Antone's Nightclub
Non-Governor Perry
RECEIVED Thu., May 6, 2004
Dear Editor,
When is a governor not a governor?
When he's Rick Perry!
Initially, Perry insulted Texans with his plan to provide school financing via slots, sales tax, and sin taxes. He wants to max appraisals at 3% per year, which will result in manipulating the real estate market to show false lower appraisal values.
Then Perry derided House representatives when he bashed their efforts to put together a better financing package. Well, the governor wanted legislative consensus and he did get what he asked for. The House voted unanimously against Perry's inadequate plan 126-0. That's about as good a consensus as we've ever seen here in Texas.
Now the problem goes before the Senate, which generally has been a bit more reality-based than the governor and the House. Hopefully a plan will emerge that avoids increasing or adding regressive taxes that hurt hardworking Texans most. There are many alternate options available to fairly spread out the responsibility of financing schools among the wealthy, middle, and poor citizenry, and also the business sector needs to pay its fair share.
Finally, the only way to resolve the issue of school financing is to put aside partisan agendas and special interests, and for legislators to work together with the entire community of Texans so that intelligent and reality-based tax sources will be selected. It's time to work united to ensure a positive change.
When is a governor not a governor?
When he's Rick Perry!
Initially, Perry insulted Texans with his plan to provide school financing via slots, sales tax, and sin taxes. He wants to max appraisals at 3% per year, which will result in manipulating the real estate market to show false lower appraisal values.
Then Perry derided House representatives when he bashed their efforts to put together a better financing package. Well, the governor wanted legislative consensus and he did get what he asked for. The House voted unanimously against Perry's inadequate plan 126-0. That's about as good a consensus as we've ever seen here in Texas.
Now the problem goes before the Senate, which generally has been a bit more reality-based than the governor and the House. Hopefully a plan will emerge that avoids increasing or adding regressive taxes that hurt hardworking Texans most. There are many alternate options available to fairly spread out the responsibility of financing schools among the wealthy, middle, and poor citizenry, and also the business sector needs to pay its fair share.
Finally, the only way to resolve the issue of school financing is to put aside partisan agendas and special interests, and for legislators to work together with the entire community of Texans so that intelligent and reality-based tax sources will be selected. It's time to work united to ensure a positive change.
Peter Stern
Driftwood
Driftwood