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TAX DOLLARS USED AGAINST TAXPAYERS
By Michael Quinn Sullivan
Aug. 22, 2009 -- Thomas Jefferson once observed, "To compel a man to furnish funds for the
propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." If Jefferson was right,
that taxpayer-funded lobbying is sinful and tyrannical, then many of Texas cities and counties
might want to check the status of their fiscal souls.
The City of Denton, for example, is paying a lobby firm $80,000 a
year to keep fighting against their taxpayers' interests. Denton is one
of several local government entities paying the lobby firm HillCo to
fight for laws allowing higher taxes and fees while seeking to avoid
both fiscal accountability and transparency.
It was the unholy alliance of Dallas-area taxing entities and large firms seeking lucrative payouts that pushed
(unsuccessfully) for higher gasoline taxes and fees during the legislative session. They refused to consider
requirements for complete transparency in the spending, requiring metrics for traffic relief, and -- not
surprisingly -- a ban on using those new dollars for lobbying.
The city's mayor pro tem, Pete Kamp, is taking direct aim at taxpayer champion Sen. Jane Nelson for her
principled opposition to the effort. Kamp wants "public education" to turn the tide against Nelson and push
those taxes and fees next time. That could only be through mis-education and misdirection. As Nelson
notes, the public is very well educated on the problems associated with "a new menu of taxes and fees."
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility delivered thousands of petitions and letters from taxpayers to legislators'
offices opposing the tax hike.
Transportation is woefully underfunded, but the immediate solution isn't to raise taxes. For example, rather
than use tax dollars to fund lobbyists, city and state officials should work to end the billions of dollars in gas
tax diversions. Gas tax dollars are supposed to fund roads, but nearly 45 per cent is spent elsewhere.
When we know entities like the Dallas Area Rapid Transit -- a big beneficiary of the tax-grab effort -- have
lost or mis-accounted billions of dollars in recent years. Fundamental operating reform and real-time fiscal
transparency should be pursued and implemented long before taxes are raised.
Giving the big-spenders more dollars now would simply be a license to waste. And letting local government
employee tax dollars to fund lobbyists merely adds insult to injury.
By Michael Quinn Sullivan
Aug. 22, 2009 -- Thomas Jefferson once observed, "To compel a man to furnish funds for the
propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." If Jefferson was right,
that taxpayer-funded lobbying is sinful and tyrannical, then many of Texas cities and counties
might want to check the status of their fiscal souls.
The City of Denton, for example, is paying a lobby firm $80,000 a
year to keep fighting against their taxpayers' interests. Denton is one
of several local government entities paying the lobby firm HillCo to
fight for laws allowing higher taxes and fees while seeking to avoid
both fiscal accountability and transparency.
It was the unholy alliance of Dallas-area taxing entities and large firms seeking lucrative payouts that pushed
(unsuccessfully) for higher gasoline taxes and fees during the legislative session. They refused to consider
requirements for complete transparency in the spending, requiring metrics for traffic relief, and -- not
surprisingly -- a ban on using those new dollars for lobbying.
The city's mayor pro tem, Pete Kamp, is taking direct aim at taxpayer champion Sen. Jane Nelson for her
principled opposition to the effort. Kamp wants "public education" to turn the tide against Nelson and push
those taxes and fees next time. That could only be through mis-education and misdirection. As Nelson
notes, the public is very well educated on the problems associated with "a new menu of taxes and fees."
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility delivered thousands of petitions and letters from taxpayers to legislators'
offices opposing the tax hike.
Transportation is woefully underfunded, but the immediate solution isn't to raise taxes. For example, rather
than use tax dollars to fund lobbyists, city and state officials should work to end the billions of dollars in gas
tax diversions. Gas tax dollars are supposed to fund roads, but nearly 45 per cent is spent elsewhere.
When we know entities like the Dallas Area Rapid Transit -- a big beneficiary of the tax-grab effort -- have
lost or mis-accounted billions of dollars in recent years. Fundamental operating reform and real-time fiscal
transparency should be pursued and implemented long before taxes are raised.
Giving the big-spenders more dollars now would simply be a license to waste. And letting local government
employee tax dollars to fund lobbyists merely adds insult to injury.
