Legislative
sessions bring not only legislators and
citizens to Austin but bring lobbyists from
around the country to influence legislation
and proceedings. They are often regarded
only slightly more favorably than
trial lawyers. We'll find them crawling
out of the ground soon? They'll be noisy
and cover every square inch of ground. But
what good do they serve?
They
are about as welcome as April 15.
Though
taxes and government are an irritant, not
many of us taxpayers consider that our tax
dollars are being used to pay lobbyists.
Yes, lobbyists.
It's
happening with the Texas Municipal League
and the Texas Association of Counties. Both
groups are lobbying legislators to eliminate
the taxpayer protections outlined in the
Governor's property tax relief package.
The Governor of Texas proposed property
tax relief, but he knew from past experience
that "appraisal creep" or tax
rate increases would allow local entities
to take more out of our pockets. So we could
be paying more for both education at the
state level AND still be "taxed to
the max" by local entities. After all,
who remembers the property tax relief we
got in 1997? Or in 1999? Well, I don't remember
it either. In fact, we could end up paying
more in taxes if we don't provide the simple
taxpayer protections provided in a revenue
cap. But don't worry - no need to weigh
in with legislators. Your city and county
organizations, funded with your tax dollars,
are at work in Austin lobbying legislators.
Yes, your tax dollars are at work making
sure you DO NOT have taxpayer protections.
Their lobbyists are trying to kill measures
that would require the local taxing entities
to get taxpayer approval to spend more than
budget growth over population increase and
inflation factors. Are they representing
your best interests? Only if you love bigger
government.
And
our education taxdollars are at work through
the Texas Association of School Boards and
the Texas Association of School Administrators.
We all love our teachers and want a good
education for our children. But to many
of us, spending only 50 cents out of every
education dollar in the classroom is unacceptable.
Where does that money go? Well, in addition
to administrative overhead and other non-classroom
expenses that have grown inproportionately
over the last 10 years, your tax dollars
are being spent on lobbyists and lawyers.
(And, yes, many lobbyists are lawyers.)
According
to the Associated Press article out this
past weekend: "Roughly 200 school districts
are suing the state over how schools are
funded in Texas, and many have hired their
own lobbyists to influence the outcome of
the session their legal action prompted.
In all, the 122 lobbyists hired by umbrella
groups, education-related companies and
school districts have been paid between
$2.9 million and $6.2 million since Jan.
1."
Just
how many students could $6 million dollars
educate? If you figured around $7,500 spent
per pupil, it would educate around 826 students.
That money would be more than enough to
educate all the kids in any one of around
500 ISD's in Texas. But instead it is going
to pay lobbyists.
If
lobbyists are on our payroll, shouldn't
they be representing our interests? Our
pocketbooks? Our tax cuts? Our children's
education? Instead, they are representing
the bureaucracies that hire them.
So,
next time you think about how much you are
paying in taxes, don't think your tax dollars
are not at work...they are. Your tax dollars
are paying lobbyists to lobby for more of
your tax dollars. Isn't it about time the
legislature set the ground rules for use
of public funds for lobbying? Shouldn't
we eliminate lobbying activities using taxpayer
dollars? Is anyone listening are are they
too busy meeting with lobbyists?
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