Defending the American Dream message taken to Fort Worth

Taking our message to Defend the American Dream to Fort Worth taxpayersPeggy Venable
Last night I spoke to the Tarrant Republican Assembly, a great group of citizens who are committed to conservative principles. I am Peggy Venable, director of AFP-Texas.

My talk centered on the American Dream and how we as citizens have responsibility to preserve that dream for future generations.

Attendees were introduced to their local government debt – around $10 billion of it – yes, $10 Billion! That information is available at the Texas Bond Review Board website: http://www.brb.state.tx.us/

The data reveals that Fort Worth ISD is carrying debt of $992 million (so much for selling bonds – better referred to as “deferred taxes”), Tarrant County has debt of $301 million, and the City of Fort Worth’s debt is almost $9 billion. Every man, women and child in the county owes a tax bill of around $5,000 in local debt. This debt isn’t really the government debt – it is the taxpayers’ debt, and the bills will come due. What we are doing is leaving a legacy of debt to our children and grandchildren.

Local governments are growing 4 times faster than personal income and local government debt is growing 5 times faster than our incomes.

Taxpayers are partly to blame as we are generally generous in approving debt. Around 85% school bond initiatives pass. And the overwhelming majority of the property tax rollback elections fail. Why? Don’t taxpayers want lower property taxes? Often local officials don't take responsibility for the growth in their revenue...they want that growth but don't admit to taxpayers that they are digging deeper into their pockets. They often hide behind the skirts of the appraisal district.

When asked who in the room got that 30% tax cut the legislature promised to provide on school property taxes, no one raised their hand. (Nor have they anywhere I’ve spoken around the state). Why? Because local governments have been able – often through appraisal creep – to take more from the taxpayers without ever calling it a tax increase.

I discussed going to protest my property taxes and the appraiser went to his computer and pulled up a photo of my home – complete with my car parked in the driveway, my license plate clearly visible. (One woman after the meeting said that she reluctantly let an appraiser into her home to see her remodeling and he said “nice job. Too bad when it is finished you won’t be able to afford your property taxes.”) The current system is an invasion of our privacy and taxes unrealized value. It’s time we go to acquisition value and do away with appraisers and appraisal districts.

Taxpayers are often “sold” a tax by dubious if not deceptive means. Some local government campaigns claim the increase won’t raise taxes (as debt is retired, taxes could be lowered but local government officials want to replace that with new debt) or the contractors who will benefit financially from the work fund the pro-bond initiative, or tell the public it’s no more than “a cup of Starbuck’s coffee.” We need to refer to bond initiatives what they are – tax increases!
Attendees also got the names of 28 local elected officials who signed a letter to the North Texas legislative delegation ...

“We are writing to inform you of our uniform opposition to any legislation that proposes a lower “appraisal cap” or creates a “revenue cap” To be clear, as community leaders, we are firmly opposed to appraisal and revenue caps whether they are locally imposed or mandated by the state.”

CLICK HERE to read the letter.

Attendees were reminded that Republicans had put the issue of appraisal and revenue caps on a primary ballot and they received overwhelming – 96% and 92% support. Then in the last primary election, the issue of revenue caps was on the ballot and received support from 92% of the voters. Attendees were shocked that their officials – many of whom are still in office – opposed taxpayer protections.

The issue of taxpayers’ funding lobby activities that oppose taxpayer protections was also discussed. Most taxpayers don’t realize that while they are hard at work, taking care of their families and paying their bills and paying their taxes, that some of their taxes are being used to pay lobbyists who are opposing taxpayer protections. Last year, we took the legislative issues of major taxpayer-funded lobby associations and a scientific survey of voters was conducted. No surprise – taxpayer are funding policies and activities they oppose.

For a look at how local government organizations are supporting anti-taxpayer policies, click here:http://www.americansforprosperity.org/index.php?id=3020&state=tx When asked “what do you say to local officials who claim they can’t be in Austin during legislative session,” the answer is simple: taxpayers elect officials to represent them in Austin, at City Hall and the county commissioner’s court. We don’t elect lobbyists. I suggest we introduce our elected officials to one another and to the telephone.

If legislation impacts cities, we should expect our legislators to be talking to city leaders in their districts. But these officials need to remember their first commitment is to the constituent, the citizens and taxpayers in their jurisdiction. It is also important to note that the meeting was at the lovely Botanical Gardens – precisely where the AARP will be meeting tonight to rally their pro-government advocates to support electricity re-regulation. Now when is government the answer when the private sector works?

Before electricity deregulation in Texas, we were 14th in the country in energy costs and we are still 14th in energy prices. Is dereg working and why are some electricity consumers hot about their bills? The answer lies in misguided environmental policies which result in higher prices, unreliability and inadequate supply.

Actually, among states that depend heavily on natural gas for power, like we do here, Texas has the 5th-lowest residential electric price (from data from the EIA). Across the state, there are roughly 300 energy providers (wholesale and retail). There are at least 25 active retail providers serving each of the state’s competitive areas. (This number has grown by more than 25% since the beginning of 2007).

But those of us in Austin and other areas across the state served by municipal utility companies or co-ops, we have no opportunity to choose providers. We have no consumer choices. We need to lift government intervention in the marketplace, not provide more. A lot is going on in Fort Worth now.
Fort Worth has experienced the largest petition drive in the city’s history. More than 70,000 people signed petitions to call for a November election to allow the sale of beer and wine throughout the City. Almost that many signed a companion petition to allow the sales of mixed drinks in the city’s restaurants.
Well-intentioned liquor laws confuse consumers and put retail establishments and restaurants at a competitive disadvantage to those in surrounding jurisdictions.

Citizens can learn more by attending the Oct 10 & 11 DEFENDING THE AMERICAN DREAM summit in the Washington, D.C. area. To learn more: www.defendingthedream.org

Government intervention into the marketplace is not the American dream our forefathers envisioned. And they never envisioned our being forced to pay for lobbyists to lobby against taxpayer protections: “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” -- Thomas Jefferson