Wednesday, April 13, 2005
REP. VERONICA GONZALES ENTERS A POST
This is my first session and it has been a tremendous learning experience. We have had to cast votes on a variety of issues - education, healthcare, crime, property taxes, what to pay our teachers, our state employees, how to take care of our elderly, etc. etc. We must keep our focus clear and that is to assure that the majority of our Texas citizens are protected. At the end of this session, it is my hope that we will not see our sales tax become the highest in the nation, that we will not see our small business owners closing their doors because they can't afford to pay the tax on their employees, that we will not fund education in a manner that benefits only a handful of school districts, that we will not reduce property taxes to the benefit of the wealthiest and to the detriment of 80% of our citizens and that we remember to speak up for those who can't speak up for themselves. Texas is a great state but it can become even greater if we keep to our values and take care of our most needy and our most vulnerable.
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3 comments:
Great to see my rep. on here. Look forward to reading about why you vote the way you do. I'm not sure I disagree with any votes, I'd just like to be better informed.
Rep. Gonzales, I'm not sure what you mean when you say that a property tax cut would be "to the detriment of 80% of our citizens." Are you implying that only 20% of households own their own home? Homeownership in Texas stands at 64% (lagging the U.S. average of 68%). One of the hurdles to homeownership is Texas' confiscatory property tax system.
The fact is that property taxes are inherently regressive. As a person's income rises, the value of his home as a percentage of his net worth falls. For most homeowners, the home is the major investment. The wealthy might have more valuable homes, but a smaller percentage of their wealth is in their homes. So, property taxes harm those who have put their future in their homestead.
I just found this website and will enjoy reading the various posts by our representatives in Austin. One in particular has raised a question in my mind - what does Rep. Gonzales mean by the remark that 80% of the citizens would be penalized by (I assume) the property appraisal cap. Most of us in Texas that own our homes do not see our income increase by 10% annually, yet my property taxes may go up by 10% annually. Frankly, I don't know many people who can continue to pay their taxes at this rate for very much longer.
I'm sorry you voted against even hearing a debate on this issue. Perhaps you can re-think your stand and convince your tax-paying constituents before your re-elction.
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