Contact: Kristin Jones, (949) 230-2965, Don Zimmerman, (512) 577-8842
Statements / Press Conference:
Wednesday, Oct 22nd, 2008 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Round Rock ISD central compound, 1311 Round Rock (Round Rock, TX, 78681)
AUSTIN – Groups of parents and property taxpayers and activists are meeting on Wednesday, Oct 22nd, 12:00 noon at the Round Rock ISD central compound to express opposition to November 4th ballot issues which would authorize unlimited tax increases and school debt by over 30%. The Round Rock ISD Bond seeks to add almost $300 million to an existing debt of about $680 million. Round Rock ISD taxpayers were hit with about $250 million of new debt just 2 years ago. The ballot language permits UNLIMITED TAXES to be assessed, at any interest rate, to repay the bond debt: "...and the levying of a tax in payment of the bonds and to pay the costs
of any credit agreements executed or authorized in anticipation of, in relation to or in connection with the bonds."
Says Michele Samuelson of Wells Branch Watchdogs, “"Round Rock ISD already owes taxpayers $600,000,000, 1/3 of this is in the form of interest payments from previous bonds. At this rate, the only thing we will pass on to our children is not an education, but a huge pile of local debt that our children and grandchildren will be saddled with. Our children's future depends on responsible spending policies that do not incur additional public debts."
Liz Elleson, former Round Rock ISD trustee and opponent of the failed $350M Bond issue of March, 2005, has filed an open records request for numerous documents, including for payments to Superintendent Chavez and salaried administrative (non-teaching) employees for 2007 – 2009, and for large expenditures approved on a “consent” agenda without full disclosure or debate. Liz will present facts on wasteful spending.
John Gordon, former GOP candidate for State Rep in Williamson County and opponent of the 2005 Bond, will present facts supporting the bad timing and overpricing of the Bond.
Says Craig Wilkerson, of the Williamson County Campaign for Liberty, “Most WilCo residents send their children to public school, but a growing number of parents prefer homeschooling or private schooling. It is against the principles of Liberty to force any WilCo residents to subsidize an educational system they do not utilize and philosophically reject.”
Says Pat Dixon, Libertarian Party state chairman, "As a member of city council in Lago Vista I have always worked to reduce spending and lower tax rates. … In a time when voters are threatened by federal, state, and local politicians with greater intrusion into their wallets, voters need to speak up and protect themselves."
Says Wes Benedict, Exec. Dir of LP of Texas, who had a role in defeating the March, 2005 Bond, “Taxes are already too high and we should not throw more money into government schools.”
Don Zimmerman, Republican candidate for Travis County anti-tax assessor-collector, a Round Rock ISD parent & taxpayer, adds, “The public school monopoly has given us what other government monopolies like the post office give us – marginal service at high cost. We need more school choices, not more debt and taxes.”
GOUGED includes Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and independent voters and taxpayers working to save their homes from confiscatory property taxes.
www.gouged.info
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Showing posts with label bond proposals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bond proposals. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Austin ISD set to fleece taxpayers
When my husband and I bought our house, we very purposefully chose one that did not sit in Austin ISD. Granted, property-tax-wise, very few choices are really awesome these days, but we figured Round Rock and Pflugerville were infinitely better options in Travis County than AISD. Seeing the Statesman this morning, I am confident we chose wisely.
Austin ISD is planning to raise the property tax rate, pending voter approval, by 3.9 cents. In other words, the budget is growing, and they believe they can justify asking taxpayers for more money.
Wait, didn't AISD actually see one of its schools close this last year due to poor performance? Why exactly should voters give them more money, when it's clear that money isn't the problem?
Of course, the district is claiming that the majority of the new money in the budget is for teacher pay raises. Which makes sense, I suppose - in such a district, you'd need to pay your teachers more just to keep them from fleeing for higher ground, right? Round Rock ISD is asking for $294 million in new bond money this fall, for new facilities. The board of trustees is claiming that they need this because of the growth in RRISD.
One has to think that if Austin ISD continues to raise property taxes on citizens there, Round Rock ISD will begin taking even more overflow as Austin residents are priced out of their homes. And then RRISD taxpayers will be priced out of their homes, and so on. Until we're all living in Bell County and commuting to Austin.
