educational progress being reversed! We must use a 82nd Legislature Report Card such as the one at http://schoolarchiveproject.blogspot.com/2011/03/82nd-texas-legislature-report-card-on.html and give it to legislators so they can track their own progress.
Scott Chase via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Some folks are eternal optimists, I guess.
Julie Benningfield via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Just raise the damn taxes already.
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I know that your elitism tells you that their votes need to count far more than those of the Great Unwashed in November, but a few of us feel differently. The vote in November sent the clear signal that spending was the primary concern.
Holly Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I think he already plugged 'em, otherwise he would've heard the citizens of Texas crying out for NO healthcare and education cuts and for an end to his silly list of non-emergency "emergencies."
Heiwa Salovitz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
they better because it is right its just and time and ADAPT OF TEXAS AND OTHERS WILL MAKE SURE THEY DO!