Those of us who call Hays County "home" will be well-served to get our own minds around this very big issue, and become more actively involved in pursuing a more life-honoring, spirit-honoring course. More spending, debt and taxes will not serve us well.
Note: What do you get when you have a county budget of $243 million, of which more than half is debt for big capital projects like new roads, parks and a new county government center, and revenues of around $80 million? What you get is that difficult spot between a rock and a hard place. It's where our county government and newly elected members of the county commissioners court will be come January. By our reckoning, only a handful of citizens and county officials are aware of the ballooning debt predicament. We figure the rest of the population of Hays County is blissfully unaware of the facts. So we appreciate Mr. Brannon's well researched information and his efforts to spread the news and recruit more concerned citizens to tell the story.
Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Mr. Brannon at LoveHaysCounty@hotmail.com, to incoming County Judge Bert Cobb at bert.cobb@gmail.com or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story
By Sam Brannon
Guest Commentary
As we're all settling in with family and friends to enjoy the holiday season, let's take a brief look ahead to the coming year, because we've got a lot of "stuffed stockings" coming our way from our local elected officials.According to the Hays County Auditor's office (chart below), the County's property tax rates are scheduled to increase from $.4692 for 2011 to $.4814 in 2012, and to $.4950 in 2013, or quite possibly even higher.
Click on chart to enlarge
In fact, Hays County property owners can expect higher tax rates for at least the next 13 years, perhaps more, if we don't meet the appraised value projections or sales tax projections. Most of the people that I speak with are not aware of this, and it will affect all of us – renters, property owners, individuals and businesses.
The good news is that we can actually do something about it, and there is a growing interest in doing so.
First, the federal and state spend and tax context
The spending and the debt levels in our federal government are out of control and unsustainable. There's little hope that any real change of direction will be made, even with a newly installed Republican Congress. The vast majority of the current discussion is about the revenue side of the equation (taxes), with little to no attention paid on spending. Taxpayers are beginning to understand how close we're coming to what might seem to be some rather dire outcomes, possibly including a dollar collapse and hyperinflation.
Two weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that he expects "unemployment will not improve for another 4 to 5 years." That's astonishing because Ben Bernanke is known for painting rather jolly pictures of the economy. Right before the mortgage collapse, he was telling us everything was A-OK, and just before the banking collapse, another A-OK. This past summer many of us were surprised when we were told that the recession actually ended 18 months ago. We'd be wise to take the unemployment warning as the Fed's queue that things could get pretty rough for a lot of us in the coming years.
REAL unemployment today probably is in the 20-25% range. What do I mean by "real"? If we were measuring unemployment today like we were in 1994 before some key changes were made in the calculations, the unemployment rate today would certainly be over 20%. There are many resources that explain the math. The Shadow Government Statistics website explains it fairly well.
At the state level, the powers around Austin are trying to decide how much of an increase in taxes and fees they can slide by Texans, or how many wafer-thin slices they can pull from the various departments. While we can hope for better things, right now it sounds like higher taxes are coming.
In short, I don't see any real resistance to the trend of higher taxes at either the state or federal levels. The bi-partisan momentum for More Government is very difficult to stop.
The county's accumulating debt and high foreclosure rate
I'm of the mind that we can do much better focusing our attention locally, and I'm pleased that there are quite a few good folks here in the County interested in doing so.
It was just a couple of months ago that I and a group of Hays residents successfully stopped a 2011 tax rate hike, holding the current rate at $.4692. Unfortunately, unless we lead the County to make some significant changes in direction, we'll soon be considering this "the good old days."
Click on chart to enlarge
One major issue is Hays County's accumulating debt. The County currently carries over $250 million in debt, of which about $225 million was borrowed between 2006 and 2010. The county plans to spend about $243 million in 2011, which includes $76 million to run the county departments, $17 million for interest and principal on our existing debt and $150 million for construction projects such as roads, the new government center, and parks and conservation land projects. However in 2011, the county only anticipates revenues of about $81 million (taxes and other sources) so the county debt will most certainly be rising, along with our taxes, beyond what you see in the chart taken from a county budget report.Our newly-elected and returning County officials would be well-served to get their minds around the scheduled tax and debt increases, and to begin articulating a plan to address them. Due to the nature of the political process, they'll need our help in changing the current County fiscal momentum. Those of us who call Hays County "home" will be well-served to get our own minds around the problem, and become more actively involved in pursuing a more life-honoring, spirit-honoring course. More spending, debt and taxes will not serve us.
