Duval County Picture (San Diego, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 8, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 19, 1997 Page: 2 of 8
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-- Selected Valentine King and Queen at LsPsImm Healthcare were
t Eraano Garza and Sylvia Serna. Winners of f** facility’s raffle
were Ang|e San Migurf (first prize^QtyptaJfer** («*ow* pfoto
and Helen Gonzalez (third prize).
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Opinion page
Bush bringing evangelical zeal to tax initiative
John Kanbus
Amaaii.lx) Glow News
Gov. George W. Bush brings
an evangelical zeal to pitching his
latest initiative.
What. then, is Brother Bush’s
gospel lesson for the 1997 Texas
Legislature?
It is to provide property tax
relief to millions of Texans. Prop-
erty tax relief is a no-brainer in the
eyes of those who’ve seen the taxes
on their property skyrocket in re-
cent years. The Potter-Randall
County Appraisal District in 19%
increased appraisals in many
neighborhoods as much as 30 per-
cent in just one year, giving tax-
payers a major hit in the wallet.
The alternatives to property
taxes, though, are what have got-
ten much of the attention - and
drawn so many questions.
Bush brought his tax-relief
campaign to Amarillo the other
day and immediately stepped full
force on the toes of some key
supporters - namely doctors, law-
yers and other learned profession-
als.
Bush wants to tax the services
they deliver to Texans. We are
becoming a more serv ice-oriented
economy. Bush said correctly. It
is time to tax those services the
way we tax automobiles, hard-
ware and other necessities.
Bush’s broad-based tax pro-
posal would doa number of things
It would roll back school property
taxes. It would impose a 1.25-
percent ’’business activity” tax. It
would apply the state’s billion-
dollar budget surplus toward a
*’down payment” on tax relief.
This idea of taxing professional
services, however, seems the most
stunning idea of all.
Bush’s belief in the free mar-
ket drives his fervor.
. “If I’m a client of an accoun-
tant who tells me that he intends to
pass, on the cost of a sales tax to
me,” Bush sjpfF in an interview,
“what I’ll do then is put my buii-
ness out to bid and I’ll simply go
with the lowest bidder.”
The message? The average
Texas consumer need not get stuck
with a higher bill for professional
services simply because the state
chooses to broaden its sales tax
base.
The politics of this move are
dicey in one respect. Well-heeled
doctors, lawyers and accountants
comprise a large part of the Texas
Republican Party’s political base.
They give large amounts of money
to Republican candidates _ includ-
ing Bush, who almost certainly
will seek re-election in 1998.
The governor, though, seems
to be in no mood to listen to their
complaints.
“An attorney might say that he
shouldn’t have Jp pay” for the le-
gal advice he dispenses, said Bush.
“I say, ’Why?'”
Bush believes he has a bigger
potential problem on his hands if
he does nothing about property
taxes.
“We don’t want a property tax
revolt in Texas,” said Bush, re-
calling the 1978 revolution in Cali-
fornia called Proposition 13. That
was the initiative that rolled prop-
erty taxes buck to 1 percent of
assessed valuation. It stripped bil-
lions of dollars from the mon-
strous state government in Sacra-
mento. A property tax revolt in
Texas, he said, would be “non-
discriminatory,” meaning that all
government services would have
to be slashed.
Bush, while becoming wise to
the politics of running state gov-
ernment, nevertheless retains
much c4 the aw-shucks idealism
he brought to the very first politi-
cal office he ever held.
“Businesspeople say that a
property tax cut won’t necessarily
help me,” Bush said. Not true, he
replied. “The employees will ben-
efit,” he said. That means a hap-
pier work force. Happiness breeds
productivity, Bush reckons, and
the productivity helps a business
owner’s bottom line.
And the business community
had better be ready for the hard
sell from a governor who appears
set to pound his bully pulpit for as
long as it takes.
Valentine royalty
Letters to
the Editor
Proud of local schools
recognized for TAAS
Dear Editor,
Once again the Texas Education Agency has recognized two school
districts in Duval County as
Primary School is being rr~ _
students that have scored seventy [
have passed the TAAS three years in a row. In the Commended
Schools, the Benavides Jr. High and the Freer ISD Norman Thomas
Elementary received statewide recognition.
Congratulations are in order to both school districts for placing our
local school districts to be recognized as the top schools in the state.
I have also read that the Benavides ISD has received two grants from
the state to establish a computer Internet program at the Jr. High and
high school level.
It’s a great privilege to read that our school districts have been
honored and are making an effort to involve our schools into a high tech
era.
I want to congratulate the students, parents, teachers, administrators
and our trustees for their dedication and strong support for making our
schools the best in the State of Texas.
J. T. Garcia is the Principal of the Primary School in Benavides,
(Distinguished School), Victoriano Leal is principal of the Benavides
Jr. High (Commended School), and Abel Aragon principal of the
Norman M. Thomas Elementary (Commended School) of the Freer
ISD. We are proud of your efforts.
Ernesto Gonzalez
Freer
* r'ritl
turn irtitrg
Wednesday, February 19. 1997 Page 2
Volume 12. No. 8
DUVAL COUNTY PICTURE (ISSN-0894 4989) Is published weekly,
except for the week after Christmas by the Duval Publishing
Company. 307 W. Gravis. San Diego, Texas 78384. Periodical
Postage Paid at San Diego. Texas. POSTWASTER: Send address
changes to Duval County Picture, P. O. Box 351. San Diego, Texas
78384-0351.
Copyright 1996 by the Duval Publishing Company. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any
means without the express permission of the publishers.
Alfredo E. Cardenas..................................p“b**8her
Genie Cardenas.............................-..........- O™*
Monica Cardenas..................................-- Reduction Effitor
Christina Cardenas..............................Production Assistant
Bobbye Welch.............................Advertising Representative
Ada Soulas...........................................................Secretary
Subscription rates are $20 per year for County residents and $25per
year for out of county residents. Ifyouwlsh to subscribe call 279
3313. The base advertising rate is 83 00 per column Inch. Volume
and frequency discounts are available. For more information please
call 279-3313.
If you wish to have news reported call us at 279-3313or come by'our
offices at 307 W. Gravis in San Diego Our office hours are 9 AM to
5:30 PM. Monday through Friday.
1M7
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Cardenas, Alfredo E. Duval County Picture (San Diego, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 8, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 19, 1997, newspaper, February 19, 1997; San Diego, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1005524/m1/2/: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .