THE SPECTATOR: NO TAX INCREASES
2020 has been a rough year for most businesses and for most people I know. Yes, there are a few that are doing well…but the majority of people and businesses are suffering. Income has been greatly reduced, but most expenses still have to be paid. People and businesses have had to reduce their spending wherever possible because the money’s just not there. Yes, things are better than they were in April…but we’ve got a long way to go to get back to financial health.
As cities, counties and school districts prepare their budgets for next year, I believe they should do the same thing. All need to reduce their budgets to match the reduced income. Most property owners are already facing higher taxes due to increased property valuations. The last thing they need is the City, County or School District raising those taxes even higher. The State Legislature has capped tax increases to 3 ½ percent. However, due to the State declaring a disaster from the pandemic, taxing entities can ask for an exemption to increase taxes by 8 percent. Austin’s City Council actually applauded themselves for proposing only a 3 ½ percent increase.
People and businesses are hurting. Hopefully the City, County and School Districts will recognize that and not add to their pain. Let’s hold the line on tax increases and give everyone a chance to heal.
And that’s the way it looks to this Spectator.
School is for education , Stop all sports and have funding for education.
I did not play sports – just wasn’t my thing, but I was in band. Sports, Music, Art, etc., these are activities that are also part of learning. I know that sports may seem like all fun and games, but this teaches teamwork, leadership, and other skills. Extracurricular activities were not instituted to give school kids free time, but time to learn additional skills that are more personalized, and all of them take great skill and hard work. Don’t punish kids by taking away the activities that keep most of them showing up each day. For some kids, how they perform in extracurricular activities, especially sports, is their only release of pent up energy – and I for one, would much rather they expel that energy in a healthy way and a controlled environment.
That’s what it used to do, but not anymore. They are not making good leaders or good team workers.
Now it provides SJWs a podium to take a knee because they want communism and the destruction of the US. That’s why they pick the National Anthem to kneel, during, before, or after.
No, Mr Dean is right. If parents want it, more power to them, but its on them not the tax payer. In the grand scheme of things, sports as we know it now only became what it is, a national pastime out our enjoyment of each other and recognition for athletic ability and improvement. It was never supposed to be what it has become.
Many of no longer enjoy anything about our communist neighbors that have a history of destruction, decay, and starvation. We are seeing thought control such as cancel culture, persecution of Christians, destruction of family, destruction of the sexes, the distortion of values such as love. The list just goes on and one by our communist neighbors, athletes, and educators. Anytime you see someone use privilege, marginalized, multicultural, equity, gender theory, intersectionality, anti-, critical theory as a legitimate term, as part of an argument or narrative in favor of their position. Know that you are hearing or seeing communist jargon or dogma. It was made up back in the 60’s by people that we used to put in jail.
National anything, has been fragmented and corrupted by academics that think they know best and the dim witted that follow the communist dogma. Academics are academics because they can’t do anything else, Marx to a theorist and someone that cant stomach real world application, makes sense.
No! If you stop sports you will have a empty school!
If a school district does not offer a full in-person classroom setting this fall, and determines that teachers and school workers are not “essential” the way grocery store workers are essential… then there should be a set discount on the tax levy that is about to be sent via annual bill to all Texas property owners. The reduction in spending on transportation, buses, food, salaries, and other overhead needs to be in turn returned from the school to the property tax bills in that school district. This “use it or lose it” tax rebate needs to be placed in law for future “pandemic” scenarios, so schools cannot deny parents the in-school option but keep the entire property tax levy. Use it or lose it.
Thank you for this editorial. Thanks for publicly reminding our “ elected” leaders to truly represent ALL the citizens. We tighten our belts, government at ALL levels must tighten theirs. And publish details of cuts at all levels. Let us remind property tax payers the elected leaders of our state decide how much property taxes will increase each year. It would certainly be wise for landlords to hold back rental increases as most “ mail box “ money does not go to the working poor, only the comfortable. We need tax cuts for the working poor, not corporations. Hopefully we can get thru this without racking up huge debts like the Feds.
I would not hold my breath for a tax break from city. Each year they try to tell us we did not raise the tax rate, yet the raise the evaluation by 8 to 10 %. Yet the services to not increase roads are in bad shape got rid of garbage, recycle. They do not care about the citizens. All they think about is spend and spend and tax and tax.
That is correct sir.
Thank You as always for your words of wisdom, It has been a Rough year, Sacrifices have been made , Money is tight. Not only would I like to see Taxes Reduced or stabilized, I would like to see Fairness and consistency in our property tax system. I have the smallest square foot home in my subdivision but my appraisal is way above what others with much larger square foot homes in my neighborhood . I was told that the tax office goes by the HUD statement ( Document showing sale price) to access your value, But that is not always the case, I know of a City Official that paid over $350,000 for his home , But tax appraisal is only $235,000 . That is simply not fair. I have had to cut my spending budget and make adjustments in how I spend, I think the city and County should do the same. I would like to see “The Spectator” run for public office ( Mayor) I think he would win by a Landslide and the people of Brenham would be better off than they are now.
I agree that “The Spectator” should run for mayor.
Heck, he should get on the ticket with Biden as his running mate.
Right on! But the Austin County officials just voted themselves a raise.