Recommendations on Proposed Amendments to the Texas Constitution Nov. 7, 2017

Shortcut:         “YES on 3, 7”
“NO on 1, 2, 4, 5, 6”

Here is the official wording of the proposed amendments:

https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_2017_ballot_measures

If you can read the ballot with understanding, “… you’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.”  We have always suspected that the wording is deliberately designed so that the average voter cannot understand it.  So… when you don’t understand something, ALWAYS vote NO!!

Here are our recommendations.

1.  NO
Authorizes tax exemption for property of partially disabled veterans received as donations
Creates yet another special category of tax-exempt property owner, this time the disabled vet, but only on houses received as donations from charitable organizations.  How many houses can we possibly be talking about here?  20?  2,000?
We have a better idea:  “Require charitable donations to include mortgage insurance on every house they give away.”

2.  NO
Makes changes to home equity loan provision of constitution
There are clearly two schools of thought on this – “It’s your property, if you want to borrow against it, it’s your right.”  On the other hand, banks are predatory.  We really believe “the borrower is a slave to the lender,” and the practice of banks lending money to elderly people, for small amounts of cash, at ridiculous interest rates, and then taking away their homes when they can’t pay – that is a practice which needs to be forbidden by law.
Bottom line here is that anything that makes it easier for the banks to do, in terms of extending their monopoly and their power to prey on people, we are opposed to it.

3.  Absolutely, YES!
Provides for how long an appointed officer may serve after his or her term expires
Anything that helps remove bureaucrats and non-elected functionaries from office the sooner, and stops their hanging around until a replacement comes, the better.

4.  NO
Requires a court to provide notice to the attorney general of a challenge to a statute
They’ll find out soon enough.  Why invite the State to send an attorney, at taxpayer expense, to a lower court to fight that taxpayer?

5.  NO
Defines professional sports team in charitable raffles
Expands the gambling habit to more sports groups.  We see no reason to assist in that.  Again, two schools of thought, but we’re opposed to government controls on gambling, and to gambling itself.  In any event, if the monopolistic, state-sponsored professional sports teams want it, we’re against it.

6.  NO
Authorizes property tax exemption for surviving spouses of first responders killed in line of duty
Creates yet another special category of tax-exempt property owner, this “feel-good” provision that makes first responders even more an elite category of public servant.
Again, here’s a better idea:  “Require all employers to include a mortgage insurance policy which pays off a mortgage when a first-responder dies in the line of duty.”  Or, in any way for that matter.  Mortgage insurance is fairly cheap.  No need to amend the constitution to accomplish that.  Why do we smell a Special Interest in this one?

7.  YES
Authorizes credit unions to promote their services through promotions, which they are currently not allowed today, thanks to big banks keeping their hands tied.