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42 comments:
I have been reading about all the fallout from Occupy Wall Street, the bank bailouts and jacked up fees (BoA $5 atm fee). People and institutions (even a Catholic diocese in California) are moving their money from the big commercial banks and into credit unions. The numbers and amounts are growing. There are calls for a mass bank withdrawal Oct. 31th, Halloween, and Nov. 5th. I truly hope this peaceful protest leads to better things for Americans.
I've always had my "bank" account with a credit union. I feel that, through locally-elected Board members, I have more input and also more access to information. I feel my money is safer in a local credit union than in a New-York based bank, too.
I'm really wanting to know where the candidates are on prop 4. I feel some are really supportive of privatizing the profits and socializing the costs of local projects. It makes a CO look pretty innocent. What impact would it have on Ray's personal pipeline?
18 year old kids aren't old enough to vote but they can fight and die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for freedom. Why shouldn't a 17-18 year old (aka JS4) be allowed to serve on a committee of the HTGCD?? Some people are raising hell over Jimmy Skipton the 4th's appointment to a ground water district committee on rules. I think it's a great learning opportunity for a youngster about what our ground water means to us. And I bet he's smarter than some of the people on that board. More thoughtful and smart kids should be encouraged to get involved.
18 year olds can vote, if registered, and legal. The issue with Skippy Jr is nepotism, qualification and intent on staying in the area as he's said he wants an appointment to a US military academy.
When did we begin to think that the son could make the rule for the dad?
@Give the kid a chance
Absolutely!
Jim McMeanie and his band of weenies objected mightily and wholly irrationally. "Conservation" is just a pretext for McMeanie's negative growth scheme.
coniturJim McMeans and Marianne Mitchell are both simple-minded obstructionists in the David Baker tradition. These self-serving pseudo environmentalists are only at the HTGCD meetings to prevent any action by the Board. They sat in a little group at the back of the room and mumbled or chanted during the entire meeting. Most notorious of the group was the ever-present and loud, Susan Cook. They want to replace the present members with no-growth activists. McMeans gets credit for electing Ed Pope by running a very dirty campaign loaded with lies. Actually, Pope has turned out to be a bit of an improvement over Baker, but almost anyone would have been.
The attack by McMeans and Mitchell on JS4 is a pitiful example of their desperation and tired propaganda. Both of them owe the Skipton Family a big apology (I won't hold my breath). When they get so desperate that they start attacking the young people (of which we need more in the County), what can their next move be? Maybe they should join up with one of the Whacky "occupy anything" Marxist cells. These nuts would put the whole County under the "protection" of the Nature Conservancy if they could. We have way too many of these refugees from the "reefer 60s" in this area but happily their numbers are diminishing at an exponential rate.
Game 3 of the World Series is tonight 7 o'clock. St. Louis Cardinals at Texas Rangers at the Ballpark Arlington. Series is tied 1-1. Wish I was there. Throw a party and root for the Rangers! It has been some awesome baseball.
McMeans, CARD and co. (citizens alliance for responsible development, emphasis on "responsible development") have focused all their attention and ire on the HT ground water district and chasing rabbits like the appointment of a teenage boy to a committee, all at the sacrifice of much bigger local development concerns. What's happened to them??? I remember the glory days when CARD grew out of opposition to a huge subdivision on RR2325. Since that time I am told they have held many by invitation only meetings (reminds of a certain county commissioner) and discuss lord knows what. Have the CARDers become insiders, best buddies with Will Conley and have they turned a blind eye to financial shenanigans between county and the WVWA? I remember at the time they really didn't push or support an independent investigation of that messy deal. I was hoping they would take a stand for principle. I don't think CARD can have it both ways any more. Their effectiveness is fading and it's pity.
Buda City Council is having a hissy fit over their fire fighters wanting an increase in the local sales tax in the Nov. 8 election.
The council is whining because they wanted the sales tax to invest in commercial development but got beat to the ballot by the fire district. Poor babies.
First responders and fire safety must come first. More development can wait. The council should be ashamed. Support your local firefighters. Rick Perry surely doesn't.
To FOR the firefighters:
Just a question for information --
Is Buda not already charging the maximum sales tax allowed? Which I thought was 8.25% (6.25% state + up to 2% more local).
Emergency Services District No. 8 (Buda Fire Department) filed for a sales tax increase in the unincorporated area around Buda BEFORE the City of Buda could annex--and therefore get sales tax from -- the area. The city is pissed.
Frankly, I'm glad. The Buda FD is more important than adding to the city limits of Buda. Buda wanted to use the added sales tax for developers (Economic Development Corporation) anyhow; it's time developers paid their own way.
Info from Austin Statesman, Oct.22:
School bond issues all over Texas are being defeated, not automatically passed by taxpayers. In 2005 Round Rock defeated a large school bond issue. At this moment Lake Travis is seeing serious opposition to its $158 million bond issue to be voted on in November. Local groups there such as Groups Opposed to Unsustainable Education Debt, Academic Excellence, and Hudson Bend Community for Kids say such things as:
"We're spending double what Eanes [Westlake Hills in Austin] does, and our kids don't have what theirs do."
"We can't do much about federal debt, but we can control local debt."
"People won't listen and won't answer questions. We had no choice but to come up with a political campaign against it."
We in Wimberley, too, must vote down future bond issues which provide for frills.
Dripping Springs should take a page
out of the Lake Travis school bond opponents' book and vote against passing the 2 tax propositions on the November ballot!
Attention DS taxpayers said..."Dripping Springs should take a page
out of the Lake Travis school bond opponents' book... "
Funny you should mention it. That's what we've been doing the past month. See stopthehaystaxincrease.com. Please check it out. Lots of facts/figures/info. Early voting starts Mon., Oct. 24.
DSISD supporters will have a block of votes, so people who think their taxes should not be raised, must get out and vote, and tell people you know. Every single vote matters. The last new DSISD bond measure passed by a few hundred votes. We can stop the Hays tax increase, but taxpayers must get out and vote. No excuses.
Iowa Republican caucus "likely voters" choices as of Oct 19:
Cain 38.7%
Romney 29.4%
Paul 10.3 %
Gingrich 7.9%
Bachmann 4.3%
Santorum 3.2%
Perry 3.0%
Huntsman 2.1%.
No one in their right mind would vote for a big tax increase for the DSISD if they are spending more on buildings, frills and overhead than on classroom instruction which is otherwise known as TEACHING. To any grownup who votes for the tax increase, you just gotta ask, "Where have your values gone, man?"
"Buda City Council is having a hissy fit over their fire fighters wanting an increase in the local sales tax in the Nov. 8 election."
The problem is this will amount in a zero gain for the fire dept. after year one. Yes they will get a bump in revenue but with no new growth their tax collections will become flat.
What this really means is two things. First the fire dept, which is unionized will have to cut its budget because its expenses will rise year to year but their income will stay flat.
For Citizens of Buda Proper it will mean higher property taxes to pay form thier rising budget since they won't capture any additional sales tax revenue.
Not to mention the fire dept. isn't allowing the citizens of Buda to even vote on the matter.
This is a lose-lose for both parties after year one and we all can expect much higher taxes because of it.
Hopeful after the election passes the two can workout some kind of a development clause that is benefital to both, If not breakout your checkbook for the higher taxes.
Or, the City of Buda by law could desolve the ESD, but they would assume all their debt.
Right wing fool Anonymous writes:
"The attack by McMeans and Mitchell on JS4 is a pitiful example of their desperation and tired propaganda."
Isn't JS$ a teenage boy?
How can anyone take those nutcases on the HTGCD seriously. They insult their entire jurisdiction with such blatant arrogance.
This is worse than nepotism. It is a statement telling everyone under HTGCD that a Board that appoints a kid to deal with such a serious issue are sick fools who don't take our water and our reason for living here in Hays County seriously.
You right wing nutcases have crossed the line with your arrogance and your shameful power play that even those of us who don't support McMeans and CARD are being insulted by their peasant redneck actions.
And you appoint a representative of Aqua Texas on one of your planning committee to boot?
Skipton and the band of pro-deveioper Board hooligans are obviously incompetent boobs and need to be ousted for their total lack of consideration for us normal non-activist residents.
First the fire dept, which is unionized will have to cut its budget because its expenses will rise year to year but their income will stay flat.
Not true. The items that sales taxes are based on are also rising in price.
@Disgusted Independent 10/24/2011 12:47 AM who said...
Isn't JS$ a teenage boy?
Well who is it that you folks claim to be "conserving" water for? Shouldn't they have a say? Considering that much older attorneys, hydrogeologists, and n'er-do-wells already created a really screwed up set of rules, how can you expect a different outcome if you make the same mistake again? Certainly JS4 couldn't do any worse than his predecessors. But you still fail to realize that he is just one member of a committee and that the outcome of the committee will be only proposals anyway.
How can anyone take those nutcases on the HTGCD seriously. They insult their entire jurisdiction with such blatant arrogance.
I only felt that way when David Baker, Doug Wierman, and Andrew Backus were on the board. Baker wasn't just arrogant, he actively falsely attributed his agenda as being sourced by and approved by the HTGCD when it was nothing but his/WVWA's false propaganda.
This is worse than nepotism. It is a statement telling everyone under HTGCD that a Board that appoints a kid to deal with such a serious issue are sick fools who don't take our water and our reason for living here in Hays County seriously.
What is your reason for living in Hays County? As board member Dr. Jernigan pointed out, individuals of that age and younger have fought in war and also hired as educators. Aside from that, you suffer from a lot of ignorance as to the authority and work product of the committee. The committee can only make proposals/recommendations to rules.
