Monday, July 13, 2009

Fort Bend ISD Proposes 3.5 cent Tax Increase

Coming on the heals of a Fort Bend Central Appraisal District policy of raising the appraised values of property in the county by an average of 10.8% at a time when property value – and home sales - are sharply lower due to the recession, now we hear that the Fort Bend ISD school board wants to raise their tax rate by 3.5 cents per $100 assessed value.

When will these tax and spend Democrats ever learn? When in a tough economic downturn, the last thing you want to do is raise taxes.

Oh, no . . . wait. Fort Bend County is still firmly in the hands of the Republican Party isn’t it. Republicans still dominate county government. A Republican majority still sits on the school board.

So much for making generalities based on party affiliation.

Because just as it happened at the federal level, where Republicans opened up the hen house doors and let the foxes have full run of the place – putting us all in a very uncomfortable spot, so has it happened at the local level.

At the local level county government has granted an obscene amount of property tax breaks to businesses so that they will move into the county. Trouble is, when you grow the county, county expenses go up. Roads need to be built and maintained. Infrastructure needs to support new growth. Where to get the funds for all of this if you can’t get it from the very entities responsible for the new costs? Get it from those who are already here.

But since Fort Bend County is run by the Republican Party, don’t make it look like you are raising taxes. Raise the assessed values.

Never mind the fact that home insurance companies will take these new values and raise their premiums as well.

Never mind that Fort Bend ISD will also take these new assessed values as the meter against which they assess their taxes.

Truthfully, the school board is between a rock and a hard place. They have to service a debt that was taken on during an unprecedented growth period (partly, courtesy of the county’s tax abatement policies), and have had to adopt a budget where more is being spent than coming in. Fort Bend ISD runs on a net deficit budget.

Given all of this, and given that the district is severely limited in the number of areas where it can make budget cuts, they don’t really have any choice here.

That won’t stop the tax-averse right wingers from coming out in force for this evening’s bi-weekly school board meeting. They will be there. These people who demand a first-rate education for their children, but simply don’t want to pay for it, will be there shaking their fingers at people who really don’t have much of a choice here.

Really, it is better to lay the blame where all of these problems originate. Place the blame for this mess where it truly needs to be placed. Place the blame at the feet of a pro-business, anti-homeowner county government.

And start thinking about getting these rascals booted out of office.

15 comments:

Susan said...

Hal - I personally know a few locals who pitched walleyed snot nosed hissy fits about all the tax abatements the local Republican were giving to their corporate buddies like there was no tomorrow. Welcome to tomorrow.

At the time, we hollered that we would be up crap creek if the economy takes a downturn. Well ...

They understood two steps: (1) I give my buddies a tax abatement, and then (2) they give me loads of campaign contributions. In their mind that was a win/win.

They did not want to know the next steps that included growth meaning we need more schools, and more schools means more taxes, and the same goes for city services, police, fire department, roads and on and on.

Now they have short memories, trying to tell us that we wouldn't have had this growth without the abatements. It was just another Republican false tower of power.

Falsely raising property values is the cruelest tax of all. As you point out, it also raises insurance and taxes to other taxing entities. It's a tax that Republican just have to love!

Marsha said...

Hal,

Amen Brother! Boot the rascals out and put some Dems in their place to get better schooling for our children, better school supervisors so that the teachers can teach the subjects in such a way that they teach learning not test taking but enrich education. It could be cheaper than taxing homeowners where the extra taxes go to "updating some supervisors office".

Anonymous said...

Better be careful, Hal might get upset. He defended the $30 million dollar Jenney project and 2007 record bond debt. Isn't Hal dem? I say dump both major parties which come with strings attached. Fire Hebert too while we are at it.

Watching local politicians like Marilyn Glover change parties as opportunist gets old in this county. It has happened too many times. Morrison is the only commissioner showing any sense right now and developer Prestage, who is a dem, is as bad as Hebert.

nuff said....

Anonymous said...

