Media Endorsement in the Texas GOP Governors’ Race
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Austin American-Statesman is (unintentionally) doing its part to re-elect Texas Governor Rick Perry. Today the Statesman Editorial Board endorsed Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
From the endorsement:
“No, Hutchison is not the flashiest politician in the race, but she is nonetheless the best choice in the Republican primary. While incumbent Gov. Rick Perry has to stretch the facts about his unprecedented nine years as governor, the sad fact is that he has little to show for that long tenure. Even sadder is that the governor is turning into a caricature in order to please a rowdy constituency that feeds on secessionist fantasies and fairy tales about tax cuts.”
I wonder how Senator Hutchison feels about “fairy tales about tax cuts”? Either way, with friends like this, she doesn’t need enemies.
— DRJ
Kay Bailey Hutchison is the Carole Keeton Strayhorn of 2010. Rick Perry is as good as re-elected. Game over.
Mike LaRoche (5540d3) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:38 pmKays trailing by almost 20 now in latest polls
saw some internals that showed rick at 50+ and her and medina splitting the rest
not good and she’s out of money
EricPWJohnson (27b854) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:42 pmI think Kay judged her prospects very poorly. It speaks to how out of touch you get as a Team R senator. It happens to all of them.
happyfeet (713679) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:43 pmHas any statewide incumbent whose 15 points behind their incumbent – before they entered the race – ever come back without a major scandel or slipup?
EricPWJohnson (27b854) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:44 pmI heart secessionist fantasies.
happyfeet (713679) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:45 pm“…a rowdy constituency that feeds on secessionist fantasies and fairy tales about tax cuts.”
Right there you have a summary of what the pseudo-Texan liberal elitists who dominate The Austin-American Statesman, Texas Monthly, and other mainstream media organs around the state think of the majority of those who live here. Arrogant, carpetbagging bastards, the lot of them.
Mike LaRoche (5540d3) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:47 pmThose are the things I like about Texas, Mike. We’re rowdy, willing to consider secession (if pushed far enough), and hate unnecessary taxes.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:53 pmSame here, DRJ! I suppose a better way to respond to that statement from the American-Statesman editorial writers would be to say “you say that like it’s a bad thing.”
Mike LaRoche (5540d3) — 2/7/2010 @ 7:55 pmIf we could use the stupidity of such newspaper editorials as fuel, we’d never run out of energy.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 2/7/2010 @ 8:02 pmDRJ
What unnecessary taxes 🙂 ? we have the lowest taxation in the country 🙂 And next session its getting cut again…
we also have the lowest debt and one of the lowest local tax burdens as well, maybe thats why more and more companies are moving to Texas and we have the largest growth in GDP per year and are the only state now that is a net creator of jobs
there maybe a reason but it wasnt this way under Ma richards and her predecessors
EricPWJohnson (27b854) — 2/7/2010 @ 8:03 pm“…better way to respond…”
THE HELL YOU SAY!
AD - RtR/OS! (f9cda3) — 2/7/2010 @ 8:14 pmPerry is kinda fascinating to me. In 2000 I assumed he was a huge d-bag (“Do you know who I am?” etc.), but he’s really been one of the best governors. I’ve got a few professional Republican friends in the ATX who go much further than d-bag, but they now grudgingly respect him.
On the taxes: yea they’re low, but property taxes really suck. Why not tax every non-perishable asset? I live in a state now with a moderate income tax and almost nonexistent property tax. Far, far superior IMO. I bought some land and lease about 2/3rd to a farmer which covers taxes and upkeep. Try that in Texas.
el duderino (fedc3d) — 2/7/2010 @ 10:33 pmI’d love to move to a sales tax but too many would have a fit about its impact on the poor (a valid point) and illegal immigrants.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 2/7/2010 @ 10:45 pmThe problem with suggesting alternatives to the taxes you already have is they invariably become in addition to the taxes you already have.
John Hitchcock (1ed822) — 2/7/2010 @ 11:27 pmThat endorsement reads like an endorsement for a Democrat. They brag about how she expanded a big government health care system known as CHIP. For the record, Perry has rejected (to great teeth gnashing by the media) most of the expansions KBH has voted for.
An endorsement from the Austin American Statesman is like getting the endorsement of the AFLCIO and the Rainbow Coalition. Far left. Why would anyone be proud of that these days?