You right wing nutcases have crossed the line with your arrogance and your shameful power play that even those of us who don't support McMeans and CARD are being insulted by their peasant redneck actions.
Were the appointments of Linda Kaye Rogers or David Genn "peasant redneck actions"? Exactly what qualifications are you demanding from a volunteer rules committee that is working for a volunteer board? How about that at the very least, each elected board member gets to appoint a committee member?
And you appoint a representative of Aqua Texas on one of your planning committee to boot?
Oh I see you are all for "democracy" just so long as the outcome is pre-determined and those subject to "rule-by-another" are not supposed to have any say or input in the matter? Among other things, a permit holder is going to have knowledge about problem areas of rules relating to permit holders which exempt users will not understand.
Skipton and the band of pro-deveioper Board hooligans are obviously incompetent boobs and need to be ousted for their total lack of consideration for us normal non-activist residents.
Are three permits (one of which was pending for 6 years and several prior boards) really such an example of being "pro-developer"? Aside from the long latency permit, the only two new permits were one for a dentists office (one half acre foot per year) and one for a business on RR 12 of less than a half acre-foot per year. So where's your real beef other than the fact you lost the election?
Anonymous of October 24, 2011 12:39PM makes the mentally challenged look like Einsteins.
What Hays County hole do these wingnut cretins climb out of?
Shameful ignorance and rationalization.
Attention DS taxpayers said...
DSISD property owners are already above the rates the Lakeway people are fighting. According to the Austin American Statesmen “The district’s [Lake Travis] overall tax rate of $1.32 includes 28 cents in debt repayment. If the bond passes, the debt repayment portion will go up to 36 cents. ”
Our DSISD tax rate before the proposed Nov. 8 increase is $1.49 with a debt repayment portion of .45. Both rates are higher than what's being proposed in Lakeway.
The Texas Education Code limits a school district to a maximum of .50 debt repayment portion, so DSISD has almost maxed out its credit line.
Rick Perry's so-called "flat tax" is not what you might think. It:
1. actually has at least 8 levels of taxation, according to analysts;
2. lets investors pay zero tax on
capital gains;
3. increases the tax on the middle class and the poor; and,
4. decreases the tax on the wealthy.
Meanwhile, Herman Cain has changed his plan from 9-9-9 to 9-0-9. The "0" is for zero corporate tax!
Hey Proud Indy...
The Hays County Commissioners discussed unloading some of that "conservation property" purchased through scandalous land deals less than a year ago.
Of course it's not worth what taxpayers were forced to paid for it (by former County Commissioners and Commissioner Conley) and it's worth even less due to the privately owned restrictions imposed upon it - unless the sale is to the entity that owns/controls the private restrictions. That entity, of course, can dispose of the restrictions. The "land deal" ensured that the county had no right to maintain or enforce the restrictions imposed. Incompetence or by design? Let's see who the property gets sold to - and don't forget about the developer's water tap rights that were excluded from a deal that was supposedly about preserving water in the first place.
Anon 9:17 AM, you left out no tax on dividends and abolishing inheritance taxes; more shifting of the tax burden to the rapidly shrinking middle class.
There's a good analysis of Perry's (misnamed) flat tax on page A6 of today's (Oct. 27) Austin paper. As the article points out, right off the bat you know it's not a flat tax because Perry's plan provides two options at the very start: either you stick with the present tax return we now have OR you choose the added new option that benefits the wealthy. (Actually, of course, both plans benefit the wealthy.)
Also on p.A6 is a cartoon which shows what Perry's "flat tax" plan will do to his campaign.
Time Magazine conducted a "What If"
poll between these possible presidential candidates, as asked of likely voters:
Hillary Clinton - 55%
Mitt Romney - 38%
Hillary Clinton - 58%
Rick Perry - 32%
Hillary Clinton - 56%
Herman Cain - 34%
Barack Obama - 46%
Mitt Romney - 43%
Barack Obama - 50%
Rick Perry - 38%
Barack Obama - 49%
Herman Cain 37%.
Rick Perry is probably embarrassed and angry that a fellow Texan, Lamar Smith, has endorsed Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination. Lamar Smith (R-San Antonio) is a representative to the U.S. House.
Tomorrow in Concord, New Hampshire at 12:15 p.m. ET (the deadline is 5 p.m.), Rick Perry will file to run in the New Hampshire Primary. At 5:15 pm (our time) Perry will give the keynote address at Cornerstone Action's Annual Awards Dinner in Manchester, NH. Probably not televised, but you might see clips from the event on the 10 pm news.
