Houston Democrats

Here's some choice excerpts from her artilce:

Look at it this way: At least we can hunt inside city limits now. My personal fave was the day they voted themselves a huge retirement pension and the next day cut retirement benefits for the teachers. Classy move, boys. Retiring solons will now get $36,000 a year after 12 years in the Lege. The job pays $7,200 a year and requires 140 days of work once every other year. Welcome to a Republican-dominated state.

Can someone explain what people are going to be hunting for within the city limits? I'm sorry but I can't think of any herds that roam through that one can hunt. I guess there are some at the Houston Zoo, but I thought those were just for looking at.

Regarding the retirement plan for legislators, it's clear they have personal gain top on the list. So there isn't money for public education and students, none for increasing teacher pay or their retirement benefits, but there is plenty for legislators who retire after serving 12 years in the Legislature. I mean these aren't poor people. My illustrious State Representative Debbie Riddle (District 150) is a proud, self-proclaimed horse breeder from Tomball. She even lists it as her profession outside the legislature. Her husband has a law firm on FM 1960 and has a position the Harris County Republican Party. I'm sorry, but anyone who raises horses for a living is not hurting for money. I would support raising the salary of state legislators to a more respectable sum, if being a representative was their sole full-time obligation. Right now legislators can run businesses on the side, while they represent their districts.

In order to lower property taxes, you have to raise them on something else. So of course the House decided to tax ordinary people, instead of taxing big corporations. Not for nothing is the House gallery, where the business lobbyists sit, known as "the Owner's Box."

I would like to know from Republicans why they put up with this kind of stuff from their representatives. Do you just like regressive taxes, or just like giving your hard earned money away? Do you like the fact that someone making a working class salary pays a greater share in taxes as someone making several hundreds of thousands of dollars or more? Of course one has a freedom of choice (at least on who to vote for), to vote for harmful regressive taxes or for someone else who supports a progressive tax system. I don't think the choice is that hard.

I think Molly Ivins has it right here:

You know, it's one thing for Republicans to run year after year railing against government. But once you win, you got to run it, people.

It just amazes me how Republicans always portray the government as being bad. They constantly attack it, saying it needs to be cut back and limited. However, Republicans never seem to be able to accomplish much when they are in power. Republicans have a clear majority and supposedly a "clear image" of what the people want. At this point, Republicans are essentially the government, so their constant railing against it seems like a major conflict of interest, but I guess that's nothing new for them either.

Of course it's not all bad news from the legislature, and that not every legislator is bad or corrupt, but it's time for some serious reform up in Austin. However, it's going to take some realization on the part of the people to vote for a positive change.