Texas to Raise Taxes on Poor 5% Lower Taxes on Rich 3%

AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas House on Thursday marched closer to a $10 billion tax bill that would increase the burden on the poor with a bevy of new taxes, including one on snacks like cookies, doughnuts and chips.

The proposal, an effort to replace revenue from a school property tax relief measure, would restructure the way businesses pay taxes, while levying a bevy of new consumer taxes.

<snip>

The tax bill is the second part of a school funding overhaul that is the Legislature's top priority for the session. Another measure, approved late Wednesday, would slash school property taxes by one-third. That measure also made changes to Texas' K-12 education system, including a teacher pay raise and a mandatory school start-date on the first Tuesday after Labor Day.

<snip>

The poorest 1.7 million households - those making less than $23,000 a year - would see their tax burden increase more than 5 percent under the bill.

The richest 840,000 households - those making more than $140,000 a year - would see their taxes cut nearly 3 percent, according to the Legislative Budget Board analysis.

http://www.tylerpaper.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14124884&BRD=1994&PAG=461&dept_id=226369&rfi=6

Make the poor foot the bill. I don't particularly have a problem with taxes on snack foods (although it makes sales taxes a lot more complicated to figured out). I do have a problem with them raising sales taxes while at the same time lowering property taxes. That is clearly regressive. I for one will be buying more stuff online and from stores that do not have a presence in Texas. Screw this regressive state.

My apologies to Texans, but your brethren are committed to making Texas look like a third world country.

I have a theory that a few more years of PugWorld will split this country in two- the blue states will have Universal Health Care, prescription drugs for seniors (low income Seniors in NJ pay only $5/scrip), and other parts of the safety net.

Places like Texas will have gated communities, surrounded by miles of substandard housing. Dirty faced children will knock on your car window at freeway exits looking for coins. Health care will be unattainable, unless you are rich.

Social safety nets such as unemployment insurance, benefits to seniors, and education for the poor will disappear.

But at least gays can't get married, right?

plan and control their annual tax - if they need to cut down on tax, they just cut down on purchases. Not like that nasty income tax that is so harsh on the poor.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3081119

In the Austin paper's account of what happened Friday, a lobbyist who requested anonymity called the Republicans controlling the Legislature "the original 'gang that couldn't shoot straight.'"

It is very entertaining to watch Republicans try to raise taxes or even to shift taxes already in place, which is mostly what they are attempting to do now.

The problem is that among the 'shiftees' (big business interests) are the ones who put them in office to begin with. Couple that with the instinctive Repug hatred of public schools (where most of the money is going) and it's time to stock up on the popcorn, sit back and watch the fireworks.

The proposal is bad enough, but they apparently don't even try to hide it. Dear GOD, what has become of us? (And how long before the crash? They're making it so damned inevitable that I'm beginning to root for it myself. Maybe THAT will wake some people the hell up. C'mon, crash. C'mon, crash. This is LUNACY.)

And where are the Democrats bashing this stupid plan?

Why aren't Democrats standing up and fighting?

Why do Democrats for vot bankruptcy de-form,
Medicarede-form, tax cuts for rich people?

What the fuck is wrong with the Democrats?

Bought and paid for from the looks of it.

There is NO opposition party anymore :(

All but one of the Democrats in the Lege has voted against it. Glad to see your an expert on Texas politics.

The Democrats have voted in unity (save for one DINO) against these bills joined by 5-8 Republicans. There has been opposition.

:shrug:

That's how.

Disgusting. Obscene. Un-Christian. Vile. Venal. Selfish.

edit: typo

That most repuke Texans will like this, I think. There will be something about how this will be good for our "health", keeping us from eating those nasty ol' Krispy Kremes and such. The people down where I live on the Texas coast are going to see big gains from this. Most have 2 or 3 houses, and the ones down here on the beach are getting up in the 500k-1 mil range. That translates to a property tax rate, right now, of 12-20K per year. Cutting that by 1/3 will buy a whole lotta donuts...
Of course, your average Texan in Corpus Christi living in a 50K house will hardly notice, and those renting ain't gonna see nothin.

age old attitude.

someday, there will be a violent revolution in this country and the rich will get slaughtered akin to the french aristocrats of the 1790's.