TAX SCAM: Big Companies Go To Court For Tax Relief

What is happening in Texas is occurring throughout the nation.  Big companies are taking their tax woes to the courts and are reaping huge tax cuts.

In Texas companies like Walgreen's are going to court for more tax incentives for dozens of stores and they are getting them.

This has been going on across the nation for a long time and it is a bad idea in the short and long term. It corrupts government and forces property owners to pay a larger share in taxes for educating children.

“If you’re looking at the competitiveness of a region, the most important thing a region can do is to focus on education. And this use of incentives is really transferring money from education to businesses.”

Donald J. Hall Jr., Hallmark C.E.O.

Don't expect it to change anytime soon, since business-friendly states like Texas encourages businesses to come here by offering large tax incentives and thereby incurring large and long-term debt.

Since legislators care more about short-term appearance, since they usually leave office within a 20-year period, it is unclear and often unknown for a much longer time frame what this actually does within a state's long-term fiscal environment.

What is known is that for every tax cut businesses receive from the state, property owners must assume the costs of educating children.

While some tax incentives are needed to encourage business development, the businesses who use the court system for further tax relief are manipulating state taxpayers into paying more than their fair share. 

It needs to stop.

At fault are state legislators who get campaign donations from big companies, the court system that provides even more incentives and the big companies who greedily are out for more profits and tax relief and refuse to pay their fair share.

Federal Judges Support New Texas Anti-Abortion Law

The anti-abortion law in Texas appears to send us back into the 1950's, when women could not get abortions in the US and had to go to other countries and/or Puerto Rico to get an abortion.  It also opens the issue that women will get abortions illegally now, which poses more of a health threat to the woman and fetus. It is an extremist law by extremist legislators for extremist special interests that is supported by extremist judges.

According to several news sources:

"Supported by a federal appeals court, Texas began enforcing new abortion restrictions Friday, leaving about a dozen clinics — including one in Austin — suddenly out of compliance with the law and scrambling to cancel appointments and find other clinics for their patients."

It is estimated that half the abortion clinics in TX will have to close; approximately 13 of them.  The other half must rush to conform to the new law.  It will force doctors in those clinics to maintain a legal liaison with hospitals, which could be costly and in many cases not reality-based if the doctor or clinic is far away from a hospital.

It is unfortunate that  Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Legislators and Right to Life supporters do not maintain the same caring they feel for humans AFTER they are born that they do for fetuses.  Texas remains #1 of states in which children are uninsured [for health care].

Extremism still governs most of us, so there are few issues these days that are reviewed with a centered or grounded focus.  Unfortunately, pro- or anti- abortion is one of them.

Many people do NOT comprehend the laws governing fetuses.  Often there is a good reason because it is complicated and not truly defined.  Too many people react more emotionally about the topic of abortions than they do rationally.

So, here is the information on fetuses:

Fetus Law and Legal Definition

taken from USlegal.com

"A fetus is typically defined as a developing human at a certain point after conception to birth. The precise definition varies by applicable laws, some of which define a fetus to include the element of viability, so that it is able to survive independently outside the womb. Various laws have been enacted to protect fetuses and punish individuals who injure them or cause their death. For example, Texas' Prenatal Protection Act holds people who assault or harm a pregnant woman liable for crimes against the mother and unborn child. The issue has been raised as to whether the law requires doctors to report substance abuse of a pregnant mother. The federal Born-Alive Infant Protection Act of 2002 amends the legal definitions of "person," "human being," "child" and "individual" to include any fetus that survives an abortion procedure. The federal law requires doctors to attempt to keep alive a fetus that survives an abortion.

Fetal protection laws vary by state. Some states states may amend existing homicide statutes to include the fetus as a possible victim, pass statutes defining the fetus as a person or human being, so that a fetus in encompassed by other statutes applicable to all persons or human beings, enact new statutes that create the crime of injury to a fetus, fetal homicide, or "feticide", or extend wrongful death and personal injury statutes to allow civil suits against individuals who cause the death or injury of a fetus."

click here for some important abortion facts

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Power Company Politics in Texas...

 Little oversight of power companies is hurting customers, but it's an old story.


The battle re: regulation/deregulation of power companies has been going on for decades; meanwhile, consumers continue to pay top dollar for their energy needs and are powerless [pun intended] in fighting against them.

