2005-02-14 Regular Meeting and Public Hearing Meeting of the La Porte City Council minutes

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-age14A THE CITIZEN, Wednesday, November 17 , 2004 _Businessmen get preview of next legislative session .....ay MARY ALYS CHERRY Cnizen Stall ing. Speaking to members of Bay Area Houston Economic Part- nership last Wednesday, he and Sen. Mike Jackson talked about the next session and the prob- lems they face, especially with The last session of the Texas Legislature was both historic and hysterical, State Rep. Larry -raylor says. But now comes. the big challenge - school financ- Marv Hartman, Joan McKinney and Pastor Osorio, from left, were among the many at the Bay Area Houston Economic ""partnership meeting at. Space Center Houston last i/Vednesday. -"'aces in the crowd at the Bay Area Houston Economic 'artnership meeting at Space Center Houston last Nednesday included banker Gary Farley, State Rep. Larry faylor and Ralph Howard. school finance. 'We've really got to do some- thing:' he told the crowd. "We've reached that moment in time when everyone agrees (the school financing system) is bro- ken." Further, he believes education needs to include more and more technology. "We've got to bring in more technology." Already, he continued, "NASA is worrying about where its future space sci- entists and astronauts are commg from. "We all knew we had to fix it," he said, adding that the Legislature will probably have to change the tax strUcture. Mnd urn""" tnopthpr ~.__~w .. ---"'; ---10-.---'-- "Any change rHQi ~OIUIj folks but we all need to be in this to- gether. Please understand we . have some tough decisions and realize this will be for everyone:' he said, going on to add, "And we're going to need your support . and your prayers." Giving some possible exam- ples, he mentioned that only one business in six was paying fran- chise taxes. Thi~ could be a tar- get, he explained. If the sales tax is raised a penny, that would bring in $1 billion, Taylor said. But, if prop- erty taxes were cut in half - as many' desire - it would take $6 billion to make up the shortfall, he pointed out. School equity impossible Senator Jackson said just as the tax strUcture poses a prob- lem, "It's impossible to achieve equity in the schools. You just can't do it. The state is just too diverse." He suggests that everyone needs to keep up with the Leg- islature, which will bc dealing with lots of big issues - the un- constitutional school finance problem, the 300,000 to 400,000 additional students in Texas schools, workers compensation. insurance rates, etc. He expects a major rewrite of the workers compensation law and the lowering of property tues. But, he warned, "If we move to lower the' taJI;, we have to maki: it uP some other way:' Galveston County Commissioner, irom leit, drops by to say heHo to Randy Hall, Lea! Mayor Jeff Harrison and Economic Development Director Doug Frazior at Bay Area I Economic Partnersh.!p meeting :;:t SP::lCC Center H~R.iston. GllIZun pnoios oy Mal) Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Chairman Dr. Bill Staples, right, goes over the program with State Sen. Mike Jackson at last Wednesday's meeting at Space Center Houston. ~ontinental Airlines' Ellen Lapointe, left, chats vith Katrina Starling during Bay Area Houston :conomic Partnership meeting. Houston City Councilwoman Addie W and State' Rep. Larry Taylor talk ab, upcoming legislative session during B, Houston Economic Partnership meeti Wednesday at Space Center Houston. Mary Proudy, right, and Lynda Guid share a light moment at Bay Area I-' Economic Partnership meeting.