Posted on 11/22/2005 8:20:11 PM PST by FairOpinion
Texas school districts illegally tax property owners to pay for public education and the state must find a new way to fund schools by June 1 or classrooms will remain closed in the fall, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
Texas' highest civil court ruled that the property taxes for schools have become an unconstitutional statewide property tax and charged lawmakers with repairing the $30 billion funding system. State funding would be stopped if the deadline isn't met.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
State et al will provide "general diffusion of knowledge" is in the Tx Constitution.
That is exactly what will happen here. When Perry appointed a commission to study the issue and calls for 'fairness' in funding, you know taxes are coming down the pike...ironically, Perry is all for a statewide toll turnpike, too. Thank goodness he's a conservative. Wouldn't know what to do if he were a liberal. /sarc
And of course with that idiot Strayhorn crying for him to call a special session so she and her pals in the Rat crowd can demand taxes to 'balance the budget' or some other b.s., this is going to be a nightmare for the RINOs in the Texas legislature, who will finally be forced to choose between pork reduction or tax reduction.
I like the ruling. What a great bunch of judges Texas has--they've forced the legislature to do its job for once! But you can bet they will choose raising taxes over pork cutting every time.
Ok, thanks. I meant the U.S. Constitution though.
It relegates it to the states or to the people to decide.
He can have his precious toll road if he will build us a new fence 1st.
On the subject of judges, I recently had occasion to sit in on a Texas small claims court session. The most memorable moment was when the judge tossed out a meritless case with the comment of, "Are you high? Case dismissed. Next."
Rather amazing that a self-labeled 'Libertarian' would be whining about tollways. Those are user-paid roads, instead of taxpayer-funded, so instead of taking money by force from every citizen to pay for them only those who CHOOSE to use them pay. The whole point of going to tollways is to get them built using minimal taxpayer-funding, the alternatives are to not build the roads(even though we have 4 of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation) or to raise taxes (the gas tax barely covers maintenance, and even if all that has been diverted to schools is put back into roads, it isn't enough to meet demand.)
If private medicine is better, if private schools are better, if private airlines, trains, and autos are better than the gov't alternatives, why do so many prefer gov't funded roads?
Judicial Activism = when the court does something we don't like.
"They'd have to repeal the 16th Amendment for that to happen."
If those who say the 16th was never legally ratified are correct, the 16th would have to be actually ratified befor it could be repealed.
One is to increase sales taxes. We already have one of the highest in the nation.
Another is an income tax, which has been anathema in Texas.
I can't think of any others,unless we return to local property taxes. That, of course, will mean that all those districts in south Texas will have inadequate schools, so the legislature will end up raising sales taxes to pay for those anyway.
LOL! Good one. My husband was once pulled over for dark tint on windows (it came from the factory with the tint). We went to court to protest, and lo and behold the female judge proceeded to give the entire Traffic Court audience (full that day) a lecture on the folly of such un-Constitutional laws. Tossed it.
Who knows maybe reverse illegal insurgency can happen..
Most Excellent !
Better access...I don't know where your road is.
The spirit of Judge Roy Bean lives on.
Yep, much better to tax property in resort towns with no schools to fund schools in other parts of the state.
Don't forget to tax all the property in retirement villages, too. Even though their kids are all long past school-age, wouldn't want to pass up that revenue source, eh ?
Property taxes make a mockery of private property. It has become legally impossible to actually OWN property. Fail to pay your annual property tax bill and see how little your deed really means.
Well, it's property taxes or income taxes. Take your pick.
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