Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 8, 2005 Page: 3 of 6
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Rattler Band announces 2005-2006 Drum Majors
The Rio Grande City Mighty Rattler Band takes pride in announcing their 2005-2006 Drum Majors. The lour
thai were chosen are seniors and will lead the band at all school-related events and competitions. The 2005-
2006 Drum Majors are pictured left to right: Anthony Ortega. Li/ette ("astro Moniqih- Oli\are/. and J M.
Longoria. (RGCCISD photo).
Rep. Guillen says he fought for school plan
to benefit students, teachers, taxpayers
By Representative Ryan Guillen
Much has been written about the
failure of lop state officials to
provide a school funding and tax
plan that the legislatuie could pass.
I oday, I want to tell you about a
plan that I and most of my
colleagues in the Texas House of
Representatives did support and
that also had the support of most of
the school districts in Texas.
Before the school bell rang this
week, we could have adopted this
bipartisan school finance solution
We could have provided our
underpaid teachers a pay raise that
approached the national average.
We could have provided real
property tax relief for all Texans. I
am proud of the fact that 1 voted for
<i plan to accomplish those goals,
but I am disappointed that our
leaders refused to negotiate with
the bipartisan majority that
supported that plan. As soon as our
bipartisan amendment was passed
on the House floor, parliamentary
maneuvers were used to scuttle it.
Our amendment would have
provided $2 billion in additional
spending on public school
education across Texas, provided
technology and textbooks for
students and it would have
provided almost 100 percent equity
in education spending across the
state for the first time.
House Democrats and some
Republicans voted in the best
interests of their constituents when
the Hochberg amendment's school
finance solution was adopted by a
bipartisan majority in the second
called session. Here is an analysis
of the key elements of the
legislation i supported.
* Provided a responsible, equitable
school finance system that
approaches 100 percent equity and
would increase the percentage o*
state education funding;
* Raised teacher pay across the
board (amounts varied from $4,800
to $3,200 to $2,000 in different
versions) and restored health care
benefits cut in 2003, for both
teachers and educational support
personnel;
* Increased funding for
compensatory education programs
for at-risk students, bilingual
education, mentoring programs,
Pre-k and 9th grade initiatives to
help students with the greatest
needs stay in school and graduate;
* Provided funds for up-to-date
textbooks and technology essential
to learning;
* Reduced class sizes with new
facility funding for classrooms.
* Continued funding for gifted and
talented programs;
* Provided across-the-board
property tax cuts and additional
targeted tax cuts for Texas families
by increasing the homestead tax
exemption (exemptions ranged
between $45,000 and $32,500 in
different versions) and rolling back
the property tax rate by at least 13
percent in every version. A district
tax rate at $1.50 would be reduced
to $1.30.
* Under every version of our
amendment, the average
homeowner in at least 140 of 150
Texas House districts would
receive greater property tax savings
than they would under HB2
* All Texas school districts would
receive a substantial increase in
state education funding, with most
local districts receiving more
immediate state aid than under
HB2.
It is important to point out that
this plan would have cost the state
exactly the same amount as the
plans that were being pushed by the
leadership in House Bill 2 Some
oppom its ire making the false
claim ttuV .lis alternate school plan
"cost too much," implying that it
costs more than the HB2 and SB2
plans. That is obviously untrue
because of a special calendar rule
which required that all amendments
cost no more than the original TIB2
and would have kept it from ever
being debated if it called lot
increased spending.
What our amendment did do
was distribute the same amount of
money allocated for HB2
differently, allocating more money
for our children's schools and more
property tax relief for the vast
majority of Texas homeowners.
The bill we were trying to
change used every dollar of higher
state taxes to give property tax cuts
that primarily benefited the
wealthiest property owners. Our
amendment used that same amount
of state tax dollars, and used them
three ways.
Contrary to leadership claims,
the amendment would not "shift the
tax burden to business," because it
gives all property owners a tax
break. All property owners,
including all businesses and
wealthy homeowners, would
receive an across the board
property tax rate cut. although the
rate cut was smaller than in HB2.
tinder the amendment, the
homestead exemption would have
been tripled to $45,000 in the
original regular session proposal-
or increased to $32,500 in the
amendment that passed in the
second called session - to make
sure middle class homeowners also
realized the benefits of property tax
relief, which in IIB2 IIB3 benefited
the wealthiest property owners
more than others.
