Patrick 'Patronizes' Perry Plan
Well, isn't this something worth taking a look at?
Republican candidate for state Senator, Dan Patrick of Houston, who is going for Jon Lindsay's (R-Houston) current seat after the long-time state Senator resigns, came out blasting the GOP leaderhsip and Governor Rick Perry at the Americans For Prosperity-Texas Taxpayer Summit which is being held in Austin this week.
In his remarks at the summit, Patrick, who is a conservative radio show host, stated that Governor Perry's plan is bad for businesses, workers, shoppers and bad for Republicans.
All of this because of a new business tax that Perry suggests to replace the corporate pay tax and to help lower property taxes, which is at the base of the special session we are currently in.
Patrick feels that this new business tax will not help businesses, in fact impact 100,000 Texas businesses even leading some to shut their doors. The Governor's office believes only half of the 100,000 suggested by Patrick would feel the impact of this new business tax.
Instead of replacing one tax with another, Patrick drew a line in the sand, suggesting "using the state's $8.2 billion surplus to cut property taxes, give teachers a pay raise, pay bills left over from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and boost security on the border" (Austin American Statesman, 4/22/06, "Taxpayer summit focuses on limiting government growth").
Patrick is confident that all of this can be done without raising a single new tax dollar. Well, we're going to have to wait and see considering the GOP leadership has fast-tracked the Perry plan by closing off debate on school finance reform to strictly "finance reform".
As Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) said on the floor of the Legislature yesterday, "it's almost like me sleeping with a woman tonight and telling her I'm going to marry her on tomorrow. Why shouldn't we get married before we sleep?"
There won't be any school finance reform nor teachers raises considering the GOP leadership continues to say that they'll get to those issues "tommorow" or as Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Alpine) said, "mañana is the busiest day of the week because the Legislature always says everything will be taken care of mañana and we never get there".
Republican candidate for state Senator, Dan Patrick of Houston, who is going for Jon Lindsay's (R-Houston) current seat after the long-time state Senator resigns, came out blasting the GOP leaderhsip and Governor Rick Perry at the Americans For Prosperity-Texas Taxpayer Summit which is being held in Austin this week.
In his remarks at the summit, Patrick, who is a conservative radio show host, stated that Governor Perry's plan is bad for businesses, workers, shoppers and bad for Republicans.
All of this because of a new business tax that Perry suggests to replace the corporate pay tax and to help lower property taxes, which is at the base of the special session we are currently in.
Patrick feels that this new business tax will not help businesses, in fact impact 100,000 Texas businesses even leading some to shut their doors. The Governor's office believes only half of the 100,000 suggested by Patrick would feel the impact of this new business tax.
Instead of replacing one tax with another, Patrick drew a line in the sand, suggesting "using the state's $8.2 billion surplus to cut property taxes, give teachers a pay raise, pay bills left over from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and boost security on the border" (Austin American Statesman, 4/22/06, "Taxpayer summit focuses on limiting government growth").
Patrick is confident that all of this can be done without raising a single new tax dollar. Well, we're going to have to wait and see considering the GOP leadership has fast-tracked the Perry plan by closing off debate on school finance reform to strictly "finance reform".
As Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) said on the floor of the Legislature yesterday, "it's almost like me sleeping with a woman tonight and telling her I'm going to marry her on tomorrow. Why shouldn't we get married before we sleep?"
There won't be any school finance reform nor teachers raises considering the GOP leadership continues to say that they'll get to those issues "tommorow" or as Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Alpine) said, "mañana is the busiest day of the week because the Legislature always says everything will be taken care of mañana and we never get there".
posted by Jason Plotkin | 7:04 AM
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