By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – The "whistle stop" tour of legislative committees discussing public school finance stopped at the House Select Committee on Public School Finance for Texas Governor Rick Perry today.
Perry, who has proposed his Educational Excellence and Property Tax Relief plan as the solution to the state's school finance crisis, has been making the rounds first of cities and organizations and now legislative committees - touting his proposal as maybe not the "perfect way," but what he thinks is "the best way" to solve the issue of public school funding.
"I happen to think today that we embark on a shared mission that transcends party politics," said Perry. "It transcends almost any issue that you can bring up because it is about something substantially more important than party politics or what part of the state you're from. It's about the future of the state of Texas."
Perry said it will take "courageous leadership" of members of both parties to solve the fiscal challenges of school finance. "This is such a time and this is such a challenge," he said.
The governor said the end goal is success and discussed his proposed course to that destination. He said his plan increases funding for education, eliminates Robin Hood, cuts property taxes, creates equity and protects the job climate in the state.
Perry said his plan provides appraisal relief and empowers taxpayers to "control their own taxpaying destiny" without creating "economic uncertainty with a risky new taxing scheme."
He said he believes his plan "is the best plan out there" and described his "cut, cap and control" property tax remedy that offers permanent tax relief. The governor again touted his own figures relative to new revenue that will be generated through his plan, how much more money will be invested in each Texas school student and the savings for property owners.
"Those who have said it will only provide enough savings each month for a hamburger must be eating at some pretty expensive hamburger joints," he said, adding that his proposal is a far cry from the Proposition 13 effort in California.
Perry said he proposed a constitutionally linked role (called a split tax by many) because all other plans would cost billions to lower all rates by 25 cents per $100 valuation. Employers would still receive a tax cut, even though the cut would be smaller than for residential property owners. He said his plan also protects employers in other ways, using surplus funds until the rates are cut in half. It reduces property taxes without putting a "job killer" in place and prevents use of homestead exemptions that would benefit residential property owners and put a further burden on business property owners.
"It is a plan that will sustain itself," said the governor. "We should not confuse the biggest price tag with the best value.
"I'm going to walk out of here and roll my sleeves up and go to work."
The governor and members of his staff - Mike Toomey and Mike Morrissey - answered questions regarding the plan.
One of the questions the governor fielded was regarding school facilities. "We will be open to any discussion during this special session or any regular session to address appropriate and equitable funding for facilities," said Perry.
"As we look at the big picture of equity, if we can focus on how we equalize the funding in the largest number of students in this state, we will better serve the bulk of the students in this state," said the governor. He said his plan gives some of the best equity percentage in the Robin Hood era, with only 2 percent using "rooftop wealthy" districts. "There may be some legitimate and appropriate limitations that you place on those." He said he seeks an equitable and fair way to put a plan in place that gets to equity for the most students. "I hope we don't throw the baby out with the bath water just because we can't draw a perfect plan."
Perry also was questioned regarding the use of video lottery terminals, and the possibility that people will think that particular form of gambling is a solution to the education problems. Perry said the sources of revenue in his plan bring about "long-term dollars."
"I've laid out a road map that leads to a destination," said Perry of his school finance proposal, saying that destination leads to property tax relief and increased funding for public schools.
Perry said his funding sources are tested as to whether they "enhance and sustain" the job creation climate in Texas and added that putting a "risky taxing scheme" into place without thinking about job creation is a "dangerous, dangerous issue that I don't think we can afford in this state."
When asked by Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) how he could justify supporting the governor's plan when State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn disputed the numbers in the Perry plan, Perry called the comptroller's figures "fundamentally flawed."