| Rate cuts in property taxes reward those who own the most and the most valuable property. Raising the allowed tax exemption would allow middle class homeowners to save much more. Their homes -- our homes -- aren't as valuable as the houses of say, GOP benefactors Louis Beecherl, Dick Weekly, Bob Perry etc. The homestead exemption approach was similar to the plan recommended by responsible Democrats in 2005, and the GOP rejection helped beat several Republican House members last year.
In the end, there was little reason for anyone to stand in front of the GOP's private railroad. The bill was always going to pass, and it did.
A few years ago the GOP was all in a lather about term limits. Maybe that's what they're doing now, limiting their own terms by voting against the interests of their constituents (if not their sagging-pocket contributors) and the vast majority of Texans.
Speaker Tom Craddick, Warren "The Astronomer" Chisum and other Republicans KNOW they're doing something voters don't want. That's the entire reason for their procedural machinations. They want to be sure the transfer of wealth to the already wealthy is done way before other budget needs are taken up in the full two-year budget.
If they thought they were right, they'd just let their windfall for the wealthy be debated along with other budget matters. That they didn't choose that route betrays their guilt, like children in front of an empty cookie jar who keep their hands hidden behind their backs.
There are ways of addressing the state's critical needs AND providing middle class homeowners some tax savings. Democrats had such a plan back in 2005. The GOP didn't take that route because they don't believe there are any critical needs beyond their own insatiable greed.
The Right used to argue that social security programs were dangerous because spoiled citizens would vote themselves the public treasury. It's turned out that the Right is voting themselves the public treasury -- the way tinpot dictators of beleagured undeveloped countries have done for decades.
In Texas, the leadership is "undeveloping" our state. |
