A way to (efficiently) rob the taxpayers

Bills considered by the Legislature often have titles that are incomprehensible (except to a few lawyers) or misleading, but whoever drafted House Bill 33, a private school voucher bill by Rep. Sid Miller, came up with a doozy.

The caption identifies it as a bill “providing for efficient government resource allocation.”

Yeah, about as efficient as someone dipping his hand into the government till every other day or so.

This is a bill that would divert untold millions of state dollars from public schools that already are losing $4 billion under the new state budget. And, voucher recipients in this program wouldn’t be limited to lowincome kids from failing schools. Any family, regardless of income, could apply for tax dollars to send their children to private school.

The legislation was concocted by one of those groups that think government is here to help the rich get richer. Unfortunately, it’s the kind of message that appeals to many of Texas’ current crop of legislators.

If you want to testify against this bad bill, it is scheduled for a public hearing on Monday before the House Government Efficiency & Reform Committee in Room E2.012 of the state Capitol extension. The hearing will begin at 3 p.m. or upon adjournment of the House that day.

Miller, the sponsor, is a Republican from Stephenville.

The idea also cropped up during the regular legislative session and went nowhere. But now it gets another chance. So watch out!

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