The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 111, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 23, 2001 Page: 4 of 30
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Boerne Star and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Patrick Heath Public Library.
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Page 4
The Boerne Star
Tuesday, January 23, 2001
1 eWp oinlt
Senator wants to
Texas senators' backgrounds are as
hear from fellow
Texans on issues
"If you want to be listened to,
you have to put in some time lis-
tening."
- Marge Piercy
There are nearly 20 million
Texans, which makes it a little
difficult for me to listen to all of
you and learn what's on your
minds. So I hope you will take
the time to clip our annual survey,
fill it out and mail it back to me
with your opinions. I appreciate
your local newspaper's generosity
in publishing this questionnaire
for me each year.
Last year's results proved once
again that Texans are a source of
common-sense solutions to some
of our country's most difficult
challenges. I always look forward
to reading your responses.
PART ONE OF
QUESTIONNAIRE
1) Last year, Congress passed an
ambitious tax relief plan that
President Clinton vetoed. That
legislation did away with the mar-
riage tax penalty, repealed the
death tax and cut rates across the
board. It would have made it eas-
ier for working families to save all
they need for their retirement
years. I remain committed to sub-
stantive tax reform, with the mar-
riage tax penalty leading my list
of priorities. I also support the
across-the-board tax-relief pro-
posal President-elect Bush has
proposed.
What are your tax-cut priorities?
IN THE
U.S.
SENATE
Kay Bailey
Hutchison
sources? What are your energy
priorities?
More offshore drilling
Open up federal land in Alaska
for drilling
Tax provisions to encourage
marginal drilling
Other_______________________
3) If our economy continues on
its current track, the federal gov-
ernment will enjoy a budget sur-
plus again this year. How would
you use that surplus? Would you
cut taxes, reduce the national
debt, increase government spend-
ing, or a combination thereof?
Cut taxes
Reduce national debt more
quickly
Increase spending for defense
Use part of the surplus for
Social Security reform___
Other_______________________
varied as their respective districts
For the next 140 days in Austin,
lawmakers also will be news makers
as the media reports on members of
the Texas Legislature who are debat-
ing and passing bills that will shape
Texas' future.
To better understand some of the
people who are making laws that
will affect Texans' lives, here are a
few facts about the 16 Republican
and 15 Democrat senators of the
77th Legislature.
The senators who represent the
state's 31 separate geographical dis-
tricts have an average of 11 years of
legislative experience and range in
age from 37 to 65. Our average age
is 53. Senator Carlos Truan, the
oldest, has been a legislator for 32
years. This year we have only one
freshman, Senator Todd Staples,
who also is the Senate's youngest
member.
Our professions and occupations
are as varied as the districts we rep-
resent. Although with 10 attorneys
IN THE
TEXAS
SENATE
Sen. Jeff Wentworth
DISTRICT 25
in the Senate, law is the predomi-
nant profession, my colleagues also
are in real estate, insurance, sales,
oil and gas, accounting, advertising,
public relations and communica-
tions. Educators, a pharmacist and
engineers also serve in the Senate.
Four senators are women: Senators
Jane Nelson and Florence Shapiro
are Republicans, while Senators
Judith Zaffirini and Leticia Van de
Putte are Democrats.
Five senators are former school
teachers, and Senators Zaffirini,
Frank Madla and Tom Haywood
taught at the university level.
Senators Haywood and Zaffirini
hold doctorate degrees.
Senators Jon Lindsay, Bill Ratliff,
Steve Ogden and I are the only sen-
ators who are military veterans.
Senator Ogden is a graduate of the
U.S. Naval Academy who served
three of his nine years in the service
aboard a nuclear submarine.
I served as a counterintelligence
officer in the U.S. Army after gradu-
ating from Texas A&M University.
Although it is a little hard for me to
admit, seven of my colleagues
attended The University of Texas,
which is more than any other institu-
tion of higher learning.
A list of members' religious affili-
ation includes 11 Methodists, nine
Roman Catholics, four Baptists,
three Episcopalians, two
Protestants, one Christian Scientist,
and one who is Jewish.