In addition, cooperatives, e.g., Pedernales Electric, march to the tune of other laws than do other companies. Furthermore, there are monopolies who control providing power in various areas, so customers don't even get to pick and choose their power companies.

There needs to be some intelligent regulation over power companies since they will not regulate themselves in a pro-customer manner. People should be able to select who their power source will be and how much they must pay for it.   Right now that ain't happening.

Since the battle remains stagnant, it's up to  Texans to demand legislators to deal rationally with energy companies by enacting laws that provide minimal yet intelligent oversight.

Texas AG and candidate for Governor Greg Abbott pushes to transfer water

Republican Greg Abbott, who was the first to lay claim to the 2014 gubernatorial race in Texas, wants to transfer water from one place to another as the best and immediate plan to help ease water shortages throughout the state.

Firstly, why is it okay when Republicans want to propose government gets more involved in our daily lives?  When the Democrats do it, Republicans raise holy hell.

World's largest desalination plant in Saudi Arabia

Secondly, transferring water removes water from where it is needed.

Thirdly, this is no long-term solution.  It may not even be a short term solution.  If it doesn't rain, the problems grow.

Furthermore, if government wants to get involved, which it shouldn't, why aren't we developing rain water catching options along with water desalination plants to turn salt water into fresh water? 

Yes, it costs a lot of money currently, so reward private companies who invent cheaper ways of doing it.  These 2 methods would go a longer and better way towards solving our fresh water issues than simply transferring water from one area to another.


Gregg Abbott continues to show us that he is NOT the best solution for Texas when it comes to choosing a candidate for Governor and neither is his proposal sound that would transfer water from one area of Texas to another.  However, it is a grand plan for wealthy special interests to collect more profits without ensuring a long-term supply of water for Texans.

Texans often seem to settle in their choices for political candidates and it's time to make a more intelligent selection.  Unfortunately, so far there is only a handful of mediocre candidates for Texans to consider for Governor.   Hopefully, other more qualified candidates will emerge.

Texans, please vote 'No' on Proposition 6 in 2013 November election

VERY IMPORTANT VOTING NEWS:

At first the words in Proposition 6 may sound very appealing, but the words do NOT give you the real facts.

"Texans for Public Justice provided a very helpful analysis today of the big money backing Prop 6.  It is another scam by businesses who are trying to buy this election to control the purse for water projects.  The two largest contributors are Associated General Contractors ($375K) and Dow Chemical ($250K).  Do you think they care about affordability or ensuring independent farming doesn’t completely tank in Texas after they move groundwater or flood agricultural land for wasteful reservoirs?"

The helpful organization Independent Texans also is AGAINST Prop. 6 and you can read about what the group and founder Linda Curtis says here.

I just completed early voting and definitely voted against Prop 6 because it's just another special interest ploy that will hurt most Texans.  I recall the last time Rick Perry galloped around Texas pushing for various propositions.  One of them was to ensure that preventing frivolous lawsuits would surely cut down on our medical costs.  Well, look around you folks... have your medical bills and health care premiums gone down???

No, they continue to escalate even without "the dreaded" Obamacare takes effect.

So, please vote a resounding "No!" on Proposition 6...  Thank you.

Get rid of the [Texas] School Board of Education

 School Board members are "irked" by the new school laws approved by the legislature.

The SBOE should "irk" all Texans and should be dissolved. The Board should NOT be empowered to make rules for all Texas school districts. The SBOE is little more than a politically motivated stopping ground for some of the most unintelligent individuals who then push for their special interest whims.

Place the management of Texas public education in the hands of each district to control themselves. Central governing seldom works. Perry and Texas legislators don't want Washington to tell us what to do, but we're okay with the centralist SBOE to govern and control all Texas school districts? Really?

We keep government out of controlling businesses in Texas, but we won't let schools control themselves?

Get rid of the SBOE and let school districts manage themselves. School-Based Management really works better.

One of AG Greg Abbott's first campaign ads for Texas Governor...

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and here's another one...

re: Abortion bill demands...

Most importantly, it's a women's right issue --- NOT for government interference and control.

I see no problem if the government wants to put effort into educating women on making a more educated decision to abort or not abort, but government does NOT have the right to make these demands on women and their doctors.  Texas believes in not regulating businesses, but it's ready to regulate doctors?

Also, usually, government is so paranoid about privacy rights issues and yet it sees no problem with jumping into every pregnant woman's life.

