New plan will dig deeper into pockets of working Texans

[NoPasaran]

Republicans Gone Wild!

One day after rolling out a major proposal to raise money for public education, Texas House members were retreating from the plan and scrapping a key idea to tax more business services.

Instead they will consider a bigger sales tax increase and drop the idea of taxing legal services, accounting, haircuts and other services that would have been subject to the sales tax. The latest proposal also bumps up the proposed business payroll tax and scraps the idea of the state collecting property taxes instead of local governments.

What has emerged is much different from what House Appropriations Committee Chairman Talmadge Heflin, R-Houston, laid out Tuesday and contains only pieces of Gov. Rick Perry's school finance plan.

The House Select Committee on Public School Finance, which is writing the chamber's bill, is expected to vote as early as today on a plan to raise and distribute education money. The plan will then go before the full House. The committee canceled its Wednesday meeting after members were handed summary sheets on the newest version.

_more- http://www.statesman.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/thursday/news_04098abdf4c750af0060.html

[GOPisEvil]

1. Man...Goodhair is NOT having a good month.

Bigger sales tax increases? Soon we'll be paying more in tax than for the item. :eyes:

[alarimer]

2. this sucks

I could support, barely, more taxes on cigarettes and beer but sales taxes in general should not be raised because of the extremely regresive nature of sales taxes. Corpus Christi is holding yet another bond election for schools which will raise its portion of the total sales another eighth or quarter of a cent. Every time they want to build a stadium or dredge a channel, they raise sales taxes. It is now over 8% (something like 8.5%). I think the answer for schools and everything else is a progressive income tax system. Some politicians are going to have to grab that third rail because it is the right thing to do for Texas. I guess hell will freeze over first.

[2bfree]

3. Corpus Christi is always raising taxes...............

It is like a circus over there!

I can't believe the payroll tax idea. I thought the democrats were the ones who liked to raise taxes.

[Castilleja]

4. I think you are right about the income tax.

People like the fact that we don't have one, but we do have constant raising of fees, etc. to make up for it. I think I am about done voting for anything which requires raising taxes in Corpus Christi anymore. I think it is time to stop, and finish whatever projects are the works, then they will have to ration this stuff out, somehow.

They wish to build things to attract tourists, which is fine, but they know good and well, that there is a huge backlog of city neccesities that will also need this money. Then it goes out to voters, that we need to raise taxes for this or that very important infrastructure item, so you feel like you are forced to pass these. I don't think the city gov. budgets well...

I don't know how much more people can handle, especially down here in CC where the average income is not that high.

[alarimer]

5. right

I just read that the Packery Channel project has run out of money already. They just started digging too and the funds they had we supposed to last until Sept. They ran out last month. I am laughing my ass off- I opposed this project as a boondoggle from the beginning. I hope they don't get any more money. I don't want Padre Island to become like most of FLorida- all hotels and high-rise condos.

[Castilleja]

6. I saw that about Packery Channel

Made me wonder, but it seems to be the pattern here for whatever the reasons. I did not want it either, but there is such pressure for that island to be built on, "developed", covered with something, anything but just letting it be a barrier island.

I am afraid, from what I read about it a long time ago, that the city will be stuck with big dredging maintenance costs because the jetties will not be long enough. Maybe it *would* be best if it did not get any more money. It always seemed to get shot down before, if only it would stay down!