It took me longer than usual to read this story because I kept having to stop to say “Seriously? Seriously?”
This guy knows something about free government money, too
When lawmakers gave Comptroller Susan Combs more power to spend tax money to attract sporting events and conventions to the state, the idea was to generate economic development in Texas that might go somewhere else.
But in recent years Combs has used that power to approve millions of dollars in expenditures on events that originated here and don’t appear to be leaving Texas anytime soon.
Over the last two years, Combs, a Republican, has signed off on spending $2 million in state tax money to help defray the costs of the Cotton Bowl, a postseason college football game held in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1937; $1.5 million to help finance the Alamo Bowl college football games, played in San Antonio since its inception in 1993; and $2 million to stage two NASCAR auto races — the AAA Texas 500 and the Samsung Mobile 500 — that were specifically designed for Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
Several horse associations in Fort Worth and Amarillo have also used such funds to defray costs of events held in those cities year after year — funds that went directly to the private associations hosting the shows, officials say.
Combs’ office says the event fund expenditures, which hit an all-time high of $78 million last year, are authorized by the Legislature and supported by the cities in which events are being held. The cities also say the fund has been an invaluable tool in attracting and retaining marquee events.
[…]
“Looking at some of those events, clearly they already would have been here already, so why are we spending tax dollars to bring them here?” said Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, a Republican who has repeatedly questioned Combs’ oversight of the tax incentive funding. “Is this Susan Combs’ slush fund? We need to know that. And who is doing the oversight?”
Well, the Legislature, obviously. Clearly, they need to rewrite the law that created this loophole so as to tighten it up. You almost have to admire Combs’ brazenness here. So many of the examples cited don’t come within a mile of passing the laugh test. I mean, by the logic being employed, Combs should be cutting a check every year to all of the state’s pro sports franchises as insurance that they don’t relocate. You would think that this sort of unfettered largesse would offend some conservatives’ principles, and frankly I won’t be surprised if someone other than Patterson, who may be Combs’ rival for the Lite Guv nomination in 2014, piles on. If nothing else, I’d say we’ve identified a source of money for Governor Perry to use on his state-funded replacement for the Women’s Health Program, if he actually is sincere about that. In the meantime, may I suggest that the Comptroller throw a few bucks at Harris County to ensure that no one drives off with the Astrodome in the middle of the night? Thanks.
Un-effing-believeable.
The hypocrisy levels of our state’s legislature is just amazing.
What does this remind me of? Oh, yeah, the Walmart 380.
The WalMart 380 doesn’t give away millions for nothing. The City gets infrastructure improvements that would have to be made in any case.
Ross, many of the infrastructure improvements in the 380 would have to be made for the development – like connecting to City water and sewer.
What a joke. That’s pretty pathetic, Combs!