http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/fyi/fyi.htm
The TADA has been following this issue as well. Since it will affect all types of franchise businesses.
http://www.tada.org/
Use the following to locate your incumbent.
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/fyi/fyi.htm
It may not be enough to e-mail a letter to your incumbent.
Many times it is best to make a call to their Austin and district office and voice the concern.
Many times the staff won't pass on the e-mail to the incumbent when the vote is close.
ping
PING
A Texas ping Meek!
San Antonio, TX ping.
Apologies to anyone who got pinged twice.
Freepmail me to be added or removed from my SA Area Freepers List.
Cuts, hard and obvious, and very, very visible, should have been done first. They should be published and more ideas requested.
That is what they are asking us to do. We will sacrifice, even if it's "only" in our savings, extras and charity giving. Some will lose their jobs.
We can not fully fund Medicaid or CHIP.These plans do not allow co-pays or deductibles commensurate with the use. The State will go broke if we give away, without personal responsibility and accountability, all the healthcare the citizens of Texas want other people to pay for. The goal should be to keep our money in Texas, better yet, our counties and cities. The money is skimmed on the way to Washington and back. Robin Hood is, of course, the true mechanism of all taxes.
Has anyone looked into whether the State will pay this tax? How about the School Districts, Cities, and other government agencies? If not, why not? Are their jobs - 'cause, let's face it, this is going to hit our jobs - protected from the hits at perks and raises more than ours?
Teachers do not need $3000 salary increases while the rest of us will lose 1.1% plus.
And where are the increased taxes on alcohol?
In the meantime, Mike Villareal of San Antonio, has a bill going up to force Doctors and ER's to give away "emergency contraception" and to force the State to engage in "public education" on emergency contraception (that it "does not cause an abortion") and a special grant only for sex ed programs that teach teens how to use contraceptives (while it's still not legal for them to have sex).
A payroll tax is a state income tax in disguise.
Snack Tax? Payroll tax? What we really need is a tax on politicians and others who bring up such foolishness while in office. Every time they raise a tax, or vote for a new tax, their personal tax should be increased expotentially, without the benefit of Joe-taxpayer subsidizing their lavish lifestyles. It is tiring to read of a politicians "NEW" revenue enhacing stategy. Most of these turn into money grabbing schemes and a new way to pad a political pocket.
Sen. and Rep. done and done!
Houston ping.
UPDATED ALERT
Ok, I just got off the phone with the offices of both State Rep Mary Denny (district 63) of the Flowermound area and State Rep Vicki Truit (dist. 98) of the Grapevine/Southlake area.
(call them and tell them how you feel.
Mary Denny- H. Dist 63.
(512) 463-0688
Vicki Truitt (H. Dist. 98)
(512) 463-0690
If the conversation was an indicator....it looks like Mary Denny has the intention of voting to approve the bill....
EVEN WITH THE STATE PAYROLL TAX IN IT.
I asked here staff person why the issue of cutting wastefull spending had not been raised......And I got political spin. They also tried to tell me that everyone who has contacted them was in favor of the tax. I know for a fact that there have been over 30 people call her office in the past two days to tell them that they do not want a payroll tax.
I urge every Texan to call their rep and senator......and go ahead and call Mary Denny's office...and let her people know that there are Republicans out there who do NOT WANT A PAYROLL TAX.
TX tax reform ping.
I left my comments asking my rep. and sen. NOT to support the payroll tax portions of these bills. Hopefully everyone else will do the same!
Called 3 Texas Rep offices in Corpus, only Vilma Luna's answered. They said Luna voted against HB-3 in committee and that the vote would be tomorrow.
You need to pay for the benefits-shoppers from the South!
I just talked to Fred Hill's office and HB2 is on the floor now. They're still working on amendments.
Somehow, someway all that "New Tone in Texas" of the late 1990's is going to have to be paid for. It's a preview of what the entire country will be going through in the coming years.