E-N’s Davidson: Texas Kids need SPIT
Bruce Davidson: Texas kids need state income tax
Web Posted: 07/24/2005 12:00 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
If Texas lawmakers were serious about reducing property taxes and adequately funding public schools, they would ask voters to approve a state income tax.
The income tax would be fair to everyone. All able Texans would pay the same percentage of their income.
Smokers and boozers wouldn’t be targeted. Bottled water would remain untaxed. Lawmakers wouldn’t be forced into unnatural contortions to patch together just enough revenue to get by.
A state income tax makes so much sense that it is almost hard to believe lawmakers haven’t opted for that path.
Hard to believe, until you remember this is Texas. Supporting a state income tax is an unpardonable sin in conservative political circles in the Lone Star State.
A politician might as well have the words “liberal scum” tattooed on his forehead if he openly supports an income tax in Texas.
Many elected officials have vowed never to support one.
But as the weird scenes keep coming out of Austin, the old notions make less sense. And behind closed doors, even some conservative business leaders are willing to say an income tax is the best solution.
State Sen. Elliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, has been the most vocal proponent of a state income tax. One of his few public allies is the Center for Public Policy Priorities.
The center’s research makes a strong case for a state income tax.
In 2002, the center estimated that a state income tax capped at 6.45 percent, like that in Kansas, would generate $18 billion in Texas. No other new revenue source can come close.
“The Texas Constitution guarantees that two-thirds — $12 billion — would go back to taxpayers in lower property taxes,” CPPP officials Scott McCown and Dick Lavine pointed out in a commentary posted on the center’s Web site.
The income tax would allow school property taxes to be reduced to 15 cents per $100 valuation. The pathetic proposal being pushed by House members in a special session conference committee last week would have reduced school property taxes to $1.20 per $100 valuation.
That wasn’t enough to justify the sales tax hike, the auto repair taxes and other increases that would have been used to pay for the property tax reduction.
McCown and Lavine noted, “An income tax would reflect our economic growth better than a sales tax, generating more revenue each year to pay for growth in enrollment and the cost of education without raising taxes.”
And thanks to the late Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, the state constitution requires that Texans vote to enact a state income tax. The income tax rate could not be increased without another vote of the people and school property taxes couldn’t increase without a vote of the people, the CPPP team emphasized.
Bullock led the charge to pass a 1993 constitutional amendment placing those restrictions on an income tax. Supporters were at first disappointed, but proponents of the reform have taken note of the ironclad safeguards now in the constitution.
Only the voters can loosen those safeguards. And the money must go to property tax relief and education. Tricky politicians would have no wiggle room.
The state’s political leaders owe it to citizens to speak frankly about the income tax.
The patchwork approaches being batted around the capitol these days reek of unfairness and inadequacy. Additional sales tax increases hurt low-income Texans the most, and the resulting revenue simply isn’t enough to keep up with the state’s needs.
A broad business tax would buy time, but it wouldn’t be a permanent fix.
Quality education is essential for Texas to meet its economic potential and reduce poverty.
A state income tax is by far the most sensible way to make sure all Texas children get a fair chance to succeed. It’s time for Texans to acknowledge the obvious.
——————————————————————————–
bdavidson@express-news.net
July 26th, 2005 at 2:42 pm
¡Ya basta con el Conventional Wisdom! (And please, I don’t want to see the words “liberal scum” in print anymore, even when they are being challenged.)
July 26th, 2005 at 3:17 pm
Regarding Bruce Davidson: Texas kids need a state income tax
The last thing students or their parents need in Texas is a state income tax. The problem with school finance in Texas is NOT money. There is a huge amount of waste (administrative) in the school system. Over the years teacher have been repeatedly hit in the head and kicked in the stomach with administrative paper work, mandates, and other BS that it is makes teaching increasingly more difficult to perform. Many school teachers from urban and rural school districts will tell you that they got into the profession because they believed teaching a child to read, do math or even sing was truly a joy and pleasure. Putting more money in the school system will not fix it. Ask a teacher.
July 26th, 2005 at 3:54 pm
I definitely think there is room for improvement on the admin side, as there is a fairer way to tax Texans without tying education to booze, cigs, lap dances, and whatever else they are concocting these days…
July 27th, 2005 at 2:19 pm
Santos,
While all problems can never be completely solved with money, I have talked to many a teacher and one of their main concerns is lack of money in their school districts as well as their wallets. Many teachers are having to buy school supplies for their students with money out of their own pockets because the school budget doesn’t have enough to cover it and the parents can’t afford to either.
And while Dell has been very generous in donating computers to many schools, the digital divide is clearly still a problem many of our poorer school districts are facing.
The State Income Tax will force legislators to stop screwing around and pretending they are addressing our schools’ issues by, like La Girl said, tying education to booze and strippers AND property taxes. THere is no reason why people should have to decide between living in affordable homes or having successful education.
A State Income Tax would eliminate this unfair decision.
I know that many people see taxes as a burden, but in fact taxes are an investment in our future and our children.
I’m sorry I wasn’t completely clear on the workings of the State Income Tax plan, but we are planning to post Sen. Shapleigh’s presentation on our site soon. So check in later for more info on this.
L.
August 5th, 2005 at 9:12 am
Mr. Santos’ comment that “putting more money in the school system will not fix it. Ask a teacher” is a gross lack of knowledge of the current education system.
As a person married to a former school teacher, a board member of a public school for low-income children, and a community member involved with teacher groups for over 10 years, I have never ,ever, heard a teacher say that the current public school system is adequately funded in Texas. In fact, I have only heard the opposite.
The current public school system is inordinately financed by property taxes in each school district. Subsequently, districts that include the Galleria and Nordstrom generate significantly more education dollars than those districts including Cash America and EZ Pawn
A child’s education should not be determined by what side of the tracks they were born.