Texas Constitutional Election November 8, 2011 Voter's Guide (with Travis County & Pflugerville)

Yes kiddies, it's election time again. Once again I am putting my notes online in the hopes some of you will agree with me and vote my way. Once again I anticipate the voters in Austin will vote themselves tax hikes for no good reason. We'll see. This time we have TEN amendments to the basic law of Texas (the Constitution) because the legislators don't think they can get away with this stuff on their own, but maybe if they ask you . . .

The ballots are written so you are either FOR a measure or AGAINST it.

Proposed Texas Constitutional Amendments:

PROP. 1, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote FOR Proposition 1
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.

This is a question?

Dear Mrs. Widowofaveteran,

We are ever so sorry to hear about the loss of your recently deceased fully-disabled-veteran husband. Enclosed you will find a tax bill for $6,000 which you will have to pay every year from now on because he died.

Sucks to be you, eh?

Love,

Texas


PROP. 2, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 2!
The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $6 billion at any time outstanding.

Because we don't owe enough money already, and your taxes for stuff you already have is too low? How about, stop spending so much on stuff we shouldn't be doing as a State anyhow, and then use the savings to pay for the projects they want to fund through the water development board.

PROP. 3, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 3 (and not just no!)
The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Texas to finance educational loans to students.

You know why college is so expensive? Because the students can all get loans to pay for it. If everyone can get the money, then the supply of money is unlimited, and the cost skyrockets precisely because everyone can pay. They can already get loans from friends, family, pell grants, and other public and private student loan granting or guaranteeing bodies. This is one more thing Texas doesn't need to spend money doing, AND it will further increase the cost of higher education!


PROP. 4, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 4
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates.

Non-lawyer speak: we want to allow counties to declare your old house on a prime piece of land to be blighted, then they can issue bonds to develop it to get more property tax revenues . . . AND jack up EVERYONE's taxes to pay back the bonds!


PROP. 5, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 5
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into interlocal contracts with other cities or counties without the imposition of a tax or the provision of a sinking fund.

They want to make it easier for cities and counties to incur long-term debt, in the middle of an economic crisis caused by excessive long-term debt. Hello?

PROP. 6, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 6
The constitutional amendment clarifying references to the permanent school fund, allowing the General Land Office to distribute revenue from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund to provide additional funding for public education, and providing for an increase in the market value of the permanent school fund for the purpose of allowing increased distributions from the available school fund.

Unless someone can convince me otherwise, this sounds like a feel-good "Do Something" measure. I am almost ambivalent on this topic, but then I remember that the men of two hundred years ago were generally intellectually superior to modern government-school educated professional politicians, and I say "stick with the old way."

PROP. 7, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 7
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.

Why, exactly, is the State and/or El Paso County in the business of developing recreational facilities? Especially why now, when one of the things crushing our economy is too much tax money being taken for too many non-government-related expenditures?


PROP. 8, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 8
The constitutional amendment providing for the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land devoted to water-stewardship purposes on the basis of its productive capacity.

They want to tax you based on what your land COULD do. IF you can't afford the higher taxes, you might have to lose your land. Then someone else will develop your land and pay the higher taxes. It doesn't matter that your father sweated for 60 years on your land. This sort of proposition is evil. It is couched in terms of "just another option for the landowner" . . . yeah, right.


PROP. 9, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 9
The constitutional amendment authorizing the governor to grant a pardon to a person who successfully completes a term of deferred adjudication community supervision.

To clarify: somebody does something StrongBad enough to be arrested and thrown in prison, but a soft-headed leftist judge gives them deferred adjudication. They keep their nose clean for a little while, and they get their crime pardoned. Then the next time they are arresetd, they are first offenders instead of repeat offenders. You know who doesn't benefit from this in any way? Law-abiding citizens, that's who.


PROP. 10, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Please vote FOR Proposition 10
The constitutional amendment to change the length of the unexpired term that causes the automatic resignation of certain elected county or district officeholders if they become candidates for another office.