I he amendment's tax relief
mechanism provided approximately
two billion additional tax dollars
for use by local school districts for
proven instructional programs,
students with special needs, teacher
pay raises, textbooks, technology,
and facilities improvements
This is a plan for Texas schools
that would provide equal
(See GUILLEN, Page 61
Rio Grande ( it \ ( ISI)
TAKS and L wVS Fr ting Schedule 2005
October IS, 2005
IAKS Exit I evel English I angua Arts irelesti
TAAS Exit Level Wr iting (refest)
October 19, 2005
TAKS Exit Level Mathematics tretest)
TAAS- Exit Level Mathematics (retest)
October 20, 2005
TAKS Exit Level Science (retest)
TAAS Exit l evel Reading (retest)
October 21,2005
TAKS- Exit Level Social Studies (retest)
-2005-
T H E RIO
GRANDE
HERALD HAS BEEN
SERVING STARR
COUNTY FOR ALMOST
A C ENFURY . WE
WOULD LIKE F0
EXPRESS OUR MOST
SINCERE FHANKS F0
ALL OUR READERS
FOR YOUR
C0NFINUING SUPPORT
FHR0UGH0UF F H E
YEARS.
The Rio Grande Herald-Thursday, September 8, 2005, Page 3
Doggett introduces small
business bill to cut red tape
Washington, DC- Local
Congressman Floyd Doggett (D-
I X) today announced that he has
introduced new small business
legislation titled. The Small
Business Tax Simplification Act, to
reduce substantial administrative
burdens placed on small business
owners Adding momentum behind
his bill, Congressman Doggett has
secured Small Business Committee
Ranking Democrat, Nydia
Velazquez (D-NY), as an original
co-sponsor.
"Local small business owners
are tangled in IRS red tape. The
Small Business Tax Simplification
Act will change the law to cut
through and save small business
owners time and money," said Rep.
Doggett, a senior member on the
influential Ways A Means
Committee. " The time for Congress
to act and provide relief in now."
Doggett noted that there are
nearly 23 million small businesses
in the United States and that small
businesses provide approximately
75% of the net new jobs added to
the economy, represent 99.7% of
all employers, and employ over
50% of the private workforce.
These statistics demonstrate the
significant contributions small
businesses make to the U.S.
economy.
However, small businesses face
significant administrative burdens,
including tax compliance issues,
and are disproportionate to their
ability to deal with such
complexities in the tax code. A
2001 study by the U.S. Small
Business Administration Office of"
Advocacy found that small firms
with fewer than 20 employees pay
nearly 60% more to comply with
Federal regulations than their
counterparts with more than 500
employees, and these regulations
cost small businesses $6,975 per
employee on a yearly basis to
administer. Much of this burden is
due to Federal tax compliance. The
OMB reports that approximately
80% of all Federal government
paperwork burden is attributable to
tax compliance.
With all that in mind, Rep.
Doggett drafted his bill to address
some of these complex and
burdensome issues. Basically, it's
all about eliminating some
complexities in the tax code that
affects small businesses so that
they can (1) avoid double taxation;
(2) avoid unfair penalties; and (3)
make sure married co-owners get
credit for paying Social Security
and Medicare taxes.
More details on the bill and the
problems it fixes are below:
I. Election to be Treated as an S
Corporation
Problem: Small business
corporations may elect to be treated
as a flow-through entity by making
an election to be treated as a S
Corporation. [C Corporations -
which are generally larger
corporations - are subject to two
Cancer Society to honor
survivors with Relay for Life
It's time for Relay For Life.
Relay For Life will take place on
Sept. 30, 2005 at 6:00 p.m. at the
Joe R. Sanchez Stadium in Rio
Grande City.
Relay for Life is a celebration -- a
unique, challenging and fun way to
raise community awareness and to
raise money for the American
Cancer Society. The event brings
families and friends together to
celebrate those who have survived
cancer and to remember those who
have not.
You, as a survivor, are a very
important part. Cancer survivors
kit.k off the Relay for Life with a
"Survivors Lap." A special
reception will follow under the
Survivor tent.
The American Cancer Society
wants to recognize local survivors
for their courage in demonstrating
that cancer is not a death sentence.
Your participation will show that
through research, prevention and
treatment, cancer can be survived.
