School finance bills unravel in (Texas) House

[The Jacobin]

Governor Goodhair gets bitch-slapped.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/legislature/stories/072705dntexschoolfinance.11745fa3.html

AUSTIN – House members slapped down Gov. Rick Perry and Republican leaders Tuesday, rejecting twin school finance bills and pushing the current special session to the brink of collapse.

( . . .)

GOP leaders had hoped to lead the way Tuesday by passing the school finance bill and then following up with a tax swap measure.

But Mr. Craddick and his lieutenants suffered a rare defeat on the House floor when the chamber's 62 Democrats were joined by 14 Republicans in amending the Republican plan by providing more tax relief for homeowners, bigger pay raises for teachers and nearly twice as much new money for school districts.

Faced with legislation that suddenly included a tax shift to businesses and far more additional funding for schools than they felt was prudent, sponsors of the bill pulled the plug, first by accepting dozens of amendments that were never explained and then calling for a quick vote on the measure, which was rejected on a 79-62 vote. Most Republicans voted no.

( . . . )

[Fenris]

1. Asshats.

Shot themselves in the foot again. :rofl:

[TrueAmerican]

2. Well, I need tax relief

I'm military from California stationed in Texas and these property taxes in Texas are brutal.

[The Jacobin]

4. Enjoy that lack of an Income Tax

It's all about whose wallet gets screwed.

Oh yeah, and those school kids, too.

[Charlie Brown]

3. What a bunch of a**holes

It's too bad the children of Texas will pay the price for this greed.

[EVDebs]

5. Warren Buffett Urges Higher Corporate Taxes

http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/headlines04/0306-01.htm

Warren Buffett, the world's second-richest person, wants to pay more taxes. And he wants the rest of corporate America to pay more too. In his annual letter to shareholders of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc. holding company, released on Saturday, the 73-year-old Buffett said Berkshire's taxes rose more than eleven-fold to $3.3 billion from 1995 to 2003, as profits rose ten-fold to $8.15 billion. During the same period, federal income taxes paid by all U.S. companies fell by 16 percent, to $132 billion.

"We hope our taxes continue to rise in the future -- it will mean we are prospering -- but we also hope that the rest of corporate America antes up along with us," said Buffett, who has previously criticized Bush administration tax policy. Tax cuts won by President Bush, amounting to $1.7 trillion over 10 years, have helped push the federal budget deficit to record levels, as have a weak economy and higher spending for defense and domestic security.

"Tax breaks for corporations -- and their investors, particularly large ones -- were a major part of the administration's 2002 and 2003 initiatives," Buffett said. "If class warfare is being waged in America, my class is clearly winning."

[DesEtoiles]

6. Adios, Mofo legislation

[Dover]

7. The upcoming governor's race may be dividing the Repubs

so maybe this wasn't just about passing these bills (which are linked to Gov. Perry). Maybe there is an attempt to undermine him publicly. I don't know the real differences between the Pubs running for governor, but Perry plays particularly dirty and is in business's pocket 100% as well as aligned with the darker neo-con side of the GOP. Regardless of whether this played into the bills failure, it will hurt him.

[Dover]

8. The Scoop on who is backing Perry et al

Big backers place their bets for Gov's race
BY AMY SMITH

Big business and home-building interests represented the lion's share of contributions to Gov. Rick Perry's campaign coffers in June, while trial lawyers and racetrack interests put their money on Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn in the governor's race.
The latest campaign filings with the Texas Ethics Commission show Perry out-raised his Republican rival during a 10-day period in June, with the incumbent raking in $2.3 million to Strayhorn's $1.5 million – a personal best for Strayhorn, according to her campaign. Perry enters the new reporting cycle with $8 million in the bank while Strayhorn's cash on hand totals $7 million.

Most of Perry's donations hailed from the usual sources. San Antonio archconservative millionaire James Leininger contributed $50,000, as did Dallas business tycoon H. Ross Perot, and Austin philanthropist/former Dell executive Mort Topfer. Houston home-builder Bob Perry (no relation) and wife Doylene Perry kicked in $100,000.

Strayhorn took in several large contributions from trial lawyers, including Beaumont attorney Walter Umphrey, who gave $100,000. Horse breeders and racetrack operators also gave generously, thanks to Strayhorn's support of expanding the state's gambling options to include slot machines at racetracks. Contributions from this base included $25,000 from horse breeder and Schlotzsky's chairman Bobby Cox, and $25,000 apiece from Dallas real estate magnate Trammell Crow and son Harlan Crow. The Crow real estate portfolio has included stakes in racetracks over the years...cont'd

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2005-07-22/pols_naked4.html

[xilet]

9. Texas Education.

It is all about where the money goes. And I think Texas has time and time again shown that the goal is not the education of the children. Why should they try to do harm to Wal-mart's bottom line by "educating" who otherwise could be their potentional future employees.