Posted on 05/11/2005 9:42:13 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Robin Hood plan starting to look better
AUSTIN - Sixty-three percent of Texans expect to pay more in overall taxes under any new school-finance plan passed by the Legislature, according to the Scripps Howard Texas Poll.
State lawmakers, who are in regular session until May 30, are trying to come up with a new funding scheme for the state's public schools. But the poll shows Texans support the current so-called Robin Hood system more than ever - 60 percent. The system requires property-wealthy school districts to share their money with property-poor districts.
"A lot of people have learned in the last year that 90 percent of school districts benefit from the Robin Hood system," said Dick Lavine, senior fiscal analyst for the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. "I think people understand that in almost all cases their districts win.''
The House and Senate have differing school-finance plans and many Texans question whether anything will be accomplished. Seventy percent of Texans are not very or not at all confident that lawmakers can agree on a new school finance bill before the session ends.
The results show the public's disillusionment with lawmakers, said Rob D'Amico, spokesman for the Texas Federation of Teachers.
"It tells me that they are being pragmatic and are seeing that not a lot of progress is being made," he said.
But even if the Legislature devises a new system, 53 percent of Texans are not very or not at all confident that it will be better than the current one.
"Everything has been centered on mechanisms for property tax reduction, with solving the school finance problem as an afterthought," D'Amico said. "When you start off with that mindset, you won't find an adequate solution to the school-finance problem."
Even so, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and other state leaders continue to insist there is time for the Legislature to reform the schoolfinance system this session.
The Senate has talked about putting in an additional $1.5 billion a year for public education, D'Amico said. But various education groups say the state needs to pump about $4 billion a year more into the system to meet needs.
But lawmakers' top priority has been to slash property taxes by as much as one-third, while raising other taxes, such as business and sales taxes.
Forty-four percent of Texans prefer to lower their property tax rate and pay higher taxes in other areas, compared with 38 percent who want to pay their current property tax rate. Eleven percent prefer neither option and 7 percent don't know.
The poll also showed that 60 percent of property owners believe their taxes are too high - a 6 percentage point jump since February. Thirty-eight percent say their taxes are just right and 1 percent believe their taxes are too low. One aspect of the House plan to offset property tax cuts calls for increasing the state sales tax from 6.25 percent to 7.25 percent. A majority of Texans - 57 percent - oppose that idea and 37 percent favor.
"That shows that a 1 percent sales tax increase should be off the table," said Lavine of the Center for Public Policy Priorities. "Even though they pay it in small bits throughout the day, I think people understand that the sales tax comes down harder on working and middle-class families."
Instead, Lavine and some others prefer a state income tax. Fortyfour percent of Texans support a state income tax and 48 percent oppose.
The Texas Poll, conducted April 14 through May 4 by the Scripps Research Center, surveyed 1,000 adult Texans by telephone in a scientific random sample. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The liberals cannot be allowed to win in Texas----I thought they were a sheer minority.
The poll also showed that 60 percent of property owners believe their taxes are too high - a 6 percentage point jump since February.
"The liberals cannot be allowed to win in Texas"
Unfortunately here in the state of Texas you can't tell a liberal by the (R) or (D) behing thier name. Remember, a republican isn't necessarily a conservative and a democrat isn't necessarily a liberal.
"behing"= behind
Sounds like MAINE!!!
Yes. We have a lot of RINOs in our party.
If they won't support the party platform, make them walk the plank...
I must call and congratulate the republican party on reviving the fortunes of the Taxes democrat party.
That is right if the dems run the right person after this they can win. The republicans are shooting themselves in the foot.
You misspelled Texas wrong, from now on this state should be called Taxes.
I do believe that 100% of the people in the U.S. believe taxes will increase. I take that back, they KNOW taxes will increase.
>>If they won't support the party platform, make them walk the plank...<<
I left of my own free will when I realized the President had absolutely no intentions of stopping the invasion across our borders.
By the way, just what is the party plank today? "Follow me off the cliff"?
Life isn't too bad until you have to sell your property to pay the taxes.
//sarcasm!
My US rep, state senator and state rep are ALL democrats.
I'd gladly trade you any one of them for a RINO!
There are rats that are more conservative then these rinos. What you offering.
What is really sad about all of this....
It was Dewhurst who was the ring leader for all of this crap.
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