The American Cancer Society
encourages everyone to participate
in this breathtaking event. If you
are interested in walking the
Survivors Lap, please contact local
Survivor Chairman Becky Elores at
735-6325.
levels of tax - one at the corporate
level and one at the shareholder
level. Smaller corporations can
elect to be treated as a S
Corporation - which means that
they are only subject to taxation at
the shareholder level.J Election to
be treated as an S Corporation must
be made on or before the 15th day
of the third month of the tax year.
As a result, taxpayers who wait
until the tax return filing date to
make this election - under most
circumstances - will be deemed to
have made the election for the
succeeding year. Many small
business corporations inadvertently
subject themselves to taxation as a
C Corporation for at least one
additional year.
Solution: The Small Business
Tax Fairness Act will allow a small
business corporation to elect to be
treated as an S Corporation up until
the date it timely files its first S
Corporation tax return
2. Payroll Deposit Tax Penalties
Problem: The Internal Revenue
Code imposes a penalty on
employers who fail to deposit
employment taxes within the time
and in the proper manner described
under the law, unless the taxpayer
can show that the failure was due to
reasonable cause and not willful
neglect. This penalty ranges from
2% to 10% of the underpayment,
depending on how late the required
deposit is. The rules and
regulations are complicated and can
cause taxpayers to be subject to
five or ten percent penalties for
failing to make deposits in the
required manner.
Solution: The Small Business
Tax Fairness Act will change the
law so that taxpayers who make a
timely deposit, but fail to make it in
the prescribed manner and such
failure was not due to willful
(See DOGGETT, Page 6)
^9 Spaulding
" ^ for Children
fall m lovf iUjain
hu:onh cm
ad op I ic i pai\nL
HERALD
MEWS
Look for our Top Stories on Rio
Grande City's Public Access
Channel.
Channe
(No Fee Adoption Agency)
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. . Corpus ChrisU, TX
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YEARS
956-487-2819
Movie Preview
for the Weekend of: September 9,2005
By l ocal Amateur
i'Ummaker Gerald S
Focus Features returned last
weekend with The Constant
Gardner I have to admit I've
been very impressed with some
of Focus' past releases. If you
don't plan on an outing this
weekend, look for some of
these at your local video store.
Opening this week:
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
What it's about:
Told in flashbacks, 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose'
chronicles the haunting trial of a priest accused of
negligence resulting in the death of the young girl
believed to be demonically possessed and the lawy er
who takes on the task of defending him.
The Man
II liat it's about:
A case of mistaken identity forces Federal agent Der-
rick Vann and dental supply salesman Andy T idier to
team up as they speed through the streets of Detroit to
pull off a sting operation and solve the murder of
Vann's former partner
Currently playing In theaters:
The Constant Gardener
What it's about
When a British diplomat's wife turns up dead in
Kenya, he sets out to find the truth surrounding her
murder
A Sound of Thunder
What n\ about
Set in a near future where time travel is possible, this
is the story of a travel agency . 1 ime Safari Inc., that
arranges hunting trips for wealthy customers hack in
time to hunt dinosaurs.
Transporter 2
[Mini-Preview: Week of Sept. 9, 2005
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
I (Screen Gems)
I Directed b>: Scott Derrickson
I Starring: l.aura L.inney. Tom Wilkinson. Campbell
' Scott. Colm Feore. Jennifer Carpenter
J Genres: Suspense Horror
I MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material includ-
I ing intense frightening sequences and disturbing im-
I ages.
The Man
(New Line Cinema)
l Directed by: Les Mayfield
I Starring: Samuel 1 Jackson, Eugene Levy, Anthony
I Mackie. Luke Goss. Miguel Ferrer
' Genres: Action Adventure and Comedy
1 MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, rude dialogue
. and some violence
What it's about
Retired in Miami. ex-Special Forces operative, I rank
Mar',n. makes a living driving for the wealthy Billings
♦attiily. He's a huge favorite with their two small boys,
but when the kids are kidnapped and injected with a po-
tentially fatal virus. Frank defies the FBI and works re-
lentlessly to get the boys to safety and discover the kid-
napper's plan.
Underclassman
What it's about.
A baby-faced 24 year-old detective, who never gets the
respect he deserves because of his boyish looks, goes
undercover in an elite private school where he stumbles
upon an international auto-theft ring.
H hat movie did you see last weekend ' What did you
think ' Your comments can be a pari of next week v
MP. e-mail me at theoneftlmmaker ayahoo.com
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 8, 2005, newspaper, September 8, 2005; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196337/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.