Three bonds that amount to a $1.2 billion mystery tax will go on the November ballot in Harris County. In a special Harris County Commissioner’s Court meeting on Thursday 8/18/22, three Democrats voted for the bonds in another carefully orchestrated meeting. They did not:
Make the bond language public before (or after) the meeting.
Release even a partial list of projects that the money will go towards.
Address how the bond will be promoted or who will promote it.
Discuss the lopsided distribution of funds ($160 million more for each Democratic precinct).
Define how phrases such as, “worst first” will be defined.
Allow Republican commissioners to ask questions.
Explain why they wanted another bond when approximately half a billion dollars remains from the last one in 2015.hen approximately half a billion dollars remains from the last one in 2015.
After Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia made three motions to approve three separate bonds, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis seconded them. County Judge Lina Hidalgo extolled their benefits and called members of the public who spoke against the bonds liars.
In a carefully stage-managed meeting, Hidalgo insisted the bonds would not raise taxes, but once again blurred the distinction between tax rates and tax bills. Budget Manager Daniel Ramos repeatedly said property valuations were going up.
Hidalgo has consistently avoided that discussion.
Despite attempts by Republican Commissioners Tom Ramsey and Jack Cagle to ask questions, the Democrats used their majority to invoke a parliamentary procedure known as “calling the question.” Calling the question stops debate (which never started in this case) and calls for an immediate vote on a proposal. The three Democrats voted YES to call the question. The two Republicans voted NO.
Hidalgo then called an immediate vote on the three bond proposals. Each passed 3-2. Hidalgo adjourned the meeting
Read further about the bond inititiative program from Bob Rehak: REDUCE FLOODING
If this doesn’t make you upset. I would suggest taking into consideration the way the Democrats have been using your tax-paying dollars over the past two years:
$50 million to plant trees to “combat crime”
$48 million on a childcare slots program
$7 million on immigration legal services
$100s of millions to “rental assistance” which somehow isn’t reaching the people it should.
$35 million to the Coalition for the Homeless, in which Commissioner Rodney Ellis’s wifes business partner sits on the board of.
$17 million for a 6-month COVID 19 division.
$17 million on a makeshift COVID hospital which never saw a patient.
$13 million to Boston Consulting Group which has yielded no results.
They will be and are tying these funds to increasing bike lanes/reducing vehicle traffic all over town. Areas such as the 11th street corridor in the heights will be reduced to 2 lanes from 4, based on cherry picked and inadequate data. The results will be heavy handed and poorly implemented, and second order effects will yield more dangerous side streets.
New Yorker Joe Cutrufo is heading the effort down here in Houston, I guess in some effort to make this city "more bike friendly" on paper.
They will be and are tying these funds to increasing bike lanes/reducing vehicle traffic all over town. Areas such as the 11th street corridor in the heights will be reduced to 2 lanes from 4, based on cherry picked and inadequate data. The results will be heavy handed and poorly implemented, and second order effects will yield more dangerous side streets.
New Yorker Joe Cutrufo is heading the effort down here in Houston, I guess in some effort to make this city "more bike friendly" on paper.
Sad. Raising taxes used to be the 3rd rail of politics that would get you voted out of office in Harris Co.
Absolutely disgusting how blatant they are in their corruption!
BOND is an acronym for Bunk On No-good Democrats.