It's time to begin having more direct and more regular conversations with our elected county officials, as well as at our school districts, cities and other municipalities. They're all heading in the same direction – more spending, more taxes, more debt. Maintaining the status quo of borrow-tax-spend will cost us much, well beyond any calculations in dollars.
High taxes and debt makes slaves of otherwise free people – that's an historical truth that we seem to be ignoring at our own risk. These are the days in which we choose to either jealously guard our freedom, or accept the debt and tax servitude that is heading our way.
"Public debt is the greatest of the dangers to be feared." – Thomas Jefferson
Get involved in creating answers
Our reliance on government to solve our problems clearly isn't working. It is becoming obvious that we'll have to create our own answers, and I'm confident that we have all the resources required to do so among our friends and neighbors. To the extent that we articulate and pursue our own vision, the politics will follow. Simple stuff.
We currently have 4 volunteers working on the Hays Citizens' Budget project. Our goal is to craft budget recommendations by the end of January, and begin taking them out to the community and our elected officials for feedback in February, before making final recommendations to the Commissioners Court in early March 2011. If you are a member of an organization or group and would like to have us in for a presentation in February, we'd like to get your feedback on our findings and recommendations.
I'm not aware of any particular ongoing efforts at the school districts or municipalities, but if readers know of any, or would like to coordinate with us, we would love to hear from you.
Another interesting project we're preparing to kick off is Hays Food Source to identify how much food Hays County produces, and to understand how far outside the county we would have to go in order to feed the 150,000 or so Hays County residents. This project is sort of a cross between local/organic farming and emergency preparedness. Right now we're looking for interested participants and some subject matter experts to help guide the project, so I'm looking to make contact with local growers and "farm and ranch" types.
If these or other projects are of interest to you, write to me at: LoveHaysCounty@hotmail.com
Enjoy your holidays, and get your rest. If you're concerned about the growing debt and taxes in Hays County, we'll be looking for your help early in the coming year.
Sam Brannon was a cog, as he puts it, in the machinery of "Corporate America" for 17 years, in the supply chain, corporate finance and software industries. His last role was VP of Client Solutions for an international supply chain consulting firm. In 2006, Brannon left his career and began four years of traveling abroad. Now back in San Marcos, he attends Hays County Commissioners Court regularly, and is an advocate of lower taxes and less spending at all levels of government. Brannon earned his BBA in Finance at the University of Texas at Austin.
32 comments:
It is ironic how the worm turns and it will be interesting to see how the new all-Republican commissioners court, presumably fiscal conservatives, will try squirming themselves out of this tax box. Some say the road bond came with fine print locking us all into a five cent tax rate increase. Welcome to the world of tax and spend, republican commissioners. Did anybody think we'd see anything different?
Who is this writer? Some wanna be politician/community organizer trying to get some free airtime for a political run in the future?
He sure likes to impress us with his long diatribes about economic numbers and his perceived county objectives; but does he really say anything?
All I can see is that he thinks he is a mover and shaker and wants to be the lay county budget expert based on his own appointment.
A new hustler on the horizon, or a legend in his own mind, as they say?
Mr. Sam misses the point when it comes to employment. It is not the quantity of jobs that will be the problem. It is the quality of jobs - and whether or not the jobs in the future will even offer a livable wage that families can live on without being debt slaves to the money corporations.
The current unemployment situation - whether we use the "real" or the Wall Street/politician numbers - is a set up for exploitive wages and benefits - just as we have seen with robotics technology re-tooling and the bankruptcy engineering of the auto industry.
Sure, we will eventually see the "official" national unemployment rate drop. And Wall Street will cheer and rally around it. But the jobs and the income will be sub-par and the average worker will constantly have to struggle to provide for their families and their family's health care. Unfortunately, that is the new America, and sooner rather than later, the new Texas.
But Mr. Sam is hopefully correct about one thing. Hays County - because it is such a desireable place to live - does not have to follow the rest of the country into economic co-dependency, if we choose to be economic community activists.
A lot of verbiage in the article that boils down to -- the county's got a sh*t load of debt and no room to maneuver. But thanks for the report. The new commissioners and county judge must be sweating bullets. If they don't put a stop to several unneeded road projects and park projects the second they sit their taxpayer paid butts on the com court dais then the voters wasted their time electing them. And they need to put commissioner Conley and commissioner Ingalsbe in a closet when they hold their Tuesday meetings.