I have news for you all. If you think there is any difference between democrats and republicans, you need to open your eyes and your mind to what is going on. And they are loving all this bickering the public is doing. As long as we are fighting each other, we are not BANNING TOGETHER TO FIGHT THEM. Folks, there is no one in DC that is on our side. Any of you guys been to court and watched a good old fashioned lawsuit? You would think the lawyers are going to kill each other. Now go to the corner bar after court lets out. The very same thing is happening in ALL government. From the school board to the white house. It is nothing but trading back and forth and greasing each others pocketbooks with OUR money. I have had it with Hannity, Rush, Randi Rhodes, Bobby Kennedy and every one of them. They are doing nothing but stoking the flames and trying to sell you gold to hedge your bets on the tanking economy and of course you gotta buy their new book as well. I'm sorry we have differences, but if we don't all wake up we will not be able to voice these opinions openly much longer. In case no one has noticed, they are gradually putting us ALL into slavery. You lefties think they care about you? You're stupid if you believe that. I'm sorry to offend you, but it's just down right ignorant for ANYONE to think their elected offical gives a rats ass about them. It's about the money for one, but it's about POWER! It always was and always will be. You know I have a good feeling that the guys that wrote our founding documents didn't agree with each other on everything. But they were able to put their feelings aside and risk their lives to put to pen the most liberating founding documents in the history of mankind. They wrote what I consider to be the most perfect set of founding documents ever created. For approximately 233 years the Constitution of the United States has been the foundation of the strongest and greatest nation on earth. The foresight they had was and still is remarkable. Now, do you honestly think that putting a democrat in Fort Bend County politics is going to change anything? Isn't Morrison a democrat? I'm sure Jenney is at FBISD. The board does what he tells them to do. No it will not lower our tax rate. It only gives you a reason to fight and argue that "it's not our fault, we're not in charge". Take a look at yourselves. You're ready to kill each other over things we can only fix after we quit fighting each other and band together to fight them. They ALL need to go. Every last one of them. In fact is there anybody reading this that doesn't agree Barney Frank and that bunch should all be in prison? I got new for you. Obama is lock step with Bush's policies. When are you going to get it. They are ALL THE SAME! The only way we figure into their equasion is we're (all of us) the serf's slaving to provide them a 757 and a tank full of petrol to go globe trotting every other month. I will be the first one to ask this. Can you please forgive me of my past outburst and fits of rage and anger and verbal abuse and accept me for what I am? A Patriot that would sacrifice my own life to prevent my child from growing up in an emaciated nation because we fell for their trickery and killed each other off leaving this rich beautiful land and country to someone that has not earned the right to utter the words "I'm an American"! Not only did we let them devistate this country ( ALL OF THEM R & D'S) we continue to allow them to destroy what little bit is left with our constant fighting and bickering. If you're reading this and cannot see what is transpiring before your eyes I don't know what to tell you other than I hope (and pray) for the sake of your children and grandchildren you will wake up before it is too late. With kindest regards, your friend, fellow American and Patriot,

Carlos Michael Cain
832.859.5783
carlos.cain@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I know both the speakers that went to this meeting and spoke up against the tax rate increase while supporting the academy at MHS. I believe you've posted on one of them several times and he is a democrat, not a republican. The other speaker is also a democrat, not some radical as you try to portray them.

Anonymous said...

The term you seem to be looking for in your rant is sustainable development and yes all governmental entities are responsible including the school board. You don't run long-term debt to 1.4 billion dollars and expect someone else to fix the problem.

Anonymous said...

Well the voter got what they wanted. The election turnout was 4.6% LOW WHY!
What IS YOUR EXCUSE!!!!
Now I got to pay for it in HIGHER TAXES.
I proud to voted for Carlos and Albright they are right for job for the people, and
they are still today.
Well, the people on this BLOG have a change to the diction on this issue.The Board School will vote on it. The meeting at 5:00 Aug 10, at the FBISD Board Room at the District
Administration Office on Lexington. This you change to protest this issue.
The room BETTER be fill up are stand in line CAD and protest it THERE LOL.
From Sugar Land Watch

Anonymous said...

'I have had it with Hannity, Rush, Randi Rhodes, Bobby Kennedy and every one of them. They are doing nothing but stoking the flames and trying to sell you gold to hedge your bets on the tanking economy and of course you gotta buy their new book as well.'

I like this guy! He has taken off the rose colored glasses.

Anonymous said...

I wonder why the district can get some of that "free money" the feds are giving away?

Hal said...

I just had a talk with a teacher who teaches in the North Dallas araa. He told me that the tax rate in his school district was $1.94. That, compared to FBISD's $1.23 rate, or even the proposed $1.27 rate should be food for thought.

You guys have nothing to complain about.

say_no_more said...

Hal--you keep forgetting that the rate and the appraisals play more of a factor on how much people are paying. For example a high rate in a low valuation area means they are still paying less. Texas's problem is not including other forms of revenue and only hitting one segment of the population with these taxes while all are supposed to benefit.

So again, take a look at the tax appraisals up by 10.8% county-wide this year in a county that per median home value is ranked #1 in Texas (and yes FBISD is in that county). We already know that means we are paying much more per home than the North Dallas area.

Hal said...

Oh, did I neglect to mention that the same person from North Dallas told me that the value of his house has doubled in the last 5 years?

You have nothing to complain about.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like more made up halfpint anecdotals to me. I believe I red in one of your favorite blogs that our county ranked the tops in the state for property taxes.

shut-up-hal said...

Let us all pray for a roll back election.

Anonymous said...

'Oh, no . . . wait. Fort Bend County is still firmly in the hands of the Republican Party isn’t it. '

So we have a choice between tax, borrow and spend democrats or lying tax, borrow and spend republicans. Not much of a choice if you ask me.