The law that this proposition affects was changed by a few days so there is a gap requiring resignation from one office to run for another. THAT law should be changed, maybe, but one month more or less in office is not going to make a huge difference, especially not so much that we should force people to resign for the sake of one month of what could turn out to be a failed run for elected office.

Travis county bond election

PROP. 1, TRAVIS COUNTY BOND
Please vote AGAINST Travis County Bond Proposition #1!
The issuance of $132,840,000 of road bonds, including, without limitation, related road drainage, bike lanes and sidewalks, and replacement and improvement of road bridges, and the levying of the tax in payment thereof.

They want to build bike lanes downtown and tax you for it. Do you use bike lanes in Downtown Austin?


PROP. 2, TRAVIS COUNTY BOND
Please vote AGAINST on Travis County Bond Proposition 2
The issuance of $82,105,000 of bonds for the purposes of constructing and improving county parks and the acquisition of land and interests in land in connection therewith, including, without limitation, the acquisition of open space park land; and acquiring conservation easements on land for any authorized purposes, including, without limitation, to retain or protect natural, scenic, or open-space values of real property or assure its availability for agricultural, recreational, or open-space use, protect natural resources, maintain or enhance air or water quality, or conserve water quantity or quality, and the levying of the tax in payment thereof.

They want to tax YOU $82 MILLION to be able to buy land for parks, and then not develop it. This is not what you want to spend your money on.


City of Pflugerville Charter Amendment Election
Pflugerville is trying to join the 20th century. I say let's go for it. When was the last time you looked at the official notices section of the Official Newspaper?

PROP. 1, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR City of Pflugerville Proposition 1
AMENDING SECTION 3.15 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS: Sec. 3.15(d). Effective date.
Shall the City Charter be amended to require that no ordinance imposing a penalty, fine or forfeiture shall become effective until the caption of the ordinance summarizing the purpose of the ordinance and penalty for violation has been published on the city’s official website or other electronic media that is readily available to the public in lieu of publishing one time in the city’s official newspaper?

PROP. 2, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Plesae vote FOR COP Prop 2. Unless you think office workers need to have access to special appeals processes you don't.
AMENDING SECTION 4.05 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS:Sec. 4.05(d).Personnel Appeal Board.
Shall the City Charter be amended so that only commissioned peace officers that are regular, full time employees or regular, part-time employees of the City (excluding all other City employees, contract employees and any other commissioned peace officers that do not report to the Police Chief) may appeal suspensions, demotions or terminations to the Personnel Appeal Board?

PROP. 3, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 3
AMENDING SECTION 5.01 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS: Sec. 5.01(c). Registered voters list.
Shall the City Charter be amended so that a list of voters registered in the city shall be made available to the public by the Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and the Williamson County Elections Administrator in lieu of the City Secretary?

This appears to be change for the sake of change, so NO.

PROP. 4, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote AGAINST Proposition 4
AMENDING SECTION 5.04 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS:Sec. 5.04. Canvassing.
Shall the Charter be amended to eliminate the requirement that the returns of any municipal election shall be delivered from the Election Judges to the City Secretary and the Mayor not later than twelve hours after the polls are closed?

We use electronic voting machines. There is no excuse for delay. Note that this used to say FOR but that was only because I had typed it up at ohlord-thirty in the morning.

PROP. 5, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR Proposition 5
AMENDING SECTION 7.06 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS: Sec. 7.06(c). Publication of proposed or referred ordinance.
Shall the Charter be amended to require that a copy of any proposed or referred ordinance be published on the city’s official website or other electronic media that is readily available to the public in lieu of publishing one time in the city’s official newspaper and requiring that the caption of the proposed or referred ordinance be posted at City Hall at least fifteen days preceding the election?

PROP. 6, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR Proposition 6
AMENDING SECTION 8.07 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS: Sec. 8.07(d). Texas Open Meetings Act.
Shall the Charter be amended to require that the City conduct all its meetings in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act?