Ethical Mouse (0cc5fa) — 2/8/2010 @ 4:54 amThat seals the deal for me – Perry gets my vote.
em (219fea) — 2/8/2010 @ 6:44 amJohn, you are right on the money. I was talking with a new Texas resident the other day about my disdain for our property taxes. I’d like to see them replaced with an income or consumption tax. But the key word is “replaced”. And we rightly shouldn’t trust our government to make it a true replacement, even one as consistent as ours at reducing them.
mcg (0667ff) — 2/8/2010 @ 6:44 am“I’d love to move to a sales tax but too many would have a fit about its impact on the poor (a valid point) and illegal immigrants.”
The undocumented probably already contribute to property taxes. It’s factored into their rent.
imdw (017d51) — 2/8/2010 @ 6:54 amSo…the people who rent AND pay taxes get penalized?
Eric Blair (c2a27d) — 2/8/2010 @ 7:04 amAnd the “probably” bit is reaching. You wish, you don’t know. Ever own a property?
Eric Blair (c2a27d) — 2/8/2010 @ 7:04 am“And the “probably” bit is reaching. You wish, you don’t know. Ever own a property?”
Wait what’s your beef here? You don’t think rents go up if property taxes go up?
imdw (017d51) — 2/8/2010 @ 7:10 amDRJ
well, the avg apartment complex has a section 8 exclusion on it but its just to 40,000 but most landlords factor in the entire appraisal – so in essence they are being overtaxed – the tax burden per percent of income falls more heavily on the poor. On a consumption tax the poor dont pay taxes on welfare purchases already so a consumption tax vs a property tax might mean huge tax relief to the less well off
Might, but it wont increase their burden,
EricPWJohnson (27b854) — 2/8/2010 @ 7:47 am#12, obviously you are unfamiliar with our (Texas) property tax system. You brag about not paying taxes on rural property as it is leased to a farmer. So I would assume you are not familiar with Texas’ ag exemption, which is exactly what your property seems to fall under.
The taxes on my $225K home in central Texas are less than $2,500/yr. Most of that money goes to the school district. I have no state income taxes, don’t pay taxes on groceries or drugs or other personal property, my truck plates are less than $75.00/yr.
All those things add up so if you add up what other states pay in grocery, vehicle and income taxes, we are hardly the worst in the Union as far as taxes.
retire05 (bab000) — 2/8/2010 @ 10:29 amtaxes on my $225K home in central Texas are less than $2,500/yr.
As much as I hate what CA has become, and would love to move to a Free State, it would mean replacing my Prop-13 taxes of $250K!; but, that was the whole point of 13, to prevent the ramp-up of assessed-valuation from forcing people out of their homes.
AD - RtR/OS! (cc3695) — 2/8/2010 @ 10:42 amlost in translation….
Insert between “taxes of” and “$250K” the following:
“less than $1K on a suburban L.A. home with a market value greater than”
…note to self: spell out “less than” and “greater than”, do not use symbols.
AD - RtR/OS! (cc3695) — 2/8/2010 @ 10:48 amThe Austin American is like my local paper, the Palm Beach Post. They will endorse the Republican most like a Democrat and then endorse the actual Democrat in the general. Both papers should avoid endorsing anyone in a Republican primary. No one pays any attention, anyway.
Rick Caird (0ceb78) — 2/8/2010 @ 2:07 pm[…] posted here: Media Endorsement in the Texas GOP Governors’ Race […]
Media Endorsement in the Texas GOP Governors’ Race | Liberal Whoppers (d16888) — 2/8/2010 @ 7:10 pm#23 – You have a good state rep then. To qualify for the ag exemption, you must meet the personal and geographic qualifications. Want to raise some cattle in your spare time? Go to hell; you don’t qualify. Want to raise some cattle full time with a crappy state rep? Go to hell; you don’t qualify either.
Don’t give me your sanctimonious “I live in the suburbs but wear sh*t-kickers” nonsense. I’m somewhat familiar with the ag business in Texas. You obviously aren’t even that.
el duderino (fedc3d) — 2/9/2010 @ 2:16 amAnd I agree, pragmatically, with the problems of suggesting alternative taxes anywhere. I just don’t think Patterico’s comments are likey to have any impact on tax policy in Texas. So F property taxes.
el duderino (fedc3d) — 2/9/2010 @ 2:19 amel durderino,
Patterico as I understand, didnt make a comment on this thread DRJ, who is quite a knowledgeable lawyer did.
State Reps in Texas have no authority over property tax exemptions those are granted differently in each county by each taxing authority
EricPWJohnson (6cb382) — 2/9/2010 @ 5:44 am