Sunday, March 20, 2011
County debt grows by more than 1,600 percent since 2000 – is it too much?
Add Buda's estimated $8,400 debt per household, Kyle's $7,300 debt per household and the Hays Consolidated ISD's $20,000-plus debt per household and you can see where it's all going
Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to the Citizens' Budget Project at LoveHaysCounty@hotmail.com or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story
"How much is too much debt?"
The question is being fiercely debated from the halls of Congress to the steps of the Hays County Courthouse. It is also a question central to the Hays Citizens' Budget Project, led by San Marcos resident Sam Brannon (UT-BBA). Brannon gave his ninth and latest presentation Sunday afternoon at the Wimberley Community Center. Eighteen people attended. Nine added their names to a growing list of citizens who want Hays County government to check its spending and reduce its debt. The presentation provided a wealth of information on county finances and potential areas of savings, generated a lot of questions and good discussion.
Brannon's well sourced slide presentation revealed some eye-popping numbers. They have to be explained in the proper context, but are unsettling nonetheless and really do beg the question "how much is too much?" The federal debt, for example, has grown 164 percent since 2000 while Hays County's debt has ballooned 1,679 percent in the same time period. It now stands at $216 million and is projected to rise to around $400 million within a few years. The debt equals to about $8,000 per household in the County. Add Buda's estimated $8,400 debt per household, Kyle's $7,300 debt per household and the Hays Consolidated ISD's $20,000-plus debt per household and you can see where it's all going – up, up and away. Can you handle it?
Hays County Commissioners Court is hosting a budget review and workshop (10 a.m.) at their Tuesday March 22 meeting. Come early, a big crowd is expected. Some are saying commissioners are staging the workshop to allay the public's concerns over the county's mountainous debt and to push for the more than $100 million in capital projects (not yet started) on the court's dinner plate. Taxpayers should know the projects are not etched in stone – they can be stopped, delayed or winnowed down. If the workshop settles nothing, we hope at least commissioners and Judge Bert Cobb will level with the citizens and explain just how much debt they think is too much.
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15 comments:
When are you going to interview the people who disagree with your figures? Who believe that you are presenting misinformation?
Looks to me like Brannon and his disguised LiberTea Party group calling itself the Hays County Citizen's Budget Project is at it again. This thinly-veiled PR piece amateurishly written by some yahoo brown noser of Brannon (or maybe Brannon himself - or Ms. Love-Joy)
tries to legitimize this dribble with:
1)"led by San Marcos resident Sam Brannon (UT-BBA)."
So what if Brannon has a BBA. I say BFD. Those minor degrees are a dime a dozen. It's like those parent bumper stickers that make hay out of minor scholastic achievements in grade school.
2) "Eighteen people attended. Nine added their names to a growing list of citizens who want Hays County government to check its spending and reduce its debt."
So what? Anyone can get nine right wingers to sign anything having to do with debt and spending. That's why these same people are living in trailers.
3) "Brannon's well sourced slide presentation revealed some eye-popping numbers. They have to be explained in the proper context..." Blah blah blah!
Well, then, these numbers must be "eye popping" if the writer of this shameless PR crap says so.
All I can say is give Brannon and his gullible goobers credit for fooling some of the people some of the time.
But given Hays County's mentality, like voting in woman hater and privacy invader Jason Isaac, can they fool most of the people most of the time. Let's pray not.
And too bad the publisher of this Blog is so desparate for copy he has to resort to this type of PR deception.
As a certified LEFT-WINGER who most does not live in a trailer (as if where I lived or how much money I have makes me less of a citizen), I was offended by the tacky comments of the previous poster:
"So what? Anyone can get nine right wingers to sign anything having to do with debt and spending. That's why these same people are living in trailers."
I am simply concerned that Hays County, like all counties and municipalities, is experiencing a decrease in overall revenue due to many factors, but decreasing property values being a big one.
And we are seeing foreclosure rates go through the roof. People in the county are losing their homes. Let that one sink in. Goodbye house, hello homelessness. And some of these people owned their homes outright, but just could not afford the County taxes or pay the IRS. This is what we bleeding heart lefties find most disconcerting about the whole mess.
I am concerned that we have signed on for some big-ticket items like roads we do not need (and you Buda folks, I am not talking about 1626, so relax, you can still get to your jobs in Austin, eventually, anyway)and buildings that may be fancier than we can afford.
We are still a poor county, but some in government are embarrassed about that and want better digs. I understand the motivation, but maybe now it not the time.
Like many in this County, I am alarmed at the disconnect between income and spending plans by the County government.
How come these guys claim to be fiscal conservatives until they get into office?
I enjoyed Brannon's presentation, found it quite eye-opening and for those of us there (all eighteen of us who you would discount as people who don't even count because we MIGHT "live in trailers")it was an opportunity to talk to our neighbors and discuss some important issues.
For me, the ability of those in power to divide us all into neat categories like right, left or trailer trash is one of the reasons we cannot get citizens to gather and agree on basic principles anymore.