Nice piece, Sam. I would urge folks to watch this piece on 60 minutes last Sunday "The Day of Reckoning", in which respected financial analyst (who warned us a year before the Wall Street crash), Meredith Whitney, warns that within 12 months we're likely to see a second wave of implosions with 50-100 US cities default (several of them are in Texas - watch for the list soon at IndyTexans.org/itblog.
The problem in Texas is 1000 people per day moving here, many to Central Texas where there is not enough water. AND, here's the real kicker. Local and state government, under the influence of the Developer/Road -- all Growth is Good -- Lobby, have been offloading the costs of infrastructure for years. Go to CostofGrowth.com hosted by local small business developer, Brian Rodgers, of Austin.
We need a full blown independent movement to take on the corruption of both parties. There are a few good people in both parties, but mostly their game is to divide us as "liberals" and "conservatives", while they (the growth lobby) are fixing to steal water and set Texas up for a major fiscal crisis they have no idea how to resolve.
Your local effort is right on, Sam. And we need to be doing this all over the state and linking our efforts, while maintaining our local indy organizations. That's independent with a small "i", so we can move inside and outside the major parties while we build outside of them.
Best wishes for the holidays! Linda Curtis, Independent Texans
C'mon Linda, it is pretty clear you and Sam work together on some level. Nice try - to look supportive and independent, though.
Corrupt two party system? In Hays County? I would say "ignorant" two party system. But then again, you can't say that because you're trying to raise funds by appealing to disgruntled "independent" local citizens, etc.
I agree that killing county spending programs is a good way to stop rampant special interest developments that mess with our local environment and make the crony capitalists richer at tax payer expense.
And that's a good ploy - until your Org starts receiving money from those special interests - and then you start compromising your values because your political and community egos get out of hand.
Fortunately, it can be simpler than relying on another political community organization to do what citizens can do individually, and that is:
JUST SAY AND ACT "NO."
On the other hand, Americans like to be followers, so your Org and Sam's Org does have a place - as long as you are not just another community power scam designed to exploit angry, ripped off citizens. The term "independent" makes me suspicious right off - and my cynicism is historically justified.
Yeah, Anonymous- it's real easy these days to be cynical and much harder to build some positive relationships with folks.
New Year's resolutions will soon be in order. How 'bout learning about just who you're attacking before you launch.
I interpret that Linda is a little too defensive over the last Anonymous comment. I don't see Anonymous trashing Linda's or Sam's efforts. I see Anonymous as making sure people know that change comes first from within.
I do agree that many political orgs (maybe like Linda's and Sam's, but hopefully not) gives people an excuse to rely on others to make the political change they need to make through their own individual political, consumer and investment decisions. Self-empowerment is the first step to take to insure productive change.
For example, "ranting" about how higher taxes is bad - as a way to get people on board their political movement - can either be a valid piece of the puzzle or simply pandering to a fed up citizenry.
However, the elephant in the economic room here is the reality that higher taxes for the rich and lower taxes for the middle class and poor is the only way to even the current imbalanced economic playing field - one that has been in reverse for way too long.
On the other hand, it would be nice if the rich were more like the "Bush tax cut group of 90" - one of which was Warren Buffett - who sent a signed letter to Obama saying they do not believe in keeping the tax cuts for the rich in place and they are willing to pay higher taxes to help America out of its economic funk. These 90 successful business people are the real American patriots.
In the end, and more importantly, increased education spending - in public education run by competent educators, and quality private education spending by those who can afford it - is the best way to fix the problems of our unemployment, our under-educated globally noncompetitive work force, and our faltering economic development that benefits the haves more than the have nots.
And unless the benevolent rich will step up and reinvigorate our education policy (without having their ads all over the schools), will have to raise taxes for education - somewhere, somehow.
If people don't make education our first priority, America is doomed to be a failed imperial power.
Ms. Curtis, thank you for being a courteous and cool head, a real rarity on this blog. Merry Christmas to you and a Happy Independent New Year!
You know, Rocky I just can’t understand why you liberals stress education spending so strongly. We are taxed to the hilt for the sorry state of public education we have now in this country. The main culprits in the mix are the teachers unions and too many school districts with repetition of administrational efforts. Just look at what Governor Christie of New Jersey has done to improve education in his state and lower the cost to its citizens. Washington DC is an example of overly excessive taxes poor grades and graduation numbers. This is due to the teacher’s unions, which have just run amuck. You liberals have done nothing to improve education, just thrown good money after bad with terrible results. America will be great again when all unions die out and their lazy members start working for a living like the rest of us. Tax and spend is never the answer.
