“Bad housekeeping”

Posted on February 23, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Patricia Kilday Hart, who is now also posting on Paul Burka’s blog, takes a whack at the maneuvering done by the Republicans, in particular David Dewhurst, to bust the spending cap. She highlights a point that I had not seen as yet:

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s pronouncement on the proposed state budget envisions setting aside $3 billion of this budget cycle’s revenue to be applied to promised tax cuts in the next biennium. This is an unprecedented action that sets up the session’s next important showdown. Senate Democrats are wondering aloud why the money should be set aside for tax cuts promised in 2010 and 2011, when no such special arrangements have been made for other important state obligations. How exactly do you set aside $3 billion for a bill that comes due in 2010-1011? Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, for one, thinks a constitutional amendment setting up a dedicated fund would be required.

Good question. Does the Lege have the authority to dedicate revenue from one biennium to a specific line item in future budgets? Maybe we need a ruling from Greg Abbott. I’d like to see how he answers that.

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts
This entry was posted in Budget ballyhoo. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to “Bad housekeeping”

  1. Support Science to Reverse Global Warming, which Al Gore says is still possible says:
    February 23, 2007 at 3:33 pm

    Sorry Charles, No category that really fits, so I will link in this way:

    Good Housekeeping:

    Al Gore and the Oscar Nominations for best Documentary and best song for “An Inconvenient Truth”

    The Oscars are Live Sunday, February 25, 2007.

    Good luck, Al Gore. And thanks for working so hard to save us all of our families.

    http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/blogs/oscars/2007/02/wherein_we_cont.html

    Wherein We Continue to Fantasize About Al Gore

    Al Gore’s New Site:

    http://algore.com/

    http://algore.com/cards.html

    Help me send a message to Congress:

    Now is the time to act on global warming.

    I know from personal experience that the only thing that will make Washington really take notice and do something to solve the climate crisis is the prospect of millions of committed citizens taking action. It’s time to join together and make that happen.

    Sign the postcard to your representative demanding real action on global warming below and I’ll personally deliver it to Washington in March when I testify at Congressional hearings on global warming. I’ll keep you up to date on how things are going in Washington by email.

    7.7.07 SOS, LiveEarth Concert: Mark your Calendar

    Gore announces massive ‘Live Earth’ concert

    http://liveearth.org/

    Friday, 16 February 2007

    AL GORE, KEVIN WALL, PHARRELL, MANÁ, CAMERON DIAZ LAUNCH UNPRECEDENTED CAMPAIGN, CONCERT TO COMBAT CLIMATE CRISIS

    “Live Earth” Concerts in All 7 Continents to Reach Global Audience of Over 2 Billion

    Los Angeles, CA – Detailing a historic effort to engage billions of people across the globe, Kevin Wall, Al Gore, Pharrell Williams, Maná, Cameron Diaz, and the MSN Network today launched Save Our Selves (SOS) – The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis. The announcement was made at the California Science Center.

    SOS is designed to trigger a global movement to combat our climate crisis. It will reach people in every corner of the planet through television, film, radio, the Internet and Live Earth, a 24-hour concert on 7/7/07 across all 7 continents that will bring together more than 100 of the world’s top musical acts. Live Earth alone will engage an audience of more than 2 billion people through concert attendance and broadcasts. MSN has partnered with SOS to use its reach to make the Live Earth concerts available across the globe. The Live Earth audience, and the proceeds from the concerts, will create the foundation for a new, multi-year global effort to combat the climate crisis led by The Alliance for Climate Protection and its Chair, Vice President Al Gore. SOS was founded by Kevin Wall, who won an Emmy as Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8.

    “Our climate crisis is the paramount challenge facing humanity. SOS is more than a global distress call. SOS will give the world the tools we need to answer that call with meaningful action. The most important part of SOS is how individuals, corporations, and governments respond,” Wall said. “Our climate crisis affects everyone, everywhere, and that’s who SOS is aimed at. Only a global response can conquer our climate crisis. SOS asks all people to Save Our Selves because only we can.”

    “In order to solve the Climate Crisis, we have to reach billions of people. We are launching SOS and Live Earth to begin a process of communication that will mobilize people all over the world to take action,” Gore said. “The Climate Crisis will only be stopped by an unprecedented and sustained global movement. We hope to jump-start that movement right here, right now, and take it to a new level on July 7, 2007.”

    more

    http://liveearth.org/?p=22

    LIVE EARTH FACT SHEET

    Live Earth – The Concert for a Climate in Crisis
    7/7/07

    Concerts on all 7 continents:

    • Shanghai
    • Sydney
    • Johannesburg
    • London
    • Brazil – TBD
    • Japan – TBD
    • United States – TBD
    • Antarctica – TBD

    100+ artists

    Current and legendary artists across all genres performing multiple hits.
    Announced today:

    • Pharrell
    • Red Hot Chili Peppers
    • Foo Fighters
    • Snoop Dogg
    • Lenny Kravitz
    • Bon Jovi
    • Paolo Nutini
    • Sheryl Crow
    • AFI
    • Melissa Etheridge
    • John Mayer
    • Damien Rice
    • Corinne Bailey Rae
    • Duran Duran
    • Snow Patrol
    • John Legend
    • Black Eyed Peas
    • Akon
    • Enrique Iglesias
    • Fall Out Boy
    • Maná
    • Keane
    • Kelly Clarkson
    • Korn
    • Faith Hill w/ Tim McGraw
    • Bloc Party

    Celebrities and thought leaders, Entertainers, athletes, scientists, government leaders and CEOs helping engage their constituencies with SOS.

    More than 1 million audience members
    Live concert attendance reaching more than 1 million people.

    More than 2 billion viewers

    Multi-platform distribution (television, radio, internet, wireless) reaching in excess of 2 billion people across the globe.

    The global audience gathered for Live Earth, its ongoing actions, and the proceeds from the concerts, will form the foundation for a new, multi-year international initiative to combat the climate crisis led The Alliance for Climate Protection and its Chair, Al Gore.

    ………….

    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/algore2008/

    Draft Gore Petition

    …………….

  2. David Siegel says:
    February 23, 2007 at 5:40 pm

    Back to the Legislature: couldn’t they just appropriate the money to the Property Tax Relief Fund or even the Rainy Day Fund to stash it out of the way to make sure it’s there in two years to help buy Dewhurst the governor’s race.

Comments are closed.