By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
Our state is at a crossroads," said Sen. Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso). With the state's leadership making the choice to value "tax cuts over kids" and "budget cuts over the elderly," Shapleigh today released the second edition of Texas on the Brink. The report is a compilation of statistics regarding where the state stands among the 50 states with respect to issues in the current state budget, many of which are social service issues.
The first edition of the report was released during the 78th Legislature, said Shapleigh, when the state faced a $10 billion budget deficit.
Shapleigh said that since 1836, Texas has been shaped by individuals who believe anyone should have the opportunity to rise as high as their spirit and talent will carry them. However, he said budget cuts in the past 10 years show numbers that are "breathtaking." He said Texas now ranks first among the states in dropouts, first in the number of children without health insurance, first in families without health insurance, and last or near last in a host of "quality of life indicators," especially in social services.
The El Paso Democrat said per capita spending in many other states is 46 percent higher than in Texas. He said when leaders put a vow of "no new taxes" above the needs of people, they "abandoned the mantel of leadership." He cited Texas has having so regressive a tax system that it "consistently ranks in the Terrible 10 of the most regressive tax systems in Texas." He said those taxes are shifted to make the people with the least pay the most.
Shapleigh noted that since 1917, Texas has had an inheritance tax on millionaires. However, during the last legislative session, Texas stopped collecting that tax even though 13 other states still did. Instead, he said, the state's leaders gave non-elected college and university regents the right to increase college tuition rates. He said the loss of the millionaire's tax cost the state $322 million in tax revenue, while Texas students faced a $362 million increase in college tuition. "Tax cuts for millionaires were paid by tax hikes for students," said Shapleigh.
Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin) joined Shapleigh in exposing how poorly the state ranks in education issues. He said graduation rates in the state rank Texas 50th, SAT scores rank Texas 48th and the state ranks 47th among the 50 states with regard to secondary teachers with a degree in the subjects they teach.
"Companies will not locate in a state where kids don't graduate from high school and don't score well on the SAT," said Barrientos. He cited state demographer statistics that say that if improvements are not made in these areas, by 2030, household incomes in Texas will decline by $5,000. "Is that something we want to leave as a legacy to our kids?"
The Austin senator said the state must invest in an educated workforce and cannot afford to simply shift the property tax to a more regressive sales tax as a means of paying for better education for the state's children. He said poll results last month showed that 80 percent of Texans favor increased funding for public education as an investment in the state's children and the state's future.
With that in mind, Barrientos and Shapleigh have sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee noting that investing in the state's children is a "wise" investment, which will help create a brighter future for all of Texas. If that commitment is not made, said Barrientos, the state's leadership will fail Texas children, Texas schools and the state.
"You get what you pay for," said Shapleigh, noting that as long as Texas is "dead last or next to last" in the amount of revenues raised or services delivered, the state will always be last. "Now is the time for our leaders in Texas government and those who care for our young, our elderly and our future - to act." Shapleigh said state leaders must be ready to lead, to meet challenges and to invest in the state's future.
"If we continue on the current path," he said, "we will be a less prosperous state." He said the state needs "bold leadership that accepts the challenges" and does not "leave them to another generation."