PROP. 7, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR Proposition 7
AMENDING SECTION 9.03 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS: Sec. 9.03(a). Annual Budget. Content.
Shall the Charter be amended to require that except in the event of an emergency under Section 9.04(b), the adopted budget must include an unencumbered general fund balance that is at least sufficient to cover three months of the city’s budgeted general fund operation and maintenance expense

I generally like reserve funds. You never know what might happen. Now, if they start trying to raid the cookie jar we will need to slap their hands, but this might be a good idea for just-in-case cash flow interruptions.

PROP. 8, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR Proposition 8
AMENDING SECTION 9.03 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS: Sec. 9.03(c). Public notice and hearing.
Shall the Charter be amended to require that council post a summary of the proposed budget and a notice stating the times and places where copies of the message and budget are available for inspection by the public and the time and place for a public hearing on the budget in City Hall and publish the same on the city’s official website or other electronic media that is readily available to the public in lieu of publishing one time in the city’s official newspaper?

PROP. 9, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR Proposition 9
AMENDING SECTION 9.04 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS:Sec. 9.04(b). Amendments After Adoption. Emergency appropriations.
Shall the Charter be amended to allow the City Council to suspend the three-month general fund operating reserve requirement in the event of an emergency by resolution and requiring the resolution to reference the emergency and provide a process and timeline for rebuilding the reserve?

PROP. 10, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR Proposition 10
AMENDING SECTION 10.03 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS:Sec. 10.03. Enacting Franchise Ordinances.
Shall the Charter be amended to require that an ordinance granting, renewing, extending, or amending a public utility franchise be published on the city’s official website or other electronic media that is readily available to the public in lieu of publishing one time in the city’s official newspaper?

PROP. 11, CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE
Please vote FOR Proposition 11
AMENDING SECTION 11.02 OF THE CHARTER AS FOLLOWS:Sec. 11.02. Official Newspaper.
Shall the Charter be amended to replace the Official Newspaper with an Official Notice requiring that ordinances, notices and other matters required to be published by this charter, city ordinances, or State constitution or laws shall be published on the city’s official website or other electronic media that is readily available to the public in lieu of publishing one time in the city’s official newspaper?

Global Non-Warming Getting Harder to Deny!

The temperature plot for the last decade is a solid no-change ZERO increase/decrease average. But you don't get research grant money to continue to "study" anthropogenic global warming when the globe is neither warming nor cooling.


Image from WUWT

If you are still on the fence with regard to AGW, here are a few more points to ponder:

• If hurricanes increase in warm times, why were they worse a hundred years ago?
• Do plants contribute less of one greenhouse gas then there is more of the other?
• If the models are wrong, you get new models . . . and the models can't replicate the activity from polar vortices well at all!

Peak Oil: Depends On How You Spin The Numbers

The real story here isn't the story on the Watts Up With That page, it's the comments. The story itself says: zOMG PEAK OIL!!!1!

Then comes the comment section in which people who seem to know what they are talking about point out that the Peak Oil theory is, and has been, bad science.

My take: Peak Oil is a myth and we need not legislate by it...but I also think we should be going nuclear while oil is still easy to get. And for crying out loud recycle the spent fuel!

Dubious Call Pans Out 100%

Today is day #3 for #3. He's got the same tummy whatever's-wrong that a couple of the other children in the church nursery have come down with recently. Lots of #2 from #3's bottom. Early this morning I woke up at the end of a dream and the house stank. #3 at 3 years-old had got himself on the pot and into a clean diaper . . . but neglected the finer points of cleaning himself and the toilet seat, and flushing. But hey, the sheets were poo-free so WIN!

