Texas budget

^{By Lloyd Criss—Galveston County Democratic Party Chairman}

For many decades Texas had a tax structure that provided adequate revenue to fund public education and balance the state budget. Occasionally the tax structure produced a surplus. Prior Democratic administrations wisely converted the surpluses into savings and created the Texas Rainy Day Fund for unanticipated circumstances.

In 2006 Gov. Rick Perry passed legislation that contained substantial tax cuts to benefit certain big businesses. This tax cut legislation created a $5 billion dollar shortfall in state revenue. By 2011 this shortfall, combined with a recession driven decline in sales tax revenue, blossomed into the $27 billion budget deficit crisis for the 82^nd Texas Legislative Session.

This historic budget crisis was no accident. The shortfall had been forecast by the state comptroller at the time. The state treasury isn’t broke; it was robbed of the funds we need to serve the citizens of this state.

These are the costs Texans are paying for Republicans' misplaced priorities.

On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, the Texas League of Young Voters Education Fund and members from over 40 organizations and concerned individuals from all over our State will gathered at the Texas State Capitol for a March, Rally and Lobby Day.