Texas is best known for cowboys, iconic landscapes and a wild, rugged spirit, but it seem to be picking up a nasty little habit of stomping on the throats of school children.
Lone Star State lawmakers were faced with a big budget shortfall this year. A $27 billion bill was at their feet and they had to scramble to make ends meet. In the crossfire, $4 billion was cut from education, forcing schools to struggle to keep their heads above water.
Despite struggles, schools did find ways to deal with the cuts.
Just when they thought they had a moment to breathe, they're now on the hook to give some of the money they've already spent back.
Three commissioners appointed by Rick Perry are poised to give a $135 million dollar tax refund out on property taxes, half of which would come from school districts.
Not just any property tax: Oil company property taxes.
It's hard to believe that the commissioners didn't see this coming. You could probably get more public support for Pol Pot than you could for oil companies at this point.
Oil companies like Valero say they have a good reason for asking for the abatement of their tax returns. They're using a Texas law on the books that says they don't have to pay tax on equipment that reduces on-site pollution. Valero installed new hardware to reduce sulfur in gasoline and diesel fuel in 2007, and wants retroactive payments from them.
Maybe they thought that liberals wouldn't get pissed over taking money from schools because they wanted it for pollution control. The problem is, the reason Valero even installed the controls is a federal law mandating these pollution devices be installed or that upgrades be made to outdated controls. Valero is just trying to offset the cost of a required device through tax breaks.
Since the legal system is slower than a Model-T in the mud, the schools have already used the money to maintain the staff that was already threatened by massive cuts.
Valero should be ashamed of its behavior. So much of its business depends on the community, whether it be labor or putting up with polluted air. It should drop this claim, stop being a vampire on the state of Texas and actually give back to the community, rather than try to add more to its staggering profits.
The company knows damn well where the money is coming from, but it doesn't actually care. In a Huffington Post article, Valero spokesman Bill Day said, "…this is really no different than a homeowner appealing their property tax, just on a larger scale." They truly think there is nothing wrong with this.
This is simple proof that big business will not make the ethical decision when faced with the possibility of making a lot of money. If another business is going to make the call to do it, then it is going to be at a disadvantage.
This is a harbinger for the Rick Perry presidency. These are his appointees getting ready to decide the fate of this money, and we can only hope for the children of Texas that they make the right choice. We cannot stand and allow the government to become a plaything for the ultra wealthy.
