Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[jyoutz]

I was joking. I've made the run east of Austin many times along 130. It is starting to grow with Tesla moving in, but yes, there is a lot of space between the two.

My son lives out by the airport.

 

[Torvy]

My son lives out by the airport.

I'll be down that way Monday after the wedding. My sister and BIL are having a get together with his side of the family in Austin and flying back to Seattle out of that airport. It's about a 4 hour jaunt down I35 from here. Then rush back home for other daughter's graduation. The Prius will come in handy.

 

[bindian]

I'll be down that way Monday after the wedding. My sister and BIL are having a get together with his side of the family in Austin and flying back to Seattle out of that airport. It's about a 4 hour jaunt down I35 from here. Then rush back home for other daughter's graduation. The Prius will come in handy.

I don't envy anyone having to drive I-35 in and out of Austin.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

West of Bastrop is the Austin airport and no towns between but some nice country areas.

..................................for now.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I'll be down that way Monday after the wedding. My sister and BIL are having a get together with his side of the family in Austin and flying back to Seattle out of that airport. It's about a 4 hour jaunt down I35 from here. Then rush back home for other daughter's graduation. The Prius will come in handy.

Take your own water. There's something in their water that makes people see blue.

 

[fiddlearound]

Yes its still "country" out here, but the invasion is turning into "suburbia"

Just received new appraisal from county and EVERYTHING DOUBLED.
Taxes gonna hurt even more!

Guess I'll try to fire up the old Toro ZT and knock down the weeds. Not much turf yet.

 

[mostly_gas]

Got 2.6 inch rain near Gainesville.

 

[Torvy]

Last day of school in many (most?) Texas ISDs. Still have to be back on campus tomorrow to check out. Be careful out there, thousands of kids on the roads.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Last day of school in many (most?) Texas ISDs. Still have to be back on campus tomorrow to check out. Be careful out there, thousands of kids on the roads.

I 35 can be a quagmire. Time your trip best you can. Safe travels.

 

[WM75Guy]

It is a pretty day. Hauling hay and mowing pasture.

 

[Torvy]

I 35 can be a quagmire. Time your trip best you can. Safe travels.

Unfortunately, I have found out the hard way a few times. 130 can be nice to loop around the city, but I think we have to go downtown. I have built in some cushion, of it was just me in would be out of here by 5am and into Austin before most of them woke up. I have learned to trust Waze. Sometimes back rounds are faster than the Interstate.

 

[bindian]

Unfortunately, I have found out the hard way a few times. 130 can be nice to loop around the city, but I think we have to go downtown. I have built in some cushion, of it was just me in would be out of here by 5am and into Austin before most of them woke up. I have learned to trust Waze. Sometimes back rounds are faster than the Interstate.

Waze will take you places you ask why. Then I check google maps of the route that is faster and major red lines back up for miles. I learned to follow Waze after not following it a time or to driving to and from work 62 miles.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bearsixty7]

Yes its still "country" out here, but the invasion is turning into "suburbia"

Just received new appraisal from county and EVERYTHING DOUBLED.
Taxes gonna hurt even more!

Guess I'll try to fire up the old Toro ZT and knock down the weeds. Not much turf yet.

Supposedly 2 amendments passed, 1 raises the homestead exemption amount and the other I think has something to do with 65 and older.
Unfortunately the 1st one does not provide substantial property tax relief, so what if they exclude 40K instead of 25K (15K increase) when the appraisal amount goes up 100K or more.

What really needs to happen to help home owners is the Homestead cap should be lowered from 10% max to 2% max, that would be real and meaningful Property tax help!
I have posted this on a few forums and asked for help in what do we need to do to get this enacted, no one seems to know.

 

[bindian]

Supposedly 2 amendments passed, 1 raises the homestead exemption amount and the other I think has something to do with 65 and older.
Unfortunately the 1st one does not provide substantial property tax relief, so what if they exclude 40K instead of 25K (15K increase) when the appraisal amount goes up 100K or more.

What really needs to happen to help home owners is the Homestead cap should be lowered from 10% max to 2% max, that would be real and meaningful Property tax help!
I have posted this on a few forums and asked for help in what do we need to do to get this enacted, no one seems to know.

Contact your Rep and/or Senator. Ask to meet with them, then spill your beans.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Torvy]

Contact your Rep and/or Senator. Ask to meet with them, then spill your beans.
hugs, Brandi

Inspired me to check out the plans...there's a plan at the state level to cap local revenue increases at 3.5% per year (unless it was voter approved). This approach would apply to valuations as well as rates.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Contact your Rep and/or Senator. Ask to meet with them, then spill your beans.
hugs, Brandi

While good in theory, it won't do anything, One person meeting with a representative won't get any traction. It has to be a larger group of people or possibly a petition, again, I'm not sure how to proceed yet.

 

[bindian]

Then take a group of like minded people with you. You don't meet them face to face, they don't know who you are.
hugs, Brandi

 

[fiddlearound]

I would like to see property taxes eliminated if it produces no income.
Replace with a sales or flat tax that is related to actual expenses of the taxing jurisdiction.

Why should old people with low fixed income be taxed on heavily inflated values, especially when they use little of the services?

 

[AWSubie]

I agree that property taxes should be eliminated and replaced with a consumer tax.

Also school administrative positions should be cut by 60% and school budgets reduced accordingly.

The amount of money wasted in our public schools is a crime in itself.
The time I’ve spent tutoring my 16 year old niece has proven to me that 3 out 4 teachers couldn’t care less about the effectiveness of their lesson plans.

 

[two_bit_score]

I agree that property taxes should be eliminated and replaced with a consumer tax.

Also school administrative positions should be cut by 60% and school budgets reduced accordingly.

The amount of money wasted in our public schools is a crime in itself.
The time I’ve spent tutoring my 16 year old niece has proven to me that 3 out 4 teachers couldn’t care less about the effectiveness of their lesson plans.

Too often in rural areas especially schools have become the largest employer in the county. So, they have evolved from having a purpose of educating children to be productive citizens and instead become patronage job centers for friends and allies of the local establishment.