Divide and Conquer is an old adage and now more than ever, we are being sliced and diced and taken for a ride. I am not saying that Hays County is doing this, but it is a national trend I find most troubling. The banks are doing fine lending us all this money. Can we really pay all this money back?
"Power to the People", as John Lennon once so aptly sang.
The Solution to the high property taxes and large debt of Hays County along with the State’s lack of funds for education can be solved in one simple step ... Legalize all forms of Gambling everywhere in the State. Besides being very entertaining, tons of tax revenues will roll in from the patrons of the Casinos. Our property taxes will drop and the school districts can continue to hire administrators and build palaces for schools and NFL stadiums for high schools. We would have millions to save more endangered species. There will probably be enough left over to finance a water pipeline or two. Of course, the blue noses will get their panties in a bunch, but if they complain too much, we could just end their religious tax exemptions to get even more revenue. Now top that one Sam!
Another alternative to expanded gambling would be to just apply the sales tax to legal fees. If I have to charge a customer a sales tax when I provide the service of mowing their yard(yes that is the law) then why doesn't a lawyer have to charge a sales tax when they provide legal services? Guess the legal lobby is just stronger than the lawnmowing lobby.
Anon 8:31; are you charged an occupation tax, lawyers are; do you pay lawn service dues like bar dues, do yuo have to post a 1-800 number for your clients to complain?
Lawyer lobby isn't that great
Anonymous March 27, 7:07 PM is right on. Go brother!
A Hays County Democrat i.e. SC needs to look beyond the disguised LiberTea bagger rhetoric of "not a revenue problem". It is clearly a revenue problem.
And the right wingers have become so nuts - even Will Conley is starting to make sense. How's that for listening to all sides?
To Spend and Tax Liberals, it is always as revenue problem; that’s why the Country, State and County are in the mess they are in right now. Democrats and many Republicans are guilty and it is now time for the taxpayers to say NO. Taxes are the heroine of politicians; they can’t help themselves. About the only local entity that has revenue problem that I can see, is the City of Wimberley.
Wimberley’s Mayor and Council are just now, after some 10 years beginning to see that the original promise of no ad valorem tax was a bad idea. This should be a warning to any other small burg that is even considering incorporation. The no ad valorem tax promise and the fraudulent overstating of the population were the two big lies that that Wimberley was founded on. The City is now frozen in its ability deal with serious problems such as the horrible wastewater problem in the “square” which is polluting Cypress Creek with raw sewage. Wimberley City Manager, Don Ferguson one called it a “Toxic Square” before the Texas Water Control Board while begging for a loan to fix the problem. I understand he was chastised for making that statement thereby airing Wimberley’s dirty laundry and opening the door to possible litigation.
It remains to be seen if the Council will have the courage to follow through with a property tax or run and hide from the electorate as they usually do. Some citizens have vowed to un-incorporate the City if an ad valorem tax is passed. The group, “Take Back Wimberley” almost succeeded a few years back.
to anon 12:16 No I do not pay an occupation tax, but I would venture to guess I pay considerably more in fuel taxes than most lawyers. Are bar dues used to fund state expenses or are they just to fund an association? And no, I do not have a 1-800 number. I just have the number on the side of my truck. I haven't seen any lawyer with a number on the side of their car either.
Anon, the point is, and was, that your comment about the lawyer lobby was incorrect. BTW there is also required continuing education and required pro bono work. And yes part of the bar dues does fund legal services for those who can not afford them.
Mr. Anon Lawyer,
I agree with your point that the lawyer lobby is insignificant. They do not have to be strong since 90% of our law makers are lawyers. However, your point about continuing education and probono work is also totally off base. What does your requirement to stay informed and perform some civic obligation have to do with funding state expenses? Pro bono, maybe, but I also mow the grass for my church as my civic obligation, and why do you have to have bart of your bar dues go to pay for "legal services for those who cannot afford it" while at the same time you beat your chest about doing pro bono work. Seems kind of redundant to a guy who just makes a living mowing yards.
Pro bono is what lawyers do for free, which the code of ethics requires. The legal services provided by the State Bar is a different service.
BTW Mr Anon Lawnmower, I ain't a lawyer, but I deal with a bunchin my little ol line of work.
Anon March 29, 4:01 AM chastises tax and spend liberals and some conservatives but he is wrong that our current multi-level budget crises is NOT a revenue problem. None of these cuts-crazy advocates came out before the recession.
We can never cut enough out of budgets now to make up for the revenue collapse. Citizen's Budget Project is out of touch with the larger economic realities facing the county, that is dependent on state and federal tax revenues filtering down to the county.
So, if I understand it, the legal profession has a code of ethics which requires them to do some pro bono work. I do not have a code of ethics which requires me to mow the grass for free, I just do it because I think it is the right thing to do. Also, are the lawyers who perform the actual legal services "provided by the State Bar" paid for those services out of the dues the other members of the bar pay in, or is it just a service they do out of the goodness of their heart?
Maybe one of the lawyers you work with can come up with an idea on how to increase revenues to the state. Haven't seen one in any of your posts yet.
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