"Local and state government, under the influence of the Developer/Road -- all Growth is Good -- Lobby, have been offloading the costs of infrastructure for years."
Yes and the homeowners are overtaxed and provided zero services. The property "costs" more because you pay for the cost of installing the infrastructure. That by itself isn't bad but it is offensive to now tax the owner based upon this higher price which is including infrastructure that the county didn't provide in the first place. On top of the higher taxes to the county, the homeowners have to pay "club dues" in the form of HOA assessments to fund much of this infrastructure - except that the homeowners do not get a deduction for it there either and they are treated as renters on their own properties by the unaccountable HOA corporations to boot. Your local government has gotten accustomed to taxation without providing services.
Rocky... I don't think I missed the point. Our corporatocracy (the effective joint venture between corporations and our governments)is pursuing an outcome. The federal government has an estimated 2 million H-1B visas outstanding currently. These are typically high-paying jobs. And with the open border to the south, the lower end of the labor market has been flooded as well. And our government passes out tax incentives to move operations outside the country. Makes you wonder if the same people control both of them.
Some people think that "if the darned government just had better people to solve the (fill in the blank) problem, everything would be better."
Even if you fix the personnel problem today - and we've proven we're not very good at it - its there again tomorrow.
The only way to overcome that is to limit the power of the government. We take back power from the federal to the state. We take some of that back to local. Some we decide to keep for ourselves, and the more, the better. When we do that, we're in control again.
And then the corporations are no longer protected, and they lose to good ol' American ingenuity, and deciding to take care of our communities first, because we know that's in our best interest.
Milton Friedman told us there is no political freedom without economic freedom. Both are at risk these days. And it does come down to individual decisions.
To your second comment...
I don't count myself a member of any political organization, but I do attend quite a few meetings. I have a lot of respect for Linda Curtis, though we've never met. She worked tirelessly to defeat (for now) Rick Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor, and she's an advocate on water issues, and local farming. She's fought some tough battles, and I doubt she's defensive about much.
And the Anonymous contributed nothing to the conversations other than a lame attempt at some FUD (fear uncertainty and doubt) toward me for making note of a debt and tax crisis heading our way. Readers are smart... they'll know what to do with that.
Every dollar you give your government gives it power over you. I doubt you really think more is better.
The U.S. had the best education in the world before the Department of Education was created. And we did it without state of the art buildings with state of the art technologies. Do you really think more is better, and based on what evidence?
I don't buy into the class warfare aspect of it. Less than half of the U.S. pays federal income tax. Sure we could go soak them and shrink their numbers, but sooner or later we run out of people to pay for all this government.
Its just better if we limit the government, keep more of our money in our community, and proper as we otherwise would be.
Herein lies one of the biggest problems America faces. A populace that equates "liberal" with bad education run by teacher's unions. What a bunch of erroneous thinking and silly logic.
Texas does not have teacher's unions and this state has some of the worst education in the nation. Why is that, if education unions are the problem?
And I don't care about Michigan or California or other states that have strong teacher unions (although standardized tests show those kids are smarter than Texas kids). Texas families spend about four times as much for housing and cars as it does on the education of their children. I think someone needs to tell Mr. and Mrs. Anti-Tax that those life priorities are screwed up.
What is more important? Our children being job competitive in a very tough globalized economy, or the size of their house and the horsepower of their car.
Finally, it's a sad sign for America when nowadays people think liberal and being educated is a bad thing. Well, sign me up and all the children of the people I care about.
Tax and spend for your children's education? Or tax and spend on wars and corporate welfare? It's your choice.
RoundUp readers should take a look at Linda Curtis's website link (click on her name). There are some good ideas there - especially the campaign finance reform statement (campaign finance schemes are the scourge of our democracy, especially after the Citizens United judicial activism ruling by the Wall Street Supreme Court).
Hey Sam, thanks for your reasonable reply. But re: the cynical Anonymous, just as there is a place for libertarianism, there is a place for anarchy (in fact, they are not that far apart when it comes to solutions).
What I do see from your writings and your defenses is that you have clear libertarian - even Tea Party - sentiments (e.g. your Department of Education generalization and your Milton Friedman quote). And that is fine. There is probably a little truth to everything.
But I get the impression you would not admit you "miss the point" even if you did. Compared to me, you are young, and knowing everything feels safer than admitting ignorance (I mean that in a good way) and intellectual imperfection.
