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These are opinions on the propositions on the November ballot from an 80-year-old Independent voter who tries his best to march to the tunes of truth, logic, the Ten Commandments and the Constitution.
Proposition 1. Agribusinesses: Yes.
A no-brainer. Why would any sensible American want to prevent the use of land for God’s intended purpose? No matter how valuable some land may be to developers, it is more valuable for uses stated in the proposition.
Prop. 2. No property tax on childcare facilities: No.
Child care is a business that in my opinion undermines the family and is necessitated only by Americans who want to fulfill their wants with little regard for the needs of the family or care of their children. You may want more children. Do you need more children? If you want more children, can you provide them with a 24/7 family to care for them?
Prop. 3. Prevent taxation of net worth: No.
Taxation of accumulated worth is, if income tax has been paid at any time, double taxation. Income, produced by that net worth, i.e., interest, dividends, etc., should remain taxable as it currently is.
Prop. 4. Property tax reduction: Yes.
In general, the best deal we can get from the ISDs, especially for the elderly and homeowners. An additional plus for regulating the terms of those responsible in the assessor’s office who pass on the uncontrolled increases demanded by their sponsors, the taxing agencies. What a joke, taxes regulated by those who request them.
Prop. 5. Research assistance: No.
Any financial assistance to Texas universities should be equally available to all, not just to those in the north. That requirement is demanded for public education.
Prop. 6. Texas water projects: Yes.
This provides for the repair of existing and construction of new facilities to store and supply water far into the future. A no-brainer.
Prop. 7. Texas Energy Fund: No.
Does not provide a solution, i.e., improvement/replacement of the Republican deregulated, broken, uncontrolled utility structure in Texas today. Even ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission admit that the problem is not in generation, it is in transmission from generation to the demand and wildly fluctuating fuel costs. No recommendation is included to increase the construction/use of wind and solar or transmission lines. The proposition approves additional taxation while keeping customers under the thumb of the suppliers and Texas oil cartels.
Prop. 8. Create broadband infrastructure. No.
Government should stay out of the utility (electric, gas, communications, etc.) business except as a regulator that ensures reliable, high-quality services are available to all Texans, not just where it is most profitable to the suppliers. No provision is made for a more active PUC to meet these demands, again more public taxes to provide services that private enterprise, properly regulated, can do better.
Prop 9. Teacher cost-of-living adjustment: Yes.
A no-brainer. Texas should step up and admit they made a mistake when they made the Teacher Retirement System of Texas mandatory for teachers instead of Social Security, then insufficiently funded it. Legislation should follow to shift from the TRST to Social Security
Prop. 10. Tax exemption for Pharma manufacturers: No.
Another end run at shifting the tax base away from big business to the workers. Who will end up replacing these tax dollars into the Texas coffers? Of course, the middle-class workers. Republicans are talking tax cuts when they should be chanting “price control.”
Props. 11 and 12. Do not apply to the RGV.
Prop. 13. Increase retirement age for judges: No.
Raises the mandatory age for judges, thus protecting incumbent Republicans and preventing the election of judges who are more progressive, better educated, and not supportive of the status quo conservative stuck-in-the-past ones we have now.
Prop. 14. State parks fund. Yes.
A no-brainer. Open space is needed for our survival and maintenance is something Texas does not do well. For example, our power grid.
Ned Sheats lives in Mission.