(crossposted at Blue Dot Blues)
Austin ISD is planning to raise the property tax rate, pending voter approval, by 3.9 cents. In other words, the budget is growing, and they believe they can justify asking taxpayers for more money.
Wait, didn't AISD actually see one of its schools close this last year due to poor performance? Why exactly should voters give them more money, when it's clear that money isn't the problem?
Of course, the district is claiming that the majority of the new money in the budget is for teacher pay raises. Which makes sense, I suppose - in such a district, you'd need to pay your teachers more just to keep them from fleeing for higher ground, right? Round Rock ISD is asking for $294 million in new bond money this fall, for new facilities. The board of trustees is claiming that they need this because of the growth in RRISD.
One has to think that if Austin ISD continues to raise property taxes on citizens there, Round Rock ISD will begin taking even more overflow as Austin residents are priced out of their homes. And then RRISD taxpayers will be priced out of their homes, and so on. Until we're all living in Bell County and commuting to Austin.
(crossposted at Blue Dot Blues)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Vote Against Bond Proposals
It seems like every year, we the taxpayers, are asked to spend more tax money on these long-term loans. I saw a sign this morning that said "Vote yes on the School Bond. For the Children." I urge every voter to vote down these bond proposals.
If these school board administrators were really passing these proposals for the children, they we would not be having extraordinarily high drop-out rates. We would not be talking about shutting down at least three schools in Austin. If these bonds were going to strengthen public schools, why do teachers need to constantly go over the heads of their local school board and appeal to the State Legislature for raises each year? Last time I looked, the State Legislature is not responsible for hiring and firing teachers in local school districts...that is up to the local school districts themselves.
These bond proposals are not for the children. In fact, the debt we as a society are racking up is hurting our next generation. Local government debt has risen 5 times greater than the rate of inflation in the last thirty years in Texas. The City of Austin alone has a greater debt to taxpayers than the entire State of Texas! And they continue to ask for more loans! The real loan crisis in this country is not with home mortgages, it is with cities and local school boards continuing to receive taxpayer funded loans that can never be paid back by the current generation!
One of the premises of the State Legislature is to not tie the hands of future Sessions of the Legislature with debts, programs, and taxes that the future Legislature cannot control. In essence, local school districts, cities, and county governments break this premise every year in local elections by saddling future school boards, future County Commissioners, and future City Councils with additional debt and programs that cannot be paid by the current revenue stream.
Our public debt at every level is too high. It is up to you, the taxpayers, to vote down every new bond proposal that comes up on the ballot and to ask the tough question of your elected official, "What are you doing to lower my taxes today?" If the elected official cannot answer that question, it is time for a replacement.
Vote no on your local bond proposals on May 10.
If these school board administrators were really passing these proposals for the children, they we would not be having extraordinarily high drop-out rates. We would not be talking about shutting down at least three schools in Austin. If these bonds were going to strengthen public schools, why do teachers need to constantly go over the heads of their local school board and appeal to the State Legislature for raises each year? Last time I looked, the State Legislature is not responsible for hiring and firing teachers in local school districts...that is up to the local school districts themselves.
These bond proposals are not for the children. In fact, the debt we as a society are racking up is hurting our next generation. Local government debt has risen 5 times greater than the rate of inflation in the last thirty years in Texas. The City of Austin alone has a greater debt to taxpayers than the entire State of Texas! And they continue to ask for more loans! The real loan crisis in this country is not with home mortgages, it is with cities and local school boards continuing to receive taxpayer funded loans that can never be paid back by the current generation!
One of the premises of the State Legislature is to not tie the hands of future Sessions of the Legislature with debts, programs, and taxes that the future Legislature cannot control. In essence, local school districts, cities, and county governments break this premise every year in local elections by saddling future school boards, future County Commissioners, and future City Councils with additional debt and programs that cannot be paid by the current revenue stream.
Our public debt at every level is too high. It is up to you, the taxpayers, to vote down every new bond proposal that comes up on the ballot and to ask the tough question of your elected official, "What are you doing to lower my taxes today?" If the elected official cannot answer that question, it is time for a replacement.
Vote no on your local bond proposals on May 10.
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