Perry's plan helps rich at others' expense

[Judi Lynn]

June 23, 2005, 12:59AM

Perry's plan helps rich at others' expense
A Chronicle analysis shows wealthy would save, but renters would pay more
By R.G. RATCLIFFE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry's plan for property tax relief would provide a windfall for the wealthiest families in Texas, but for lower-income renters the governor's plan would be a financial drain on the family budget, a Houston Chronicle analysis showed. And after more than a year of legislative wrangling over property tax relief, the tax savings for the median family in Texas would amount to about $150 a year under Perry's plan — a savings of about $12.75 a month.

The real winner of the school property tax cuts would be business, which pays about 54 percent of all the school property taxes in Texas.
(snip)

House and Senate plans that died during the regular session had sales tax levies similar to the governor's, hitting the state's poor the hardest for the benefit of the wealthy.

The official Legislative Budget Board analysis of a tax plan the House Ways and Means Committee is taking up today says the plan would increase the overall tax burden for all but the wealthiest Texans. Families with an annual income of more than $100,000 collectively would receive a $351 million-a-year tax cut, while everyone else's taxes would go up a collective $935 million.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3237409
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[alittlelark]

1. Different issue...

same asshole.

[area51]

2. Perry

Gov. "Adios, mofo" Perry plans on raising the state sales tax in TX. Typical of a "tax & spend" nazi.

[hadrons]

3. and most of those 'lower-income renters' will vote for 'goodhair' Perry

most of these rural red state voters have just given up on economic issues that effect them no matter how much they are punished in the pocketbook

[Bridget Burke]

6. I know quite a few Democratic renters here in Houston.

Even some property owners who hate Bush's guts.

Of course, all of Texas is not the same. Which area do you live in?

[youspeakmylanguage]

8. How can a progressive stand to live in Texas?

I live in Charlotte, NC. Pretty conservative, but tolerable.

Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, most of Georgia, almost all of Louisiana...I don't see how any progressives could stand living in these places.

[Bridget Burke]

10. Have you ever been here?

I live in a nice, older neighborhood just north of town. My State Rep & Senator are both Democrats. My US Rep is Sheila Jackson Lee.

Most of the people I work with & hang out with are Democrats. This is a big, multicultural city with a strong art & cultural scene--& a Democratic mayor.

The summer weather sucks, true.

[youspeakmylanguage]

11. Not really...

Just layovers in the Dallas airport...

I just hear so many horror stories about Texas politics, pollution, and corruption that it has affected my outlook on the whole state.

I'm sure Houston and Charlotte have much more in common than I'd like to admit.

[Bridget Burke]

12. So you judge a whole state by layovers in an airport.

And "horror stories"....

Do you have a still up in the holler? Treed any possums lately?

[youspeakmylanguage]

13. I live in Charlotte...

...and I thought you could tell from my last post that I knew it was an uninformed, purely emotional opinion that wasn't based on any sort of personal experience, not to really be taken seriously.

Yeah, here in the 2nd largest banking capital outside of NYC we have plenty of stills and hollers and possums. Yeehaw.

Any more Enrons lately? Exploding refineries? How about governors telling gay veterans they can move somewhere else when they return from Iraq? Or how about hitmen being hired by cheerleading mothers?

[Bridget Burke]

14. Yes, I could tell it was uninformed.

And some of the more lurid news stories come from Texas.

Can't remember when I last read anything about Charlotte. But those bankers must be fine, liberal folk!

[youspeakmylanguage]

15. We haven't garnered a lot of national press since the 2004 Super Bowl...

...except when it turned out some of the players were using steroids.

Before that it was Rae Carruth (another Panther). Before that it was Jim and Tammy Baker's PTL ministries.

You need to lighten up. Both of our cities have their share of embarrassments.

[Bridget Burke]

17. Yes, but you attacked "Texas Progressives" first.

Guess I'd better lighten up.

[youspeakmylanguage]

18. I didn't attack any progressives...

...I asked how they could live where they live if they happened to live in what is now becoming one of the most conservative states in the USA.

Whatever.

[bluestateguy]

16. I'm leaving Texas before the next election

I'm tired of my vote being worthless. If all Texas Democrats moved to swing states, we could change this country.

[salin]

4. Next step - taken from Mitch the Blade's playbook

cut state funding to schools - but allow localities to increase property taxes to make up the difference. Net effect - property taxes (which the state gop had been screaming about for years) suddenly start getting hiked (steeply) - blame goes on local govt and the state level reps and gov claim that they keep cutting taxes.

[Gman]

5. I smell the foul odor of Grover Norquist behind this

somebody check Perry's travel records.

[Bridget Burke]

7. How many of the lower income Texans are undocumented workers?

You know, the ones who "don't pay any taxes."

[bluestateguy]

9. That's me

I'm a renter. I get no savings at all from this plan. I only get to pay more. If the wealthly were asked to pay their fair share, I would say fine, as I recognize the problem we have in funding our public schools. But of course, any discussion of even a small state income tax for the wealthy must be "off the table".

This deal seals it for me. I'll be out of the state of Texas in the next 12 months.