TSTA; WHAT DO YOU WANT?

TSTA, please tell the taxpayers in Laredo what you want the legislature to do about the budget shortfall.  Since you are opposed to the budget cuts, you obviously have found a way to fund the budget.  What is it?  We know the "Rainy Day Fund" will not cover all the budget requirements.

So TSAT, what is your plan?  One of these?


From the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) :
"Unfortunately, our revenue shortfall is so large, that a balanced approach also requires adding new revenue. No one is proposing a "tax-only" solution to our problem, but taxes must be part of the solution. Whether you measure taxes per resident or as a percentage of the economy, Texans pay less than almost any other state. That means we put less into education and the infrastructure we need to maintain our competitive business edge and ensure economic opportunity for our children.
Even in these tough times, we do have options preferred by the public over cuts. For example, we can adopt a Healthy Texas Revenue Package that 1) increases taxes on alcohol, 2) increases taxes on tobacco (raising the cigarette tax a dollar a pack generates $1.9 billion a biennium), and 3) imposes a new one-cent-per-ounce excess tax on sugar-loaded beverages (generating $2.5 billion a biennium). Or, we could eliminate unwarranted sales tax exemptions. Alternatively, we could temporarily increase our state sales tax by half a percent (with a rebate to protect low-income families) and raise about $3 billion a biennium. "  (From Feb 1, 2011 CPPP open letter to Texas Business Leaders)

Or how about this one from the CPPP:

THE BEST CHOICE FOR A PROSPEROUS TEXAS:

January 2006 Contact: Dick Lavine,

lavine@cppp.org

F. Scott McCown,

mccown@cppp.org

INTRODUCTION

Part one of this trilogy of policy briefs explains the challenge facing Texas in funding public education. This policy brief explains why a Texas-style personal income tax is the best way to meet the needs of Texas. Only a personal income tax can significantly reduce reliance on property taxes – cutting the school operations tax from $1.50 to $0.50 – while providing adequately for education – over $5 billion annually.   (From CPPP Policy Brief Number Two)

A TEXAS-STYLE PERSONAL INCOME TAX