LOL: Straus touts tax relief measures HE OPPOSED during session

"He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,
Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
Proverbs 29:1

Where to begin?!?

AUSTIN — Speaker Joe Straus, who easily fended off the same tea party challenger to hold onto his Bexar County House district the past two cycles, is not taking any chances against two such challengers this year.

On Monday, Straus began airing a TV ad in San Antonio that touts his work in behalf of “economic growth,” especially last year’s passage by the Legislature of a $4 billion tax-relief package.

The commercial begins with a testimonial by the owner of an automotive-related small business in Straus’ district, which is on San Antonio’s northeast side and includes some small cities such as Alamo Heights. The four-term House speaker appears personally in the 30-second spot, which ends with a female narrator intoning, “Proven leadership. Conservative results.”

Which is funny, considering at the time:

The grumbling you hear coming from the Capitol? That’s the sound of the establishment acknowledging that taxpayers are winning! And members of the Texas House are mad – mad that their leadership has been caught slow-boating reform measures.

Earlier this week we let Texans know about the $4.6 billion in tax relief measures the Senate passed on March 25th. To this day, House Speaker Joe Straus has refused to refer those bills to a House committee. Instead, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee is offering a $4.9 billion package that just passed out of his committee today (April 16).

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Both plans end up cutting the business tax, though in different ways, with the Senate plan focusing on small businesses and the House plan favoring big businesses. The bigger difference? The House is cutting sales taxes while the Senate is cutting property taxes.

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Action toward reducing the burden of property taxes is non-existent from the House leadership.

With the Senate having already passed out a tax relief package, one is left to wonder why the Republican-controlled House didn’t take up that measure – even as a base from which to swap out property tax relief for sales tax relief. It would have sped up the process to ensure the legislative clock doesn’t run out on tax relief.

Bottom Line: Joe Straus has a long history of taking credit for the accomplishments of others during campaign season; good to see the tradition continue!