Texas Politics Summer 2005
Texas politics is sickening as usual. The governor, Rick Perry, called a special session to deal with school finance and tax reform. He can call these folks in, but he unfortunately he cannot control what the agenda.
What do these folks do when they get in there? They vote state judges a 25 % raise in their salary. What some people may not realize, though, is that in Texas representatives and senators have their pension tied to judges’ salaries. Some of these men and women can now conceivably receive a 6 figure annual payment upon retirement.
When this country was established, one of the tenets was that representatives would be people that came from normal life and that service would be an honorable sacrifice. This would also keep the government small, as the representative needed to finish government business quickly and return home to mind their business or farm, lest they not be able to provide for their family. This is not the case anymore. Now we have the professional politician, who is more beholden to lobbyist and special interest groups, than the voter.
Case in point, Kyle Janek (who I use to think was one of the good guys) tries to tack on an amendment to a bill at two in the morning. This would give pharmaceutical companies a break on their taxes. Excuse me Mr. Janek. Where’s my damn tax break? I am not able to vote for you, but I know a lot of folks in your district and I WILL make them aware of your priorities. Which, apparently are not for your constituency.
School teachers have got the shaft again too. They used to receive $1,000 to help them purchase medical insurance. Well the legislature took that away and then gave them a $1,000 raise in salary. They have attempted to tout this off as a big service to teachers. I have not researched it yet, but I wonder if this move had tax consequences? I wonder if the insurance stipend was not taxable income. I know salaries are taxed. The result would be a loss in cash as now the teachers would have more money withheld for taxes. Ed will let me know if that happens to him, I’m sure.
The lottery is also starting to fail in Texas. Not as many people are playing. Recently, it is reported that the lottery commission actually lied about jackpots hoping people would buy more tickets. Bastards better get some jail time. I call it fraud, criminal fraud. The lottery is just a tax that the poor pay. And if the game is in trouble, I tell you what folks. If you play you better take the cash option and not the multiyear payout plan. You may not see the money otherwise. And the lottery is such a lie from the beginning. Anne “Ma” Richards, former governor promised that the lottery was here to help finance schools. A couple of weeks before the final vote, they tacked on a change that put the lottery money in the general fund. Last year more money was spent on advertising the lottery, than paying for Texas children’s education out of the lottery earnings.
Come on Texans. Its time to tell these legislators who votes for them. I say throw out the entire lot, both houses and the Lieutenant Governor too. Let’s get people in there that care about Texas and go back to the original intent of the Texas constitution. We used to hang people for stealing horses in this state. Now we let ‘em slowly take our hard earned income and place a permanent lien on our real property.
Stand up Texas.
Be heard.
Be proud.
Be Texan.
July 28th, 2005 at 5:36 am
I think the tax payers should be allowed to vote on whether or not the politicians get a raise.
It’s no big surprise that the bills proprosing any kind of increase in their salaries get passed, and quickly.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:57 am
Good guys don’t exist in politics.
July 28th, 2005 at 7:02 am
I just detest their priorities, or lack there of. I forget the term this morning, but Texas needs the ability to allow citizens to make proposals that become elgible for a vote. I know California has it and some other states.
Just hope these guys are getting their resumes ready, because I know a lot of angry folks that are going to vote their anger.
Problem with the good guys in politics is the media focuses on anything that looks bad or could look bad and keeps it in the news. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda man said, “If you keep saying a lie long enough it become the truth.” And thats what I see happening so often.
July 28th, 2005 at 12:50 pm
When Ed Rendel got elected here in PA he pushed to get slot machines legalized. He promised the tax revenue would allow them to reduce property taxes. After a three year fight he got his slot machines. When the bill is fully implemented PA will have the second most slot machines in the country behind only Nevada. There was a provision in the bill that allowed state lawmakers to own a percentage of the slots. They figured this little provision will allow lawmakers to line their own pockets with millions. I’m still waiting for my property taxes to go down.
July 28th, 2005 at 9:23 pm
Let us know if the taxes do go down Mike.
They are trying to get the casinos in Texas too. So far the Baptists are fighting them off.