Bill to limit property taxes dead in Senate

Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau ^ | May 28, 2003 | ARMANDO VILLAFRANCA

[demkicker]

Color me disgusted in Texas. Other than a handful of Senators, I vote to kick these gutless slimeballs out of office. This Houston radio station has helped lead the charge supporting the legislation.

Lt. Gov David Dewhurst let 25 (RINOS with democrats) Senators talk him into turning their backs on the citizens of Texas. IMO, Dewhurst is a coward and should take most of the heat for letting these 25 anonymous Senators get away with this shameful stunt. Fellow Texans, please let your voices be heard!

[MeekOneGOP]

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

This is evidence that real estate deflation in America would not result in lower taxes. No government will voluntarily lower property taxes in this country. A revolution would be required if over-all deflation took hold in America.

[ppaul]

President Bush oughta lead the charge to protect the unalienable right to private property and push for a federal law banning property taxes throughout the United States. After his re-election maybe?

[Numbers Guy]

sought to limit annual property appraisal increases to 5 percent instead of the current 10 percent

In Michigan, since 1994, we've had assessment increases capped at no more than the rate of inflation. It's been very helpful in allowing people to keep their homes.

[FreePaul]

A large part of the problem in Texas is indirectly on our current President's shoulders. When he became President he left a large hole in state politics and a Republican party in Texas with very weak leadership. The Governor and Lt. Governor have absolutely no interest in listening to the people and don't command the respect of politicians even those in their own party.

[Ron H.]

Dewhurst is a coward

Surprise, surprise, surprise.....</sarcasm>

[Carlucci]

Houston area Freepers should tune into AM 700 KSEV today at 4 p.m. Dan Patrick (the station owner) was pushing this bill and will no doubt use his radio station to slap a political target on those who allowed the bill to be killed.

[truthandlife]

Sickening!!! I will tell you in the next election their are going to be some mad voters! There will be a lot of sentators packing their bags.

[Ron H.]

The real goal should be to abolish the Harris County Appraisal District. Politicians created this abusive and faceless taxing bureaucratic monster several years ago so they could escape the wrath of the voters by having a faceless bureaucracy do their dirty work for them, by raising taxes without worrying about the backlash from their constituents. The reason given at the time was to make taxes across the state more fair and uniform. They're uniform alright, uniformly right up their in the stratosphere.

If responsibility isn't put back where it duly belongs, squarely on the shoulders of these gutless wonders we call elected REPRESENTATIVES of the people then we sheeple will get what we surely deserve. Dan, take C.L.O.U.T. statewide (and get some experienced and proven help) and work to abolish appraisal districts statewide and give that responsibility back to the state legislature and our local politicians where it rightly belongs. Then and only then will we get responsive government on the tax issue.

While you're at it start pushing for a Constitutional amendment to give Texas voters the option of I & R.

[TheGrimReaper]

It's time for a "Texas Tea Party", IMHO.
Govt won't stop spending our money like drunken sailors on shore leave in Taipei.
Govt won't stop sucking money out of our wallets at exponentially-increasing rates.
And...last night's cowardly episode confirms that we have NO REPRESENTATION.

[padfoot_lover]

I am totally disgusted about this.... this cannot stand! We need a tax revolt!! I have joined a grass roots organization to get more active about this matter; here's the link to sign up if anybody's interested. http://www.ksevradio.com/clout.asp

MeeknMing, can you ping the Texas list? Thanks.

padfoot_lover

[right wing]

Interesting... Did property owners have to raise holy hell to make that happen?

[SolidSupplySide]

The real goal should be to abolish the Harris County Appraisal District. Politicians created this abusive and faceless taxing bureaucratic monster several years ago so they could escape the wrath of the voters by having a faceless bureaucracy do their dirty work for them, by raising taxes without worrying about the backlash from their constituents.

The Harris County Appraisal District is not a taxing entity as this post suggests. I presume the poster does not know the difference between the Appraisal District and the Tax Assessor-Collector. The two are very different agencies.

Furthermore, the real taxing entity, the Tax Assessor-Collector, is headed by an elected official. In Harris County, the agency incorrectly identified as a faceless bureaucracy is headed by Paul Bettencourt, a favorite of KSEV.

(I will allow suggestions that actual municipalities, counties, utility districts, school districts, etc. are the real taxing authorities. However, only out of ignorance can one claim that the county Appraisal District is a taxing entity.)

[PetroniDE]

The "secret" issue is that certain politicians in Texas want a state income tax. They are using rapidly rising property taxes as the excuse. It is time for a property tax revolt in Texas.

BUMP.

[right wing]

Houston area Freepers should tune into AM 700 KSEV today at 4 p.m. Dan Patrick (the station owner) was pushing this bill and will no doubt use his radio station to slap a political target on those who allowed the bill to be killed.

Dan has been a real hero trying to get this passed. I'm hoping he'll be able to get Dewhurst on the air to face some music. His political is SOOOO OVER!

[Aggie Mama]

We would have been one of the households affected by the legislation. Our property asessment went up 8.5% this year. We have been in our house since 1999 and our mortgage payment has increased by $400 per month due strictly to taxes. This makes my head want to explode. It's times like this where I wish the Texas Legislature met more than once every 2 years.

[right wing]

I agree with you 100%. We need to get every Texan we know (friends and family) to join C.L.O.U.T.

[PetroniDE]

Interesting... Did property owners have to raise holy hell to make that happen?

YES. If it wasn't for all the e-mails, facs, and phone calls by property owners, HB3223 never would have made it out of the House Committee, never mind passing the House, and passing the Senate Committee. This bill was considered dead several times and would have NEVER made it this far without the people being involved.

Ron H. is correct, we need I&R (initative and referendum).

[Flyer]

annual property appraisal increases to 5 percent instead of the current 10 percent.

A 5% cap would pretty much guarantee a 5% increase every time.