L-R: HTA President Bob Martin, Bob Martin is interviewed by KSAT-12 Photographer, Mayoral candidate Patrick McCurdy, news conference at Bexar Appraisal District office, Express-News Reporter Laura Jesse, Express-News Photographer, KSAT -12 Photographer, signs, Mayoral candidate Rhett Smith, crowd with signA number of irate taxpayers congregated at the Bexar Appraisal District Headquarters, 411 North Frio, Sunday, March 18th to stage a rally and news conference stating their opposition to the May 12th bond package.
HTA President Bob Martin told those assembled that the P.A.C. supporting the City was raising nearly half a million dollars just to promote the bond issue.
Two Mayoral candidates were part of the protest. Candidates Patrick McCurdy & Rhett Smith were on hand to voice their opposition to the bond proposal.
Press Conference Text:(Bob Martin)
This May 12th, we will vote on the largest bond issues in San Antonio history.
The no-tax-increase claim by bond proponents simply defies common sense. To pay for the bonds plus interest will require billions in new property taxes.
Homeowners on the tax end of “tax & spend” have an absolute right to know exactly how much the bonds will cost them. We are outraged taxing authorities decided to hide this information.
The great magician Houdini would be proud of Northeast Districts attempt to make bond taxes disappear. Their $498 million bond will cost the average homeowner about $220 per year.
They claim no-tax-increase by simply offsetting this huge tax hike with future tax cuts proposed by the Legislature. Now you see it now you don’t!
Neither City nor Northside District officials responded to our open records request for the tax impact of their bonds on homeowners. As a result, unsuspecting taxpayers paying both city and district taxes should be very concerned about tax increases.
Our local taxes and debt are clearly out of control. The Independent Budget Office found San Antonio the fourth highest taxed city in the entire nation.
Austin based Americans for Prosperity found “growth in the amount of local government debt increased by 576% from 1980 to 2004, more than three times the rate of income.”
It’s time to fight back!
Vote No Bonds!
The no-tax-increase claim by bond proponents simply defies common sense. To pay for the bonds plus interest will require billions in new property taxes.
Homeowners on the tax end of “tax & spend” have an absolute right to know exactly how much the bonds will cost them. We are outraged taxing authorities decided to hide this information.
The great magician Houdini would be proud of Northeast Districts attempt to make bond taxes disappear. Their $498 million bond will cost the average homeowner about $220 per year.
They claim no-tax-increase by simply offsetting this huge tax hike with future tax cuts proposed by the Legislature. Now you see it now you don’t!
Neither City nor Northside District officials responded to our open records request for the tax impact of their bonds on homeowners. As a result, unsuspecting taxpayers paying both city and district taxes should be very concerned about tax increases.
Our local taxes and debt are clearly out of control. The Independent Budget Office found San Antonio the fourth highest taxed city in the entire nation.
Austin based Americans for Prosperity found “growth in the amount of local government debt increased by 576% from 1980 to 2004, more than three times the rate of income.”
It’s time to fight back!
Vote No Bonds!
The current city budget of approximately 50 million per year is not enough to maintain our agin infrastructure. Currently, owning a pickup or such is almost required to drive on some roads, many streets lack sidewalks for pedestrians and bicycle lanes are only being built on new roads.
ReplyDeleteIt's always easy to "cry wolf" anytime you see something that doesn't make sense or you don't understand, but when it comes down to it this bond is needed to provide basic services to its citizens.
Everyone knows that all types of government (city, county, federal) waste money... but now one's been able to fix that yet.
I think you have one of 3 options:
1) Don't vote.
2) Vote for the bond and bringing our basic infrastructure up to working standards.
3) Vote no and be content with potholes and cracked roads, decrepit or non-existent sidewalks, no bicycle lanes, and failing drains.
Personally, I'll vote for the bond so my family can have sidewalks to walk on and risk the possibility of a future tax increase. It's not like the taxes will never go up anyway.