Government is NOT the caretaker of every fetus around... no matter what it and "right to lifers" may think.

Diversion of [transportation] tax dollars

In Texas, Legislators love to divert tax dollars from one fund to others.   Currently they are considering moving one-third of the sales taxes provided to DPS now to TxDOT.

For once it would be nice for the People of Texas to be assured that their dollars go to the fund the money was originally slated for.

Legislators should not be able to move monies without the prior approval of taxpayers.

Write your Senator and House Reps and let them know how you feel about it.

House contacts

Senate contacts

Extremist Politics Alive and Doing Well in Texas...

The Texas Anti-Abortion bill will be passed soon.   Along with the ridiculous Voter ID Law, Texas is now back in the Dark Ages.

So, welcome back to the 1950’s!  Seems we have quite a few McCarthy's in our legislature.

And before you point the finger that I am a liberal.... wrong!  I am a centrist Republican, not one of those extremist GOP Tea Party crumpet nut jobs infiltrating our government at all levels --- a REAL Republican.

Real Republicans are a faint glimmer of the past.  They believe in the basic GOP platform: less government in our lives, fewer taxes, rein in extravagant spending, and yet having compassion for all citizens and a high regard for the community good.  Those were the days, my friend.

It is just common sense that the above 2 laws attack individual rights, women, the elderly, the poor and majority community needs.

That said, there is no doubt that within a few years the Anti-Abortion and Voter ID laws will be overturned and removed.  It’s just a matter of time.

GOP extremists won the battle on these 2 issues, but NOT the war.

Extremists in either party will destroy themselves eventually.  Being more centered on most issues is best for the American people.

re: Central Texas Roadways: the bottleneck grows...

 

Central Texas roadways need to be dealt with more intelligently. Bottlenecks on main roads are horrific and could be resolved easily if Austin, TxDOT and Department of Public Safety really wanted to.

MOPAC at known points needs to be widened, enabling a more even and consistent flow. The coming 2 toll lanes in the center of MoPac will do little to resolve many of the issues. It is merely a special interest toll road project placebo.

An underpass or overpass is needed on MoPac at Slaughter Lane [like the one at MoPac and William Cannon Rd].

Capital of Texas Hwy., a.k.a., 360, needs side roads to be closed and traffic lights removed so that it becomes a true highway. Locals don't like the idea, but tough. It would create a consistent flow as a highway should have, instead of stop and go traffic jams.

Many local traffic issues could be resolved simply by re-timing traffic lights. It should be done post-haste, e.g., William Cannon Rd., Slaughter Lane, West Hwy 290 where there are lights, Hwy. 71, Hwy. 620, Brodie Lane and the list goes on and on.

Peter Stern, PO Box 316, Driftwood TX 78619, 512-426-4802

Voter Photo ID Cards

Thinking people know better than to believe voter photo identification is needed to prevent voter fraud and with good reason. It’s not true.

There is a strong commitment particularly by ‘red’ states to push for voter photo identification. As minority populations, e.g., Hispanic, Black, etc., are significantly increasing in the south they are becoming the new majority and it will change the political structure and status for many years to come.  However, more than half of this population does not vote.

The political climate is changing slowly and the GOP is fearful of losing its tight hold on control.

Consequently, those currently in charge are going to do whatever possible to keep the larger and increasing minority populations [potential Democrats] from voting. Texas is one of the southern states that is trying to keep the political status quo. So, what better way to keep Hispanics, Blacks and other populations from voting than to create and push the platform to curb voter fraud by forcing voters to present voter photo identification cards.

The GOP has the most to lose since the minority-majority are NOT Republican nor potentially Republican voters. For now, “voter fraud” is the battle cry of the GOP in order to maintain its control.

However, if voter fraud was truly a significant platform, the GOP would do well to monitor more closely the integrity of voting machine and also the process of counting mail in votes.

So, the reality is that the GOP will continue to push for voter photo ID’s as a hope to maintain its power and control in an ever increasing minority population especially in the south cities.

While the ploy may work well in the short term, it is only a matter of time before the political status quo will change. Voter Photo ID cards are merely a postponement of inevitable political changes.

All that being said, if you want a photo ID system in place, fine, do it --- but don't make it an issue of Voter Fraud, because it is not.  And if you want to focus on Voter Fraud look at Voting Machine Integrity, the handling of mail-in votes and on those who are in charge of voting machines and the election process itself.