#TXLEGE: SB 2 -- Tangible (though incomplete) step in the right direction

"But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God."
Nehemiah 5:15

[Note: The committee hearing can be viewed here; we'll update the time mark when we're called to testify.]

We're currently sitting in the overflow room for the Senate's hearing on the property tax bill.  There's a big line in front of us to testify.  Unlike the corrupt politicians, government bureaucrats, and taxpayer funded lobbyists, we're here on our own time and dime.  Thus, we have to leave at 6.

We'll discuss our thoughts here and hopefully get to say them to the committee as well.

Senate Bill 2 is a tangible step in the right direction.  It's not everything we'd like to see.  But it's undeniably, and meaningfully, superior to the status quo.

Automatic rollback elections clearly frighten corrupt politicians, government bureaucrats, and taxpayer funded lobbyists.  That's why they oppose automatic rollback elections with such vehemence.  Automatic rollback elections are a new accountability tool for citizens and taxpayers.  Thus, automatic rollback elections should get done.

From a local perspective, Senate Bill 2 would curtail the most abusive practices of the city of Austin.  While the city of Austin imposes myriad challenges, step one is to put those clowns on a tax diet.  A tax diet would force the city of Austin to set priorities in its budget.  If Mayor Adler is against it, it's probably a good bill.

Mayor Adler

That being said, the legislature needs to understand that automatic rollback elections don't lower anybody's tax bill.  Yes, future bad behavior will be curtailed.  Yes, that's good.  But if the legislature doesn't provide net relief, especially during a session where they're shoveling BILLIONS to the educrats, woe unto them with the voters.

Bottom Line: The corrupt politicians, government bureaucrats, and taxpayer funded lobbyists lobbyists hate this bill.  So it must be doing something right.  But this is the beginning of the conversation, not the end.  For it's own sake, we hope the legislature understands this reality.