PHOTO: Manuel Torres
Hidalgo County voters have shown the rich politicos that we are united against higher taxes. The rich politicos had lost once in 2014 by a larger margin (111,000 voted no; 44,000 voted yes). They supposed we had not been properly “educated” about the issue so they introduced it again. They insisted on this proposition even though we democratically defeated them the first time because we are informed about the issues.
The rich politicos wanted a project that was going to benefit them at our expense. Some of us are already deep in debt with our taxes and would have been in danger of losing our homes if we had voted for Proposition 1. The proponents of Proposition 1 can afford more taxes, but we working people who are retired or disabled or on fixed incomes cannot. We are living in difficult economic times. Young working people have to leave the valley to work in the oil fields to survive, leaving their families behind while they go risk their lives doing dangerous work. Those who stay here have to maintain two jobs in order to survive.
We are already one of the highest-taxed counties in Texas, and these rich politicos wanted an additional eight cents on the dollar plus further increases. They wanted to content our veterans with second class medical services because practically all the doctors would have been apprentices. The county government says it has not raised our taxes, but the reality is that it is using the County Appraisal District to raise our taxes. Every year, our properties are reappraised at a higher rate, with the intent that we will not be able to pay the taxes and it will take our properties.
We live in one of the poorest areas in the country and are paid the lowest wages. It is the responsibility of the federal government to provide good, quality health care. We pay enough taxes for that kind of medical care. What is needed is that these politicos administer the money correctly instead of giving jobs to their friends in exchange for more votes at election time. We need nationalization of the health care industry in the interest of the people – free universal health care.
The people spoke and voted no in 2014 and now in 2016 the people have voted no again. We must continue to unite on other issues that affect our community.
We showed these rich politicos that we are starting to realize that our interests are separate and apart from theirs.
PROPOSITION 1 HAS BEEN DEFEATED DEMOCRATICALLY – TWICE!