But if you are really out to make a political place for yourself - and it seems pretty clear you are, those foibles will pass with experience, maturity, and the humility obtained from life's struggles.
But one thing you said which shows me you are not ready for prime time is your comment that "I don't buy into the class warfare aspect of it." Really? And less than half of the US pays income tax? I assume you mean the upper income half?
Even if true, and it isn't, your comment almost makes me cry for those poor souls like Steve Forbes and the all the plutocrats who are sucking up the middle class wealth with their anti-government, anti-tax rhetoric. Sam, in my opinion, you are reading too much "Americans for Tax Reform" and "Club for Growth" right wing think tank gibberish (and is it really a think tank if their ideas are bad?).
Sam, your current politically correct version of the "revolution" may end up severely curtailing taxes, public education funding, and other now dysfunctional tax revenue funded public services, but at what price?
I think it is very clever that you have blended the Tea Party rhetoric with corporatocracy reality. But trashing government for the sake of decentralizing everything is dangerous, although maybe worth a try. What have we got to lose? The worse that can happen is that we give further control to the haves over the "have lesses."
"Starve the Beast" (i.e. no taxes for government) is the mantra of conservatives to limit government. Sam, you say "starve the beast" and that will eliminate the corporate plutocracy. Clever, Sam, but also very dangerous. I work with the plutocracy every day, and they are much smarter and more powerful than you or I will ever be to to make sure that doesn't happen.
In fact, I'm confident the plutocracy has cleverly taken advantage of (and in some ways engineered) this whole anti-government, ant-tax movement to suit their own purposes. But that's fine, Sam, you can make a good living in politics as a "new breed" of politician. Cynical? A FUD? No, just "been there, done that."
Finally, you say "it's just better if we limit the government, keep more of our money in our community, and proper as we otherwise would be." Nice rhetoric, but when you say "we", who is "we." Unfortunately, I have seen more abuse and misuse of power come from the phrase "We the people."
Good luck, Sam. But remember the lyrics to the old Who song: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Yes, I know. I am old.
Rocky... You misunderstand many of my beliefs, rationale and ambitions, but that's alright we'll clear that up when we get together. Its more simple than you give it credit for being.
I'm at a loss on where you're coming from, so I'll be looking forward to understanding that as well.
Your words... "I work with the plutocracy every day, and they are much smarter and more powerful than you or I will ever be"
Brother, if you believe that, we come from very different places. They have invested more in the process of government than we have, and somehow convinced us to cede our power. The power is ours as soon as we reclaim it.
I believe we'd be smart get our business in order, and that starts local. I've talked to a lot of people in Hays County that either can't afford what's coming, or don't feel like they're getting their money's worth. We're working to fix that. I welcome your being part of the process to the extent you wish to be.
Let me know when you get toward San Marcos...
I guess I'm confused? I don't see this as an issue. Hays County is growing, with that growth will come higher taxes. Hays County is in-line rate wise with most counties that are near major cities. If we want to live near "all the action" it comes with a price tag. When I moved to Hays county 8 years ago I wasn't naive enough to think taxes would not go up, that's the price of admission. Look we all want services (police, ems, fire, etc.) and I for one am willing to pay for location, location, location. If you don't like the tax rates and debt move.
Recently, I worked as election judge for a local Wimberley area precinct and found that, though my co-workers at the election were politically active, they new very little about the fiscal state of Hays Co. Gov. Answer: A newsletter from the newly elected Judge-short & forthright to all tax payers (shareholders)- stating the $'s & cents of where we are and
asking for financial help, ideas, moral support for the tough decisions ahead, etc. Having had a
career in sales I learned a long time ago that if you don't ask, nothing happens,
Clark Regan
Mr. B, what percentage of income do the top 1% make, compared to the rest of us? How about the top 5%?
Did Citigroups CEO really only make $1 last year?
Perhaps after answering those questions, folks may begin to see the light
Well put Sam. It's too bad the outgoing Commissioners Court went out of there way to saddle to new Court with additional long term debt.
BTW Some of these anonymous posters are really gutless in their remarks.
Sam, if the plutocracy is not smarter than you, you would not be writing this piece, pleading for your decentralized "starve the beast" taxation plan so we can take back our lives.
And seriously, if you don't believe this is a class warfare issue, brother, we definitely do come from different places. What the hell do you think a plutocracy is?
