Tag: Texas

Helping Yourself and Others After A Natural Disaster

Last week Hurricane Harvey swept through Texas and Louisiana leaving destruction in its wake.  Now the Atlantic hurricane, Irma is causing great damage to the Leeward Islands with its eye set on Florida.

In the aftermath of a disaster, what are the best ways to help others and if you are affected by the storm, what should you do to expedite recovery?

The Federal Trade Commission offers a good overview of natural disaster best practices along with tips, advice and links to other agencies on their page,  FTC Advice for Helping Hurricane Harvey Victims.

Breaking The Code

screen-shot-2016-11-30-at-2-36-32-pmAs demand grows for skilled software designers, so does the market for coding schools.  In places like Austin, Texas where there is a concentration of high-tech companies, new coding “bootcamps” are appearing almost daily.  This has attracted the attention of the Texas Workforce Commission who is currently stepping up the enforcement of their certification regulations.  In the past, coding schools were allowed to operate during the application process without fear of violations, but this may be changing, according to Will Anderson for the Austin Business Journal in his article, Coding schools face increased scrutiny from Texas Workforce Commission.  The coding school owners are frustrated with the TWC’s apparent lack of appropriate regulation for their rapidly growing field.

A “Sign” of the Times

open-handguns-prohibited-texas-sign-k2-0012The open-carry law (Section 30.07, Penal Code) becomes a reality in the state of Texas, beginning January 1, 2016.  After that date, anyone with a licensed weapon will be able to carry it visibly in public.  Some locations such as schools, hospitals and sporting events are exempt from this law but any other locations wishing to conscientiously object must install a sign with the following details and size requirements:

— Must appear in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height.

— Must be in both English and Spanish.

— Must be displayed in a “conspicuous manner” at the property’s entrance.

— Must say: “Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a handgun that is carried openly.”

Is it any wonder that the current battle in Texas is not over the weapons themselves but over the signage required to keep them out of personal places of business and churches?   Quite fitting that the penal code section number is, 30.06.

Read more here: ‘No open carry’ signs are likely to trigger next Texas gun debate

Low-Income Public Housing?

3Studies are finding that many people living in low-inclome, public housing are exceeding the income limits per individuals residing in the home.  Texas has the second highest number of families in the US whose monthly income is over this line.   In some cases these numbers are grossly inflated.  As the article states, trying to remedy this issue has many factors, one being not wanting to evict people for being successful, but this housing is often quite limited and highly sought after.  What would you do in this situation?

High-Income Texans Find Homes in Public Housing

Who Owes the Sales Tax?

Senators Introduce Online Sales Tax Bill with Bipartisan Support.

The sales tax collected in Texas is in fact a sales and use tax.  When consumers purchase items online and no sales tax is paid, the purchaser is supposed to remit the tax to the state.  Form 01-156 Texas Use Tax Return  should be filed with a payment on or before the 20th day following the period  (month or year) during which items subject to use tax are brought into Texas.  For example, if you purchase a Kindle from Amazon.com, no sales tax is collected.  Your responsibility is to remit the tax.

Why do some online vendors collect sales tax and other’s don’t?

A fancy word for the reason is nexus.  Nexus is a connection and in the sales tax world, that means if a company has a connection to Texas, usually a physical connection, that company is required to collect sales tax.  Amazon.com closed a Dallas distribution center to avoid collecting sales tax  on sales delivered in Texas.

This ability to disregard sales tax on sales creates an advantage for online stores over Main Street stores.  The legislation introduced, referenced above, by a bipartisan group of 10 senators attempts to level that field.  Amazon does support the legislation.

 

States’ Busted Budgets Not Caused by Union Pay

This is what David Lenohardt wrote in the NYT on March 1. His major points:

Government workers receive compensation that is similar–with somewhat lower salaries and somewhat better benefits on average–to that of private sector workers with similar qualifications.

Government pay is skewed too heavily toward pensions and health insurance.

Health plans for union workers and retirees are much more likely to require little or no co-payment, which leads to lots of medical treatments that don’t make people any healthier, and to huge costs.

Many government workers receive pensions that start at age 55 and still let retirees draw a full salary elsewhere.

Only recently have teachers’ unions started to cooperate with serious efforts at teacher evaluation, and they are still not giving their full cooperation.

The cause of our looming federal and state deficits . . .is Americans’ collective desire for low taxes and generous government benefits. . . Eventually we will have to pay for the government we want.

I have a friend that retired from the state, receives his pension, and was rehired as a contract employee by the same agency:  working full time and receiving his pension from the same agency.  Texas has a defined benefit retirement plan so that retired employees receive a guaranteed benefit rather than a value based account as in a typical 401K account. Steven Greenhouse discusses the differences between retirement plans.

In Texas, the Margin Tax and a cigarette tax were supposed to make up income deficits created from reducing the property tax , and to date, the Margin Tax has  increased revenues modestly but not at the levels expected at enactment.   (David Gilliland, Texas Margin Tax).

One result for Austin has been the expected layoff of 1000 teachers and the expected closure of exemplary inner city, low income schools. ( AISD News Release)

The Rainy Day Fund Will Be Used

The Texas Society of CPA’s reports:

There are enough leaks in the Republican dike against using the funds to burst the dam.  While Gov. Perry has not changed is opposition to using the fund, this week added to the number of Republican leaders who say the funds must be used.  Last week we reported that Appropriations Chair Pitts (R-Waxahachie) said he had the votes to use the fund on his committee and this week Sen. Finance Chair Ogden (R-Bryan) said “We’re going to have to use a substantial amount of the rainy-day fund if we’re going to pass a budget.”   While neither of these chairmen have the final say (it takes a three-fifths vote of the legislature to use the Rainy Day fund), there is growing Republican support as budget hearings continue to spell out the results of proposed budget cuts.

