Early Voting Starts Today on Texas Constitutional Amendments
Early Voting begins today for the Nov. 3rd Election on Constitutional Amendments.
Please research these Amendments for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
The following provides information on the wording, intent and pros and cons of each amendment:
http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/pubsconamend/analyses09/analyses09.pdf
How I Voted (I already voted early):
College Station – Red Light Cameras: Yes (Remove them)
Amend #1 - NO
Amend #2 - YES
Amend #3 - NO
Amend #4 - NO
Amend #5 - YES
Amend #6 - YES
Amend #7 - YES
Amend #8 - YES
Amend #9 - NO
Amend #10 -NO
Amend #11 – YES
College Station (Red Light Camera) – YES (In favor of removing the cameras.) I have grave reservations about using technology to indict Americans Constitutionally entitled to face their accusers. I also have grave reservations about the financing schemes and incentives that fund these projects. Get rid of the RLCs and spend the money to actually enforce those intersections. If we are going to keep them, make each intersection that has a RLC a full five-second Yellow. (Actually being safety-minded with a full five-second Yellow decreases the RLC ticketing to a point where it’s not profitable. The RLCs are all about safety, but you can’t be TOO safe with them, or they won’t make enough money.) For the record, I’ve never received a RLC citation.
Amendment No. 1 (H.J.R. 132)
Authorizing the financing, including through tax increment financing, of the acquisition by municipalities and counties of buffer areas or open spaces adjacent to a military installation for the prevention of encroachment or for the construction of roadways, utilities, or other infrastructure to protect or promote the mission of the military installation.
NO – I am generally against authorizing gov’t debt and specifically against the idea of governments taking large areas of land out of use. I believe that free individuals will make better use and decisions regarding these areas than central planners.
Amendment No. 2 (H.J.R. 36, Article 1)
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property’s value as a residence homestead.
YES – Restricting tax increases. This limits jurisdictions from deciding that your home is worth more than just your home, and taxing the value of your property accordingly.
Amendment No. 3 (H.J.R. 36, Article 3)
The constitutional amendment providing for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for ad valorem tax purposes.
NO - This Amendment would standardize procedures for appraising properties. I believe that the more local government is to you, the more your input and values go into the decision-making process. The effect of this amendment is to move decision making from your local government to a State standard. I disagree. I favor moving decisions closer to you and not further removing them from you.
Amendment No. 4 (H.J.R. 14, Article 2)
The constitutional amendment establishing the national research university fund to enable emerging research universities in this state to achieve national prominence as major research universities and transferring the balance of the higher education fund to the national research university fund.
NO – First, the idea creates another State bureaucracy and authorizes it to receive and spend YOUR tax dollars. It’s also anti-competitive. The marketplace of ideas should influence where research dollars go, not central planners in Austin. More important locally, the goals of this Amendment directly competes with Texas A&M for those same research dollars. The result would be to unfairly penalize Texas A&M for its past and present success.
Amendment No. 5 (H.J.R. 36, Article 2)
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to authorize a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities that elect to provide for consolidated equalizations.
YES – Serving on a review board requires willingness and expertise. In rural areas, there sometimes aren’t enough qualified candidates to serve. This Amendment allows rural areas to voluntarily combine efforts in order to achieve an effective quorum of expertise. It’s permits, but does not require, such efforts.
Amendment No. 6 (H.J.R. 116)
The constitutional amendment authorizing the Veterans’ Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized.
YES - Allows for renewal of current debt levels without having to keep coming back for approval every four years. Higher debt levels would continue to require approval. Texas has always allowed this benefit for Veterans. This just streamlines the process.
Amendment No. 7 (H.J.R. 127)
The constitutional amendment to allow an officer or enlisted member of the Texas State Guard or other state militia or military force to hold other civil offices.
YES - Our military volunteers should not be penalized for their service.
Amendment No. 8 (H.J.R. 7)
The constitutional amendment authorizing the state to contribute money, property, and other resources for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of veterans hospitals in this state.
YES – I believe that our veterans should be able to go to the local hospital and doctor of THEIR choice. That said, our veterans deserve our best care and I actively support efforts to improve upon that care.
Amendment No. 9 (H.J.R. 102)
The constitutional amendment to protect the right of the public, individually and collectively, to access and use the public beaches bordering the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico.
NO – this would empower the State to require that property owners remove their buildings from lands that shifted – as a result of Hurricane Ike – to now be too close to the beach. While I respect the free right of citizens to access the beach, I also respect the rights of property owners. More reasonable accommodations should be made for beach access than forcing property owners off their land.
Amendment No. 10 (H.J.R. 85)
The constitutional amendment to provide that elected members of the governing boards of emergency services districts may serve terms not to exceed four years.
NO – Elections should remain every 2 yrs. Serving on an emergency services board should be non-partisan and based upon expertise. If that is the case, being subject to re-election every 2 yrs is not an onerous burden. If, however, somebody needs to be removed from office, closer elections cycles allow more opportunities for the People to speak.
Amendment No. 11 (H.J.R. 14, Article 1)
The constitutional amendment to prohibit the taking, damaging, or destroying of private property for public use unless the action is for the ownership, use, and enjoyment of the property by the State, a political subdivision of the State, the public at large, or entities granted the power of eminent domain under law or for the elimination of urban blight on a particular parcel of property, but not for certain economic development or enhancement of tax revenue purposes, and to limit the legislature’s authority to grant the power of eminent domain to an entity.
YES - This Amendment would prohibit the use of eminent domain for the purpose of economic development or tax base enhancement. Eminent domain was only supposed to be used for rare purposes. The more rare, the better. This Amendment restricts the use of eminent domain.
See you at the polls!
Timothy