When Texans adopted the
Constitution of 1876, which has
lasted 125 years, a majority were
engaged in agriculture.
Today, only one senator, Teel
Bivins, lists his occupation as ranch-
er.
This dramatic change reflects the
state's urbanization. Although five
senators live in towns with popula-
tions of less than 50,000, only two,
Senator Troy Fraser of Marble Falls
and Senator Ratliff of Mount
Pleasant, live in counties with popu-
lations of less than 50,000.
Many rural residents fear that this
population shift will result in their
concerns not receiving adequate
consideration by the Legislature.
Senators who represent both rural
and urban areas, such as those in
Senate District 25, work to balance
the needs of their diverse constituen-
cy, just as we make every effort to
put aside our partisan political dif-
ferences in the Senate and work
together in the spirit of bipartisan-
ship for the good of all Texans.
+
Marriage tax penalty
Death tax relief
Across-the-board tax relief
Other___________________
2) Texans, like other Americans,
are paying substantially higher
prices for the fuel they use. What
some people don't realize is that
the United States is becoming
overly dependent on foreign
sources of energy. For example,
we now import more than half of
the oil we consume. Imported oil
now accounts for one-third of our
entire trade deficit.
President-elect Bush has sug-
gested that we allow offshore
drilling and open up federal land
in Alaska and the Rocky
Mountains to new oil and gas pro-
duction. This has the potential to
greatly increase our domestically
produced energy. Would you sup-
port this expanded production,
with appropriate environmental
controls, in order to reduce our
dependence on imported energy
4) Congress has produced a bal-
anced budget and cut federal
spending sharply in many areas.
But much work remains to be
done. In what areas do you
believe federal spending could
be cut even more?
Additional comments:
This survey will continue next
week. I look forward to hearing
from you. Please send your
responses to:
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
SURVEY
284 Russell Senate Office
Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Write us a letter ...
The Boerne Star welcomes letters on any public issue. Letters may be mailed,
faxed, e-mailed or hand-delivered but must contain the writer’s name, address
and phone number. Addresses and telephone numbers are for verification pur-
poses only and will not be published. Names and city of residence will be pub-
lished. We reserve the right to edit all letters for style and content. Call 249-2441
with questions regarding the submission of letters to the editor for publication.
The Boerne Star
Managing Editor
Staff Writer
Sports Editor
Typesetter
EDITORIAL
EDITOR / PUBLISHER
Edna Keasling
Mark Thompson Director
Joni Simon Account Executive
Nick Taylor Classified
Molly Meckel Classified
ADVERTISING
Composing
Subscriptions
Subscriptions
Delivery
PRODUCTION
Yvonne Sillence
CIRCULATION
Elaine Provenzano
Dana Smith
Jennifer King
Suzi Morgan
Diana Busheme
Dana Smith
Elaine Provenzano
Receptionist
Receptionist
Office Manager
FRONT DESK
Elaine Provenzano
Dana Smith
BOOKKEEPING
Maria Huerta
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Mary Alice Yelverton, Vera D’Spain, Regina Alexander, Dr. John P Kelly, Louise Foster, Tom Lanier, Peary
Perry, John Powell,The Doctor, Marlin Marcum, Jan Wrede
T:
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
MEMBER OF Texas Press Association,
National Newspaper Association,
South Texas Press Association, Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
282 N. MAIN • (UPS 059-740)
P.O. Box 820 • 830-249-2441 FAX 830-249-4607
THE BOERNE STAR is published twice weekly for $28 per year in Kendall County, $35 elsewhere in
Texas and $50 per year outside of Texas by The Boerne Star, 282 N. Main, Boerne, Kendall County, TX.
78006. Periodical postage paid at Boerne, TX. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to THE
BOERNE STAR, P.O. Box 820. Boerne, Texas 78006-0820.
The Boerne Star welcomes letters on any public issue. Letters may be mailed, faxed, e-
mailed or hand-delivered but must contain the writer’s name, address and phone number.
