11/07/2007

Constitutional Amendment Election: Special Interests Get Massive Credit Card

Texas voters gave state lawmakers a massive credit card Tuesday night, authorizing nearly $10 billion of future unaccountable spending (future tax hikes) on highways, cancer research, prisons and more.

The election marks one of the largest expansions of state debt ever.

Some blame uneducated voters, others blame the special interests who profit or the more than 90% of the registered voters who didn't vote (which allows the small percentage of special interest votes to dominate).

There's plenty of blame to go around.

The other problem is the news media, often part of the special interests, fails to inform and educate citizens. The major newspapers are tight with the City Chambers, where most of their ad revenue comes from, and too many TV news reporters don't have the time or expertise to get the story right.

I'll tell you that NOT ONE major paper in Texas allowed my OP-Ed opposing Prop 12 to be published this year. All of those papers supported the $5 Billion gift to TxDOT which will continue it's freeway to tollway conversions. The same major papers printed my Op Ed in 2005, which opposed Prop 1 and 9.

Count on more tax and toll tax diversions, more unaccountable government and more lies folks. That's what Texas voters fall for most of the time.

So, when you hear people complaining about paying their bills, or taxes being too high, or not being able to buy a house or a car, ask them if they ever went out to vote against tax increases, otherwise known as "bonds".

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The people of Texas are stupid. What a bunch of dumb-asses.

Anonymous said...

THAT IS IT! I am cancelling my newspaper subscription TODAY for telling people to vote for Prop 12's $5 Billion of debt.

Anonymous said...

This just goes to show that the average citizen in Texas has more knowledge and interest in reality TV voting shows (for ex. American Idol, Dancing With The Stars) than those things that actually matter for their own personal income and future. I blame most people for not educating themselves about these important issues and going to the polls with the knowledge of what they are voting For and Against. But I also blame the media...I saw more coverage about Cancer in the three weeks before the election than at any other time...(Susan G Komen walk advertising, News 8 Austin on October 31st - "Looking at Alternative Methods for Cancer", KVUE News on October 15th - Live Strong Challenge aims to defeat cancer", etc.) kind of makes a voter's heart ache for all those fighting a disease. But did the media ever explain what voting For Prop. 15 would actually do? Hell NO! Did anyone ever say which city was going to benefit from this money? Nope! I heard that Houston would get the most from it, in the way of a huge research facility and the majority of cancer researchers, but who knows for sure?

Then, Prop 12 which had the largest price tag was hardly even mentioned. There are plenty of people in Austin who are against giving another red cent to TXDOT...but did you ever hear any of them on TV or in any media publication? Nope! The media is as corrupt and biased as the special interest.

Now with gas prices over $3.00 a gallon, registration costs at an all time high, inspection for a vehicle having doubled in cost a few years ago, high auto-insurance premiums, red light cameras, a chance at a speeding ticket, toll roads, TexTags, new bond money for TXDOT...I am hanging up my carkeys. Good luck to all the local businesses and restaurants this Christmas season. I won't be able to visit them...I am shopping online from the comfort of my living room and eating at home from now on!

Anonymous said...

People for the most part are ignorant of government matters and really are not interested in learning and knowing the reality.

Even if we had plenty of money, the media would not let us get the information out there. The media and government and big business are all one and the same. We are not moving toward fascism. We are now in fascism.

The Austin UnAmerican Statesman has been a big part of the problem for a long time. Don't even read a free copy of that rag and certainly do not subscribe to it. If they drop a free copy in your driveway now and then, just give it to your dog. He knows what its good for.

We are all not mentioning the very real possibility that the black box voting machines may have been employed to not county votes honestly.

By the way, the cancer industry has been a racket for many many years. There has not been a significant increase in cancer survival rates in over 30 years when the official War on Cancer begain. Whenever we have an "war on " anything, that's when we for sure get more of that bad thing. War on drugs. War on illiteracy. War on Poverty.

People, look out for yourselves and your families. Stop shopping locally because 99 percent of the local business belong to the Chamber of Commerce or neighborhood "Chambers" such as the Oak Hill Business and Professional Association.. Don't overspend on Christmas. Think survival. Also, the U.S. Post Office has become another horrible racket and rip off so mail order buying is just no good anymore too.

Moving to more rural areas seems the best ticket for any that can swing it.

Anonymous said...

Voters are sheep that think bonds equal "free" money.

Anonymous said...

I don't know who these people are. I voted against Prop 12 and everyone I know also voted against it. There must be a half million idiots out there who go and vote for every prop on the ballot without reading it. Same thing happened last election.

These same idiots will turn right around and complain about how high their property taxes are and how the toll roads cost too much.

Anonymous said...

My mom died from cancer, my son survived it. It is a serious issue, but I doubt corporate welfare will drive us to a cure.