Conservative Watchdogs Sue TX Sec of State Over Prop 2
How could Texans be hoodwinked into voting for a tax increase?! Remember Proposition 2? That Constitutional Amendment on the ballot this past November? Cooke Conservatives and other Texas groups (we listed them) all said, “Vote NO on that!”
Fran Rhodes, president of True Texas Project, warned us that the state legislature had tried to get this passed 10 years ago, but savvy Texans then said, “No!” Why did they say “Yes” this time??
Our Sneaky Legislature
Because, Fran points out, the sneaky legislators purposely removed the language “ad valorem tax increases” (the part that tells you your property taxes will go up), in defiance of both common law and state law. The law stipulates that legislators must describe a proposition
with such definiteness and certainty that the voters are not misled.
We have naughty legislators.
Three groups, the True Texas Project, Grassroots America ~ We the People, and Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF), wrote a letter to Abbott’s newly appointed Secretary of State (SOS) John Scott, spelling out the legal and ethical problems (deliberate deception) and warning that, if the language was not restored and the intent clarified, there would be a lawsuit.
When Good Voters Stay Home
The SOS, the AG, the Legislature, and the Governor dismissed the warning and deceived the Texas electorate. Cooke County voted NO 2,173 to 2,041. Most of the “FORs” are recorded in absentee and early voting. Sadly, the turnout was a whopping 15.64% (pathetic).
Cooke just barely said “No” while the state said a great, big “Yes.” See what happens when good voters stay at home??? When good voters don’t do their homework and don’t even listen to conservative groups who actually do the homework?
The Dallas Express article by Edgar James, Dec. 5, quotes Terri Hall, founder and director of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF), as saying
It gives counties wide latitude to come in and create a zone in which they can call anything they want underdeveloped, undeveloped, or blighted land. They can actually take existing properties (eminent domain!) and condemn them in order to put something new and shiny on top of it and get them higher property tax rates as a result because it’ll be a newer structure versus an older one. So, there’s a lot of development implications here. It’s not just about roads.
Lawsuit Demands Governor Abbott Declare Prop 2 Election Void
Jeramy Kitchen of Texas Scorecard reported the lawsuit back on November 8. He quotes Terri Hall as saying,
The Legislature intentionally chose to mislead voters in order to get it passed this time around. Former House Transportation Committee Chair Joe Pickett even stated as much when [Proposition 4] failed in 2011. He cited the phrase ‘ad valorem tax increases’ as the problem for voters.
Thank You, House Speaker Dade Phelan
Kitchen notes that Prop 2 is the result of the Legislature passing House Joint Resolution 99 earlier this year. HJR 99 was authored by Democrat State Rep. Terry Canales (Edinburg), who is also the chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
The Texas House has a Republican majority. Why would a Democrat be chairman of a committee?! Because “the House has always done it that way,” we’re told. The majority just has to be buddy-buddy with the minority. And Speaker Dade Phelan, an Abbott loyalist, believes in giving certain committee chairs to the opposition, when it’s not required. Washington, D.C. doesn’t even do that.
Then and Now
Kitchen and Scorecard give us a clear and infuriating comparison to what happened 10 years ago, and what happened in November. Note the ballot language, then the vote totals.
Proposition 4 (2011)
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates.
Vote Totals:
For – 270,610 (40.27 percent)
Against – 401,381 (59.73 percent)
Proposition 2 (2021)
The constitutional amendment authorizing a county to finance the development or redevelopment of transportation or infrastructure in unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted areas in the county.
(Oh, that sounds so much better! So benign.)
Vote Totals:
For – 931,453 (63.09 percent)
Against – 544,834 (36.91 percent)
Hoodwinked!
And thus, dear citizens of Texas, you voted to have your property taxes go up at the whim of county officials. Are you proud of yourselves?
You who showed up and voted NO ~ are you steamed?
Please, Ask Yourself a Few Questions, Texas Citizen
Why could they not get away with this 10 years ago? Why did they think they could get away with it this year? And how did that happen? And who all allowed it to happen? And why are voters today not so savvy? And what does this say about our current leadership?
Let’s hope the lawsuit by three, dedicated, watchful conservative groups saves our you-know-whats and that Governor Abbott will do the right thing. But, don’t hold your breath.