Letters should not exceed 300 words. Addresses and telephone numbers are for verification
purposes only and will not be published. Names and city of residence will be published. We
reserve the right to edit all letters for style and content. Call 249-2441 with questions.
When can I pay taxes?
Q. You recently answered a question about
some people having to pay federal taxes on the
Social Security benefits they receive.
Well, I'm one of them, and I would like to
know if I can pay the tax during the year instead
of at the time I file my tax return?
A. Yes, you can now have your taxes withheld
from your Social Security payments automati-
cally. Over 62,000 people have signed up for
this convenient service offered jointly by Social
Security and the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS).
To take advantage of automatic withholding,
complete IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary
Withholding Request.
Then, select the percentage of your monthly
benefit you want withheld- either 7, 15, 28 or 31
percent. After you've made your selection, sign
and return the form to your local Social Security
office either by mail or in person. Each time
you want to change or stop a withholding, com-
plete a new W-4V and send it directly to Social
Security.
To get a Voluntary Withholding Request, Form
W4V, call IRS toll free at 1-800-829-3676. Your
local Social Security office does not have these
forms. However, the forms are available on the
Internet at www.ssa.gov.
Keep in mind, automatic withholdings are
totally voluntary. If you prefer, you can contin-
ue paying taxes quarterly or when filing your
federal income tax return, without making any
changes.
Q. Does everyone listed on a federal income
tax return need to have a Social Security num-
ber?
GUEST
COLUMN
Oscar Garcia
SOCIAL SECURITY
Security card. If it doesn't, tell your employer
immediately.
Q. I took some bad advice when I turned 65,
and I did not sign up for Part B of Medicare. I
understand this is the time for late enrollment.
Can you explain?
Bemrororreorr A. If you are eligible for Medicare medical
insurance (Part B) but haven't signed up, you
can do so now during the annual "General
A. Yes. Every dependent shown on a tax Enrollment Period" for Medicare, from January
return must have a Social Security number 1 until March 31.
(SSN). If the individual does not qualify for an Beneficiaries with Medicare hospital insur-
SSN, they can request an Individual Tax ance ^part A) who originally decided not to sign
Identification Number from the IRS. up for Medicare insurance when they first
By now, most people have received their Form became eligible for Medicare but have changed
1040 from the IRS. If you're due a refund, you their minds can take advantage of this three-
will want to make sure you receive it promptly, month period.
You can avoid delays by verifying that all names Those who had medical insurance at one time
and Social Security numbers are recorded cor but dropped out may now enroll again,
rectly on your tax return. When processing tax Medicare medical insurance helps pay for doc-
returns, IRS checks all names and Social tor's visits, out-patient hospital treatment and
Security numbers for accuracy. other medical services and supplies not covered
In the past, IRS matched the names and num- by Medicare hospital insurance (Part A).
bers of taxpayers and their spouses. Now, the The cost of the medical insurance premium is
names and numbers of all dependents, including $50 a month in 2001.
newborns, listed on the tax return are checked. However, beneficiaries who sign up now
When IRS discovers an incorrect Social instead of when they were originally eligible
Security number on your tax return, they will may have an additional 10 percent added to their
send you a letter explaining the discrepancy. •. , - .
You must fix the problem by giving IRS the cor- premium for each year they could have enrolled
rect Social Security number before you can get in Part B but didnt. If you sign up at any time
a tax refund. If you don't already have a number during the general enrollment period, your cov-
or if you need one for a dependent, call or visit erage will begin July 1, 2001.
a Social Security office. If you are interested in enrolling in Medicare,
In addition, check the Social Security number call Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800-
and name on your W-2 statement and pay stubs 772-1213, or contact your local Social Security
to make sure it matches the one on your Social office.
Revenue estimate shows tight state budget
AUSTIN-If you’re a state employ-
ee hoping for a sizable pay raise,
don’t go out and order that new bass
boat just yet.
For that matter, anyone with a
stake in state spending - highway
contractors to heads of state agen-
cies-needs to wait until the prover-
bial chickens hatch.
