Texas governor: give excess tax money back to people

[Craizie]

And they take this money and buy new football fields while using 10 year old books.

I haven't researched it at all, but I think the the thought process is that they will bring in revenue.

[KBScobravert]

Build our border and force the drugs, gangs, illegals to go to the west to get in. (less crime equals less spending in the future)

Cover the electric bill to clear out the Death Row population. (spend some to save some)

[Broncojohnny]

And they take this money and buy new football fields while using 10 year old books.

It is the Robin Hood plan, excess money is distributed so those evil "rich people" in Southlake can pay their high taxes to educate the illegal aliens in South Texas. Capital dollars are excluded from the plan, so that ten million dollar stadium is paid for by money that would have been shipped off any way.

Just another example of idiotic government waste thanks to plans that are drawn up by politicians and their interns rather than economists.

[jdgregory84]

Give it to Steve so he can pay for Jesus school.

[lowfast]

Instead of "giving back" the excess why not just suspend a common tax for a definded period until the surplus is exhausted.

[DallasSleeper]

$60 Million for 1 high school football stadium...

[KBScobravert]

Instead of "giving back" the excess why not just suspend a common tax for a definded period until the surplus is exhausted.

I agree with this. This way the people paying in will see the "return" and the people that do not contribute will see what they deserve.

[Vertnut]

I agree with this. This way the people paying in will see the "return" and the people that do not contribute will see what they deserve.

The only problem I see is when it's time to reinstate the tax. People will see that as an "increase" and there will be hell to pay.

[lowfast]

$60 Million for 1 high school football stadium...

I grew up in Allen many years ago, it was not a rich community back then but over the past 20 years it has become very wealthy. The High School has basically the best of everything, computers, science labs, even CAD driven CNC manchines. While I beleive an expenditure of $60M on a Football Stadium speaks volumes to what is worng with our society and educational system, it was put to a vote as a stand alone item, and the poeple voted to waste thier tax money on it, their choice. The Football team won state this year BTW, not that I care, but in Texas for many it justifies the stadium cost.

[jdgregory84]

I grew up in Allen many years ago, it was not a rich community back then but over the past 20 years it has become very wealthy. The High School has basically the best of everything, computers, science labs, even CAD driven CNC manchines. While I beleive an expenditure of $60M on a Football Stadium speaks volumes to what is worng with our society and educational system, it was put to a vote as a stand alone item, and the poeple voted to waste thier tax money on it, their choice. The Football team won state this year BTW, not that I care, but in Texas for many it justifies the stadium cost.

You might be surprised how much a decent HS football team brings in as far as revenue for the school. I never realized it until my younger brother played and I helped my dad out with some of the QB club stuff.

[lowfast]

And I would not be surprised at the caliber of students that would come out of the school if that $60M were put in a trust and the investment income used to hire PhD visiting instructors to teach the upper level courses and expand the educational opportunities. I think it is a fallacy in our society to look at things for the short term gain rather than the long term results. If the US (meaning its population, ie PARENTS!) cared about education to the level that the common dope obsesses over college and professional sports the level/productivity/wealth our society could reach would be limitless. Instead we continue to drift into Idiocracy. Sorry to draw the thread off course, back to taxes!

[bcoop]

I'd be ok with some of that being used to revamp education. I'm not talking about paying teachers more money. I'm talking about fixing what is broken. I'm listening to a Psych professor from UT speak about how the learning process in America is so backwards right now, as a matter of fact. I've long held the belief that No Child Left Behind was Bush's biggest mistake as President. It's a complete failure. Standardized testing is bullshit.

[Sean88gt]

$60 Million for 1 high school football stadium...

How much revenue does that provide though? I think it's insane, but it does bring in money for the community/school. I would contend that the residents of Allen are happier with $60 million than Arlington is with ~$1 billion..

[Vertnut]

How much revenue does that provide though? I think it's insane, but it does bring in money for the community/school. I would contend that the residents of Allen are happier with $60 million than Arlington is with ~$1 billion..

Good question. I tried to put a pencil to it once when Midlothian spent $16 million on theirs. If they pack it out for every home game (8500), the gate revenue might be $50k per home game. If there are 6 home games, it's about $300k a season. The nicer stadiums also get the gate money for any play-off games held there. I thought they could generate $400k a season there in Midlothian, under ideal circumstances (best-case-scenario). The boosters keep the concessions, so that doesn't come into play. Even then, it would take 40 years to pay for itself, not including all the maintenance required during that time.

[bcoop]

Good question. I tried to put a pencil to it once when Midlothian spent $16 million on theirs. If they pack it out for every home game (8500), the gate revenue might be $50k per home game. If there are 6 home games, it's about $300k a season. The nicer stadiums also get the gate money for any play-off games held there. I thought they could generate $400k a season there in Midlothian, under ideal circumstances (best-case-scenario). The boosters keep the concessions, so that doesn't come into play. Even then, it would take 40 years to pay for itself, not including all the maintenance required during that time.

Maintenance runs a couple hundred thousand a year, I'm sure.

I'm split on this. I don't agree with these ridiculous stadiums being paid for with taxpayer money, but this is also how I feed my family. I don't recall the numbers exactly, but I put over $150,000 in equipment in the new Allen Stadium. I've got around $2,000,000 in the Death Star. Gotta ride that gravy train.