"We need to focus on the welfare of the children, not the well-being of the system; nothing but a process that doesn't work.  Families need to control the allocation of resources earmarked for education.  We need true choice -  a level playing field - from a menu of competing schooling options as diverse as our children.

We need some leadership on this issue; someone(s) willing and able to sell the truth to the misinformed, silent coalition of the fearful of change.  What we have is poll followers.  That's already costing our state and 'Nation at Risk', dearly."

John Merrifield

1. Absolutely no State Taxes. Bad road to go down.

2. Stop raising property taxes.

3. Businesses are taxed too much as it is.

4. Liberal judges should be removed from the bench when they legislate from the bench.

5. Give teachers performance pay and add money to the system only if results are shown.

Frank McFaden

"I do not think the question is how much we should pay for education but just how much is being drained for the taxes we are paying for other things. I remember the lottery promise. Do you? We voted for it because we were told that it would go for education. All the money that did go for education was [syphoned] in adminstrators wages.

You have to realize that the money is there but it is not going for education. It is going for the wages of the big wigs."

James Dwight

"Close the business tax loopholes; tax large businesses; continue increasing property taxes"

Susan Witta-Kemph, Associate Professor of Art

"Give vouchers to everyone; make it a competitive market.  Why should I pay taxes for schools if I have no children?  Those who have children should pay for their kids “tuition” while their kids are in school.  After that, they are done.  No more school taxes/tuition."

Todd Burchett, CPA, ABV

"The property tax system is not and has never been fair. In our county there are numerous examples of people with high incomes not paying into the educational system because they own no property. On the other hand, some of the people who have family farms make very little money. I think that a state income tax would be a much more equitable system than the outdated property tax under which we now operate."    

Dana Brinkman

"Continue increasing property taxes? NO!  Put more into the system?  NO MORE One or two billion?  Use dollars now more efficiently. Tax businesses?  NO  Close the business tax loopholes?  NO  State income tax?  NO  Business Activity Tax?  (BAT)  NO  No more money?  YES  More money if results improve?  YES  Give teachers performance pay?   YES - Incentives.  Should a liberal judge force legislation from the bench?  NO!  Are you ready to be heard?  YES"

Melvin Johnson

"I have just paid my property taxes for 2004 and I am devastated. I can not continue to do this so - my option is to place the properties that I have worked hard to obtain on the market and SELL them. I am retired and cannot continue to eat away at my principal (RETIREMENT ACCOUNT) to pay taxes. I suggest we have a state income tax; close loopholes on businesses and increase sales taxes. AS AN EDUCATOR I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT WE MAKE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND THOSE WHO ADMINISTER THESE PROGRAMS, FAR MORE EFFICIENT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS!"

Hally B.W. Poindexter

"Thanks for asking.  My suggestion is as follows:   Allow Robin Hood to continue but make three changes:  1) cap the percentage that any one district has to pay (say at 33%-40%...beyond that it is punitive), 2) institute some mechanism to adjust for cost of living/educating differences by area.  (For example, the cost of salaries, real estate, etc. vary greatly between Austin and Luling, yet they are less than an hour away.), and 3) a school district must be at the $1.50 cap in order to receive recapture money (all can pay the same proportionate share...those in less affluent areas will pay [their proportionate share] based on a lower valuation.)   One thing is certain, we need to bring more money into the system.

I support SOME of the alternatives to property tax and feel like we may need to look at a combination of ideas so that one specific group of constituents are not affected more than others.  I believe we should close loopholes.  I am, however, strongly opposed to anything that seems like an income tax, but isn't represented as such.  I would support an income tax before a BAT because BATs are not deductible on federal taxes, state income taxes are.  One caveat to my support of an income tax is that a percentage would be put forth to voters and could not be increased without another vote by Texans (this would alleviate fears that the tax could continue to grow and get out of hand).  Lawmakers could not increase this amount.  

Another idea is to hold lawmakers to their promise that the money from the lottery would go to public education.  My understanding is that if lottery money goes to education, lawmakers offset that same amount from the general budget thereby negating any increase in funding.  I realize that this would have to be phased in given that the general budget depends on lottery revenue.   Whatever we do, we need to be careful not to run off employers with our policies.  Employers, more than anyone, understand the need for an educated population and I believe they would be supportive to some degree.  I believe that most Texans understand the ongoing costs for those who are not properly educated and cannot support themselves.  We need to find a way to prevent this potential long-term drain on our resources." 

Cheryl Morse

"Tax Businesses, and Give Teachers Performance Pay. Cut back on property taxes."

David Acuna

"Public Education is an investment in our future. It should be funded at levels consistent with California and New York. The BAT tax has a lot of momentum in the legislature right now, but frankly, an income tax would do much less harm to our business climate. For self-employed people, the BAT esemtially IS an income tax, that they alone would pay. This is just as unfair as making self-employed people pay double employment taxes." 

Charles McGarry

More money?  Will it really go to the kids?  Or just more to athletic directors, athletic complexes and wasteful administrators?  I'm skeptical.

Robert Shepard