From New York Times, Oct. 27:
States with most unequal distribution of income:
1 District of Columbia
2 New York
3 Connecticut
4 Louisiana
5 Mississippi
6 TEXAS.
States with most homogeneous distribution of income:
1 Utah
2 Alaska
3 New Hampshire.
Vote AGAINST Propositions 2,3,4.
2 and 3 have "evergreen funding," which means that they will be funded forever, and 4 is a gift to land developers.
Some sources say that to be economically sound, voters should vote NO for all amendments except #10.
Change the state name of Texas to "Taxes" because most of the constitutional propositions will increase them.
I will vote only for Prop. 1 which should have been part of the original amendment to provide 100 percent disabled veterans with a total property tax exemption.
The remaining 9 propositions are special interest nonsense.
The state continues to divert its financial responsibilities onto local city and county government, who continue to overburden homeowners via property taxes.
Rick Perry is a pathetic loser and a coward. Always has been, always will be. He will cease attending the remaining GOP debates because he sucks at them.
Perry is an embarassment. When he returns home after he loses miserably in the primary, how effective will he be here in Texas as governor?
At least it is good to see that Americans are not as stupid as Texans.
Remaining EARLY VOTING DAYS:
Wimberley, Wimberley Comm. Center:
Sat, Oct 29, 10 am-4 pm
Thurs, Nov 3, 11 am -7 pm
Dripping Springs, DSISD Office, 510 W. Mercer:
Sat, Oct 29, 10 am-4 pm
Tues, Nov 1, 11 am-7 pm
Buda, City Hall:
Fri, Oct 28, 11 am-7 pm
Sat, Oct 29, 10 am -4 pm
Fri, Nov 4, 11 am -7 pm
Kyle, City Hall:
Sat, Oct 29, 10 am-4 pm
Mon, Oct 31, 11 am-7 pm
San Marcos, Public Library:
Every day, Oct 28-Nov 4 (except Sunday)
San Marcos, Elections Office, 401-C
Broadway:
Every day, Oct 28-Nov 4 (except Sunday)
PLEASE VOTE!
From US Population Data:
States with highest percentage of racial minorities:
1 District of Columbia
2 New York
3 Connecticut
4 Louisiana
5 Mississippi
6 TEXAS.
States with the lowest percentage of racial minorities:
1 Utah
2 Alaska
3 New Hampshire.
Coincidence, I think not!
Voter Advocate said..."Remaining EARLY VOTING DAYS:
Wimberley, Wimberley Comm. Center:
Sat, Oct 29, 10 am-4 pm
Thurs, Nov 3, 11 am -7 pm..."
Thanks for posting this. The stakes have gone up for the DSISD tax increase. If it passes, they plan to apply the rate increase retroactively to Jan. 1, 2011.
DSISD reported that it was the Texas funding cuts (starting 2012) that were driving the need for a "maxium amount allowable" rate increase. So why raise our taxes this year? Maybe someone from DSISD can address this question?
to Anon, 2:12 PM:
What is the source of your "US Population Data?"
to Val, 8:58 AM:
Wouldn't applying a tax retroactively constitute an ex post facto law? After all, a citizen might have opted to sell his house in May if he'd known that his taxes were going up mightily. I think DSISD should have to keep the current tax rates in effect for 2011.
I don't think a tax can be retroactive.
If DSISD does make the property tax increase retroactive, DS property owners should pay just the amount of tax (for 2011) that it would have paid before the tax increase. Then, if the tax assessor-collector threatens fines and/or interest on the unpaid amount, DS citizens should file a class action lawsuit, charging that a retroactive tax is an ex post facto law ("law made after the fact").
In the Texas constitutional amendment election, several of the propositions state that the bond issues involved will be "self-supporting." That means that only the people who use the services provided by the bond issue will pay off the bond. That, however, is nonsense. All bond issues involve paying personnel to administer the bond (more state bureaucracy). Worse than that,
some of the propositions have what is called "evergreen funding," meaning that the propositions will be funded forever -- unless a costly process to void the amendment takes place.
ALWAYS, when a bond issue is involved, we the taxpayers pay. NO bond issue is truly self-supporting.
On Sunday (tomorrow) CNN wil have an hour presentation about the 2012 presidential candidates -- Dem & Repub. It's 3-4 p.m., our time.
An open letter to all bloggers;
I have been greatly disturbed by the crude language I have been reading on this site lately. I do not know if the people using this language are aware that this is an open blog and young people can access and read what you have written. As a mother I have forbidden my pre-teens and young teens from reading this lately but as any parent knows you can not police your children 100% of the time.
I am asking for the adults that write on this blog to show some maturity and restraint in their language. English is a bountiful language and there are many ways to express your ideas and discomforts without using crude language.
Let us write in a civil tone this election year. Do not abuse your freedom of speech. Many young and old Americans have fought and died for your right to speak your mind without fear of retribution. Please do not abuse their gift to this country.
Thank you!
A concerned Hays county mother
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