Rick Perry and his Book - "Fed Up" - how most American's feel on so many issues - image talking points memo
From the El Paso Times : Governor Rick Perry has had the unmitigated gall to suggest that excess taxes collected by the State of Texas be returned to the taxpayers, restore cuts previously made to education and spend additional revenue on infrastructure. The article refers to the Texas surplus as a “so-called rainy day fund”. The rainy-day fund in Texas is at $12 Billion dollars, yet with his proposals Democrats are crying foul. The El Paso Times reports: “But Democrats panned the address as willfully blind to the needs of low-income Texans and school districts.
"What I heard was a lot about investing in infrastructure, roads and water, but not enough about investing in people," said first-year Democratic Rep. Gene Wu of Houston. “ (El Paso Times)
One might say, “It figures” should a Republican wish to return excess tax revenue to those that gave them the revenue in the first place, it’s a problem. It must be a problem to put money into the hands of taxpayers who might spend it and further stimulate the already robust economy in Texas. It is also not investing in people to suggest improving infrastructure, as that provides construction jobs – but then again, Texas is a right to work state, so no union kickbacks to the Democrats whom they support. It is not investing in individuals by putting money back into the budget for education, apparently. As to low-income people, (which now includes anyone who isn’t making more than $40K pre-tax or more) Texas is a mecca for those who want to work and earn a living, get a decent education for comparatively less than other states (especially with Perry’s $10,000 four year degree challenge having taken hold in the State University System). As to the Texas State Sales and other taxes, one can find those at the State of Texas site here: www.window.state.tx.us.taxes). the sales tax rate is a combined state and local rate no higher than 8.25% - every single tax and fee is listed on the site, for both businesses and individuals and includes additional easy to understand explanations of each category.
Therefore, if one is “low-income” and one is paying the same sales tax rate as everyone else, has access to schools at extremely low costs and can expect a refund, somehow this is extremely unfair – if one is a Democrat.
(A note, it is getting to the point where the “war between the parties” is out of control, and frankly, from the media the division between the parties is becoming – ludicrous. If a plan makes sense, should it not be embraced by individual politicians regardless of which party banner they choose? There are good and bad in both parties, the later being the case more often than not – there is very little bi-partisanship unless there is a cave in from one side or the other, by a “gang of five, six or seven”, and it is – in word nauseating. There is a reason why Washington, DC never changes, has a large gap between the haves and have nots, produces nothing and yet is the wealthiest City in the nation. One might find microcosms of Washington, DC in their state capitals – but apparently, that’s not the case in Texas. – with the exception of the partisan press and the obligatory Democrat crying foul. – Thus formations of new political parties should be encouraged)
Perry is not the first to suggest giving tax revenue back to the people – Sarah Palin gave tax rebates on oil production to Alaskans and caught flak for doing so – See Bloomberg.com, complaining about Palin’s increase on taxes to Oil Companies and the rebate of increased tax revenue to the local populace!
State Tax website Comparison
After viewing the Texas State Tax site in paragraph 3, take a look at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Tax informationhere: mass.gov.dor/alltaxes/all taxes-a-z. When one visits a category, there are additional subcategories, and so on.
California (where residents are fleeing to – Texas) offers a county and city taxes – at the Board of Equalization website here - and a State Income Tax site here
For sales tax rates: a list of all 50 states and their sales tax rates – the Sales Tax Institute
For Income tax rates visit the Tax Foundation
It goes without saying that those politicians’ of long-standing (and multiple terms) that cry foul that the “poor” will suffer, if the other guy cuts taxes, or vice versa, understand that they are making scads of money and hanging out with the same lobbyist - they are far removed from their constituents. There are those in this nation who still believe that the government is run by the people, that here is no aristocracy, that those who try hard, do well in school have the opportunity – not the right, to change their income brackets. In this nation, there should be no divide over who has the cash and who does not, as everyone has the right to earn the cash – not given cash on a silver platter for doing – nothing.
It is a philosophy that is uniquely American, and there are few countries if any others, that offer someone from a “lower income” to rise to be a billionaire – on their own wits, steam and hard work. When an individual pays taxes (tribute) to a government – and the government is living large, with ample moneys to run the government itself – then the balance should be proportionately refunded to those how paid – not hoarded or projected in order to fund unnecessary programs or more give aways that prevent individuals from doing what is their right – succeed or fail on their own merits.
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