Anyway, this morning I stayed behind when my Darling Wife took the rest of the Zoo to church. I wasn't so sure it was necessary, but at least it keeps him away from the other finger-suckers in his Sunday classroom It's a good thing I did. During their drive to church, he had a little accident involving the necessity of keeping a diaper on him. Then again during the Sunday school hour; he made it safely to the toilet during the church hour. So. I wasn't sure it was necessary but it turns out to have been a good idea.

Today's diet: Bananas, apples, and black tea. Ugh.

Fair Weather Protest Ends in 3..2..

We'll see just how dedicated the college kids really are to demanding more stuff from other people when they get snow dumped on them.

HA
HA
HA

It is going to be a long, cold, wet summer in New York. Enjoy it, losers!

Decoupling Theory Soon To Be Tested.

If you think the American and Chinese economies don't necessarily rise and fall together, or the European and world economies, you will have a rare opportunity: your theory is about to be tested In Real World Conditions. China: headed off the cliff, just in time for the Presidential elections. Europe: Bailout deal 100% ready to rock except for the fundamental portion of the deal is unresolved.

If you think the USA's economies can survive China, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain all crashing at once while France and England are faltering, I can hope with you . . . . but I expect my long-awaited double-dip is going to be nasty. Here's hoping the global food supply holds out. You can't eat a CDS certificate.

After a Year, a Modified Position Statement

A year and change ago, I told you I didn't have a cell phone just like some of the world's richest and most powerful persons don't. Then I got a deal that was too good to pass up: two years of service and a new phone of my choice, free. No strings attached. It's who you know - no, you can not get this deal. So now I have a cellyphone.

The number, it is private. No, you can't have it when I apply for whatever service or licence, and no strangerman you can't have it either. One person calls me regularly, and one other person calls me in cases of exigency. That's about it. I keep the phone turned on most of the time so my Darling Wife can get ahold of me immediately in case of emergency. If I am talking to someone and my pocket rings, I press the "mute" button on the phone and keep talking. Ditto for during meetings. I do not check my cell phone voice mail, ever.

If you were on the "A" list, you would know how to get hold of me at your convenience.

My mobile is for my convenience; not yours.

********

Today at work, one of the young guns had a cellular telephone that would not turn on. It was treated with exactly the same degree of hand-wringing zOMG action as if something bad were happening and he couldn't get calls about it . . . but the only problem was temporary loss of THAT phone, in a building full of other phones all over the place. You will please excuse my total lack of sympathy.

Good News From Europe!

They have come to an agreement! They will continue to dig the hole deeper, and hope nobody notices until the next round of elections. Hopefully something good will happen by then!

1. IF the problem is too much deficit spending (and it is)
2. AND the solution proposed is MORE deficit spending (and it is)
3. THEN the solution cannot possibly save the economy of Europe.

They are pushing closer and closer to being left with only 2 easily-made choices: Break up the Euro zone, or devolve into tyranny in an attempt to keep it together. This, by the way, because it is "politically incorrect" to allow investors in bad investments to take their medicine.

Nothing to See Here

Mish picked up the story. Perhaps it will grow some legs after all:

Previously, if you submitted a Freedom of Information Act Request "they" didn't want to answer, you would get a legalese mumbo-jumbo response about what law they were following when not giving you your information (e.g., national security prevents release). A new rule has been proposed to codify what had been a dirty-little-secret method of turning down the occasional really obnoxious request:

If they don't want to release documents under a FOIA request, under the proposed rule they could just lie and say it doesn't exist. This, of course, comes under the freedom-loving President Obama who promised to have the most open and honest and ethical and horseshitty administration ever. Oh, wait . . .

Quote of the Day 10/31/2011

We had some guests over tonight. The babies were sleeping and it was past "call the cops on the noisy neighbors" hour, so we sent two Zoos worth of children from the backyard into a bedroom to watch a movei. Out comes #1 and says:

"Hey Dad, do you know where the first aid kit is?"

A brief discussion was followed by another of the children, this one a boy, who ended up going back into the room fully justified in his belief that he was fine, no band-aids needed.