I wrote the above paragraph Thursday afternoon.  This morning the Tea Party Caucus Advisory committee came out with strong language opposing the use of the Rainy Day fund in a letter to legislators saying, in part, “We strongly support a budget that is balanced without the use of any portion of the State’s Rainy Day Fund and without the imposition of new taxes, new fees that are effectively increased taxes (such as increased vehicle registration fees) or other new sources of revenue (such as gambling).”   According to Jason Embry writing in his First Reading blog, “This is a very significant development. The Tea Party Caucus Advisory Committee consists of 13 tea-party organizers from around the state. They serve as a liaison back to the tea parties for the Tea Party Caucus, which consists of about a third of the membership of the House and two senators. “

Texas Holiday Facts

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During the holiday season, people across our state will gather together and celebrate with friends and family to exchange gifts, offer thanks and reflect on the past year. Many Texans are also expected to buy Christmas trees, bake holiday treats or hit the roads to travel. To commemorate this special time of year, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has compiled some festive holiday facts about our state and its economy related to the season.
• Texas has approximately 150 Christmas tree farms across the state producing 200,000 trees annually on 2,500 acres. Texas Christmas tree growers contribute $12 million each year to the state’s economy. Christmas trees have been grown commercially in Texas since 1977. Virginia and Afghan pines are the most common Christmas trees grown in Texas.
• In Houston, the city saved $185,000 in landfill costs by recycling 5,800 tons of tree waste from 47,000 homes from October 2007 to September 2008. Seventy-nine tons of this tree waste was from Christmas tree recycling.
• In 2007, Texas producers contributed 75 million pounds of pecans toward the record United States total crop of more than 385 million pounds.
• The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book was first published in 1926. Neiman Marcus is headquartered in Dallas.
• The Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana has been baking the world-famous DeLuxe fruitcake since 1896, the recipe for which was brought over from Wiesbaden, Germany. The bakery ships its Texas fruitcakes, pecan cakes and other delicious pastries to 196 countries.
• In 2008, 5 million Texans traveled during the Christmas and New Year’s season, with 4.5 million traveling by car. Only California had more holiday travelers.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, three places in the country are named after the main course of Christmas dinner: Turkey, Texas, was the most populous in 2008, with 456 residents, followed by Turkey Creek, La. (361) and Turkey, N.C. (272).
• According to climate data gathered over the years, Abilene, Lubbock and Wichita Falls have a 3 percent chance of having a white Christmas, and Amarillo has a 7 percent chance of having snow on Dec. 25. The other major cities in Texas have nearly zero chance of a white Christmas.
• More than half of Texas consumers (55 percent) hope to spend more or the same on the holidays this year, an improvement from 43 percent last year. Texas consumers anticipate spending $1,380 over the holiday season, or 21 percent higher than the national average of $1,145.
• Three in four Texas consumers plan to use cash, checks or debit cards to pay for their gifts, compared to 65 percent nationwide. Only 23 percent of Texans expect to use credit cards.
• More than 60 percent of Texans expect to shop at discount/value department stores and 50 percent plan to shop via the Internet.
• Gift cards are expected to be the top gift for the sixth year in a row, with 67 percent of Texas consumers planning to buy an average of six gift cards for presents this year.

During the holiday season, people across our state will gather together and celebrate with friends and family to exchange gifts, offer thanks and reflect on the past year. Many Texans are also expected to buy Christmas trees, bake holiday treats or hit the roads to travel. To commemorate this special time of year, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has compiled some festive holiday facts about our state and its economy related to the season.

• Texas has approximately 150 Christmas tree farms across the state producing 200,000 trees annually on 2,500 acres. Texas Christmas tree growers contribute $12 million each year to the state’s economy. Christmas trees have been grown commercially in Texas since 1977. Virginia and Afghan pines are the most common Christmas trees grown in Texas.

• In Houston, the city saved $185,000 in landfill costs by recycling 5,800 tons of tree waste from 47,000 homes from October 2007 to September 2008. Seventy-nine tons of this tree waste was from Christmas tree recycling.

• In 2007, Texas producers contributed 75 million pounds of pecans toward the record United States total crop of more than 385 million pounds.

• The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book was first published in 1926. Neiman Marcus is headquartered in Dallas.

• The Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana has been baking the world-famous DeLuxe fruitcake since 1896, the recipe for which was brought over from Wiesbaden, Germany. The bakery ships its Texas fruitcakes, pecan cakes and other delicious pastries to 196 countries.

• In 2008, 5 million Texans traveled during the Christmas and New Year’s season, with 4.5 million traveling by car. Only California had more holiday travelers.

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, three places in the country are named after the main course of Christmas dinner: Turkey, Texas, was the most populous in 2008, with 456 residents, followed by Turkey Creek, La. (361) and Turkey, N.C. (272).

• According to climate data gathered over the years, Abilene, Lubbock and Wichita Falls have a 3 percent chance of having a white Christmas, and Amarillo has a 7 percent chance of having snow on Dec. 25. The other major cities in Texas have nearly zero chance of a white Christmas.

• More than half of Texas consumers (55 percent) hope to spend more or the same on the holidays this year, an improvement from 43 percent last year. Texas consumers anticipate spending $1,380 over the holiday season, or 21 percent higher than the national average of $1,145.

• Three in four Texas consumers plan to use cash, checks or debit cards to pay for their gifts, compared to 65 percent nationwide. Only 23 percent of Texans expect to use credit cards.

• More than 60 percent of Texans expect to shop at discount/value department stores and 50 percent plan to shop via the Internet.

• Gift cards are expected to be the top gift for the sixth year in a row, with 67 percent of Texas consumers planning to buy an average of six gift cards for presents this year.