The 2002-2003 biennial revenue
estimate released last week by the
Comptroller shows the state budget
is going to be even tighter than
expected.
Texas should collect $106.8 billion
in revenue from all sources during
the biennium and other million dol-
lar tidbits should raise the total kitty
to about $109 billion.
But of that amount, more than 40
percent is already dedicated for
major items like schools, highways
and various federal programs. After
STATE
CAPITAL
HIGHLIGI
Mike Cox
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
that, the available portion of the pie
just gets smaller and smaller.
The difference between what is
available and what needs to be spent
to support existing state programs is
$1 billion. That seems like a lot until
$700 million in unexpected costs is
subtracted.
Bottom line, at least the bottom
line at this early stage of the legisla-
tive session, is only $300 million left
for new programs.
Those new programs would be
anything any agency has asked for
above the last budget, such as pay
raises for state workers, additional
employees, construction, whatever.
THE ECONOMIC PICTURE
Lost in the news coverage of the
overall revenue picture was another
element of the Comptroller’s
report-the 2002-2003 state econom-
ic outlook.
The report declared Texas’ econo-
mY "by general measures healthy"
but said the economy has slowed
"consistent with recent national
trends."
Texas’ gross state product (GSP)
will drop from a 6 percent annual
growth rate to 5 percent this year
and 4 percent during the 2002-03
biennium. In other words, Texas will
be enjoying less of more. The econ-
omy still will be growing, just not as
fast.
Of course, if government econom-
ic analysts were right all the time,
they should be making millions in
the stock market, not working for
the state.
The report does note that at least
three things could have an adverse
affect on Texas’ economy in 2002-
2003: High oil prices (with a nega-
tive impact on the transportation
industry and the general public);
weakness in the European commu-
nity’s euro; and any miscalculation
by the Federal Reserve in its tweak-
ing of interest rates.
While these are potential prob-
lems, the report concluded, "the
probability of any of them seriously
impairing state economic growth
over the next three fiscal years
remains fairly low."
WRITE ’EM!
KENDALL COUNTY
JUDGE BILL GOODEN
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
Commissioners
JOHN KIGHT
L.M. HOLMAN
DARRELL LUX
DUANE DUBOSE
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
BOERNE ISD
School Superintendent
JOHN KELLY
123 W. Johns Rd.
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-5000
COMFORT ISD
School Superintendent
MARLIN MARCUM
232 High
Comfort, Texas 78013
995-3664
CITY OF BOERNE
MAYOR PATRICK HEATH
402 E. Blanco
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9511
STATE REP
HARVEY HILDERBRAN
District 53
125 Lehmann Dr.
Kerrville, Texas 78028
(830) 257-2333
STATE SENATOR
JEFF WENTWORTH
District 25
1250 N.E. Loop 410 St. 720
San Antonio, Tx 78209
(210) 826-7800
U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE
LAMAR SMITH
District 21
2231 Sam Rayburn Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 225-4236
Smith - Locally
1006 Junction Hwy.
Kerrville, Texas 78028
(830) 895-1414
1100 N.E. Loop 410,
Suite 640
San Antonio, Texas
78209
(210) 821-5024
U.S. SENATOR
PHIL GRAMM
Russell Building Rm. 179
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2934
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
703 Hart Senate Office
Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5922
GOVERNOR
RICK PERRY
State Capital
Room 200
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 463-2000
GEORGE W. BUSH
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.
20000
BOERNE
CITY COUNCIL
7:30 p.m.
second and fourth
Tuesday of the month,
City Hall
402 E. Blanco
KENDALL COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
9 a.m.
second and fourth
Monday of the month,
Kendall County
Courthouse,
204 E. San Antonio
Worth Quoting ...
“If a man does his best, what else
is there”
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
Bible Verse ...
“Here I am! I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears my voice
and opens the door, I will come in
and eat with him, and he with me”
— Revelation 3-20
New International Version
)
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Keasling, Edna. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 111, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 23, 2001, newspaper, January 23, 2001; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1694152/m1/4/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.