Sam, work on the writing style some. The header implies tha county debt has some impact on the foreclosure rate. Not really. County taxes are a very small portion of the escrow amount included in most mortgages. The reason for the high foreclosure rate is the number of ARM loans that never should have been made in the first place.
If you wish to deal with taxes, please address school taxes.
The "class" you refer to Rocky is the difference between the taxpayer class and the handout class. Look at the WVWA deal where Conley not only handed over millions in a political favor to David Baker & Co, Conley went the extra mile and destroyed all value in the property to boot after directing taxpayers to pay a premium for the property.
When you rob from Paul to pay Peter you can count on Peter's votes. Peter and Paul are in different "classes". Conley is simply evidence that this is not a Democrat/Republican "party" issue but rather a governance model. It's one thing to share for survival. It is something else entirely to threaten taxpayers across the county with foreclosure to extract millions of dollars that is then diverted for political favor and personal gain of a very, very small group of individuals in Wimberley.
County spending/borrowing does not now, nor has it ever, been the cause of foreclosure on private property/debt. The cause is defaulting on the loan. People lost their jobs, hence could not pay. Or, in many of the cases, if you wish to take the time to check, the loans made were ARMs, and while the people qualified initially, the lender knew they could not make the payments after they went up. Call it what you wish, mortgage fraud, predatroy lending, whatever.
Property taxes are quite high and people in subdivisions pay a disproportionate share of them. Certainly the property taxes are simply another debt load that contributes to the problem. The county is less of a contributor to that problem than the school districts, but the county is spending like a drunken sailor and is needlessly increasing the tax burden of the property owners here. Let's not forget our county commissioners voting to adopt a resolution to empower the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District to have ad valorem taxation power. With representatives like that who needs enemies.
I'm not sure what 10:40 AM 1-4 Anonymous is really saying about the use of my word "class", other than to justify his or her own anger at the David Baker deal.
What I know is that the "handout" class are not stupid people. Most are compassionate, caring people who loathe loafers and realize that some Americans have bad luck and need help sometimes.
Personally, I would rather give some of my tax money to an unemployed mother - or even David Baker's scheme to protect local land from further unneeded development - than to bail out Bank of America or fund Lockheed Martin's lobby money driven wasteful war machine.
What about you, Anomymous? I assume most of your tax payments are to the Feds. Are BofA and LM part of the handout class or the taxpayer class? Are we now a State capitalist system, a corporate socialist system, or a laissez faire big corporation capitalist system?
Your honest answer will tell us whether you are in the taxpayer class or the handout class.
Last Anon. Those in subdivisions pay a disproportionate share?!? Not what the Hays County study several years ago showed. Rural landowners receive far less in serives than urban/subdivided landowners in governmental services; to the point that rural landowners are revenue positive to the tax entities, while urban/subdivided landowner are a revenue drain.
County taxes are minimal when compared to school taxes. In the case of the ARMS being foreclosed on the loan payment may have jumped 3 or 4 hundred dollars a month. It's the sleazy lender's fault not county taxes.
I agree with the last anon about the county taxes being very small compared to the greedy wasteful school districts. I would rather my taxes go to improve roads than build one of those Texas shrines called football stadiums. Remember that it is the County Tax Appraisers that set the amount of our tax for the schools as well. My biggest tax expense is for schools, as I pay no Federal Income Tax since I don’t make enough money to pay 1040 taxes but I do own my home, for now. I think that is something Rocky didn’t consider when he made the statement, “I assume most of your tax payments are to the Feds.”
http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2011/jan/07/lloyd-doggett/lloyd-doggett-says-richest-americans-getting-bigge/
Kind of says it all
"County spending/borrowing does not now, nor has it ever, been the cause of foreclosure on private property/debt."
Tell that to those on fixed incomes (SS, annuities or disability pensions) who were forced out of homes that were completely paid for, because they couldn't afford the rising property taxes year after year after year.
These are our widows, widowers, and disabled, and there are more in Hays County than you might think. These good citizens have been cast aside in the name of tax and spend for growth.
Tax and spend policy has consequences. Not everyone is blessed with financial security despite a lifetime of hard work and frugal living. These are the casualties of our wasteful spending.
Chuck the County did not foreclose on any taxes. In fact, there have not even been many School tax foreclosures, and the property owne may redeem those. Get your facts straight.
Mr. O'Dell your mission today, if you ddecide to accept it, is, find one case where Hays County actually filed suit for collection of taxes.
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