AMARILLO, TEXAS -- One Austin lawmaker said he's found a way to help struggling public schools, and it involves a temporary increase in the state sales tax.
State Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, has filed House Bill 1597. It would increase that tax by two cents on the dollar for two years.
Menendez estimates it would raise $6 billion which would be dedicated to public education. The measure is meant to address a bare-bones budget proposal that would give school districts $10 billion less over the next two years.
So we asked you what you thought about a temporary sales tax increase, and it got mixed reviews. "I think it would be a good idea, I know they've been cutting education a lot especially with a lot of states going through their budget crisis, so I think that having it would be a good idea, at least until things are more stable with the economy," said Alicia Love, an Amarillo Resident.
Charles Waller, also and Amarillo resident, said, "I think it's a good thing if it's for two years. They have to get the money from somewhere." But Amarillo resident Thomas Devlin disagrees, he said, "I think it's a horrendous idea. People in Texas are taxed way to much already."
Another Amarillo resident, who chose to withhold her name, said this, "Initially my knee-jerk reaction would be absolutely no. I don't want a sales tax increase, but when you say it's for education, then I'm 100% behind it. But the issue is that the lottery was set up, when it was set up originally, the funds, the extra funds that were garnered from that were supposed to go for education and for increasing the benefits for our teachers and non of that has happened."
State Representative Warren Chisum had this to say about the potential increase in a statement to ProNews7:
"In previous experience the State of Texas demonstrated that controlling costs is a better way to govern than simply raising taxes, as we proved in 2003. I believe this year is the true test that controlling costs in every area of government before yielding to the easy answer of raising more taxes will benefit all Texans, including those in the public school system, in the long term."
