Fellow Texas Constitutional Conservatives:
In 2010, we worked together to send conservatives to the state legislature. In 2011, the Austin ruling class worked against our conservative legislators and ignored our cries for reform. In 2012, we rose up to fight again and sent a larger contingent of conservatives to the legislature. We sent Ted Cruz to the US Senate. In 2013, the establishment is working overtime to silence the reformers, and they are working harder than ever to hold their fairy tale together. But, fellow Texans, 2014 is coming…
We want you to know that grassroots conservatives from across the state are in the trenches in Austin. We want you to know what we are fighting for, and we ask you to spread the following unified message because 2014 is coming…
We are sending a strong, commonsense, liberty-advancing message in Austin that must apply to all legislation:
1. Stop the “borrow and spend” practices. Why? Today, Texas state government has more debt than the US Postal Service ($16 billion). “Borrow and spend” is just as bad as “tax and spend” because it threatens liberty for future generations. According to the Legislative Budget Board, the amount of state debt outstanding is $40.99 billion, an increase of $22.81 billion, or 125% over the amount of state debt outstanding 10 years ago in fiscal year 2003. Sounds like Washington, DC.
2. Stop digging holes and fill in the ones you’ve already created. Why? On top of the state debt, the Texas Tomorrow Fund has a $644 million hole (parents pay into a fund to secure their child’s college education at today’s prices). The Teachers Retirement System is underfunded, creating a $27 billion hole. Our state government is incurring costs today, without setting aside the money needed to meet tomorrow’s obligations. Sounds like Washington, DC.
3. Stop the diversions. Why? Our legislature uses millions of dollars in taxes and fees created for one purpose and diverts them to another purpose. One big example is the gas tax diverted from road construction to non-road uses. There are too many examples to list! Sounds like Washington, DC.
4. Stop the accounting gimmicks and deferrals to balance the budget. Why? We need truth in budgeting! Since sales tax collections for the 2012-2013 budget exceeded the Comptroller’s revenue projections, the $7.1 billion planned shortfall from last session is being paid from the “surplus” revenue instead of from the Rainy Day Fund; however, our legislature, governor, lt. governor, and house speaker need to stop just balancing the budget on paper and actually practice truth in budgeting. Anything less sounds like Washington, DC!
5. Don’t raid the Rainy Day Fund. Why? The Rainy Day Fund should always maintain a balance large enough to ensure our AAA credit rating AND provide funds to endure a natural disaster or a terrorist attack (made possible with open borders and sanctuary cities) without having to depend on the federal government. Frankly, our elected officials need to prepare for getting less federal dollars since the financial collapse of the federal government may be coming. Texas is no longer a donor state. For the last 8 years, Texas has received more federal dollars than were paid into the federal treasury by taxpayers. Texas is helping to build the federal debt.
This is the history of federal dollars in our state budget for the last 3 biennial periods:
2008 – 2009: federal funds were $55.1 billion or 32% of state budget revenue
2010 – 2011: federal funds were $72.6 billion or 38.7% of state budget revenue
2012—2013: federal funds were $54.7 billion or 31.5% of state budget revenue
If they ignore these facts and do anything less than prepare for tough times ahead, our state officials will be acting like Washington, DC!
6. Stop gazing lovingly at our wallets. According to the Legislative Budget Board, Texas state spending rose 310% between 1990 and 2012, while population growth plus inflation totaled only 132%. This is why we don’t support adding new taxes and fees to fund the core constitutional functions of state government, and we won’t until the legislature actually practices real budget transparency and truth in budgeting. After all, “TEA” stands for Taxed Enough Already! Stop acting like Washington DC, telling us you need new revenue. We the people didn’t make the mess, but we will stand with those of you who work to clean it up.
If you agree – and we hope you do – please circulate this information. “We the People” of Texas must understand that although our state is stronger than most, we can and must do better.
The cracks in the foundation are showing…
Texas is not the Land of Oz…
The fairy tales coming out of Austin must be debunked. That responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the Texas Constitutional Conservative Grassroots. Since we aren’t funded by special interests, we are free to tell it like it is – the pure, unvarnished truth. Why? The elections of 2014 are coming.
