Wildwood West Neighborhood Association

DISTRICT 125 UPDATE

By Joaquin Castro

I have created this e-mail list to keep in touch with you about what's happening in the legislature. The e-mails will be part analysis and part opinion. I think everyone deserves to know what's happening and what their representative is thinking on important issues. Since the District stretches from Our Lady of the Lake University on the westside to near UTSA on the northwest, it's also a way to stay in touch with neighborhood leaders from throughout the District.

This legislative session has been challenging. In addition to the fight over redistricting, our state's $10B shortfall created some very tough choices. Some of those choices I very much disagree with. Most alarming were the cuts to healthcare (particularly the CHIP program) and education. I voted against virtually all cuts in these areas because I believe they are part of the foundation to building a greater San Antonio and Texas. To live up to our potential, we need to be healthy and well-educated. Texas ranks poorly against other states in both these areas. I think we can do better, so I voted against the cuts.

I was disappointed that the Governor relied heavily on cutting programs and not so much on raising revenue. I understand the desire not to raise property or sales taxes. Appraisals keep driving up property tax bills and higher sales taxes hurt the people who can least afford it. But there were other ways to raise money for Texas.

I thought we should have considered raising the cigarette tax. Texas has one of the lowest cigarette taxes in the country, and it has not been raised since 1990. We could have raised up to $1.5 B in new revenue, erasing the need for deep cuts. Similarly, I think we should have considered a modest increase in alcohol taxes on liquor and other spirits. Unfortunately, these ideas were never on the table.

A very important issue that will be coming up next spring is school finance. We will be holding a special session (probably the Fourth Special Session) exclusively on that issue. There are two San Antonians - Michael Villareal and Elizabeth Ames Jones -- who sit on a special committee that will be holding hearings throughout the state in an effort to formulate a plan. As you know, this issue has a long, controversial history in Texas. I don't expect the debate in Austin will always be pleasant.

For our District, I want to make sure that the two school districts that we take in -- Northside and Edgewood -- do well under a new plan. I have spoken with officials, parents, students and others in both districts to get a sense for their priorities. At Northside, the biggest issue is growing enrollment and the $1.50 tax cap. At Edgewood, it's preserving equity in funding.

I will write more about school finance as the debate develops.

We are going into a Third Special Session on redistricting, probably next week. As soon as it's over, I will be putting out a newsletter to summarize the legislative session and to discuss the legislation that I passed this session.

Well, I hope everyone is doing well. I'm looking forward to making to neighborhood meetings again soon. I hope my staff, Celso Hurtado and Cynthia Chapa, are helping with any issues or concerns that you have. If you ever want to talk, feel free to call me on my cell phone at 573-1267.

Sincerely,

Joaquin