TPWD News Release

AUSTIN, Texas — Almost every Texan would feel the effects of Proposition 4 on the Nov. 6 statewide ballot, but few people may understand the proposition’s ballot language.

Proposition 4 would authorize up to $1 billion in bonds to pay for maintenance, improvement, repair, and construction projects for nine state agencies. It stems from Senate Joint Resolution 65 passed by the 80th Texas Legislature.

Affected agencies include the Parks and Wildlife Department, Historical Commission, Department of Public Safety, Department of State Health Services, Department of Aging and Disability Services, Youth Commission, Department of Criminal Justice, Facilities Commission, and Adjutant General’s Department.

When voters step into ballot booths, they’ll see 16 constitutional amendments, including several other bond items. The Proposition 4 ballot language will read, “The constitutional amendment authorizing the issuance of up to $1 billion in bonds payable from the general revenues of the state for maintenance, improvement, repair, and construction projects and for the purchase of needed equipment.”

Texas State Parks stand to get $52 million in bond authority from Proposition 4 for 2008-2009, including $27 million for major repairs at parks across the state and $25 million to help fund a new dry berth for long-term preservation of the Battleship TEXAS.

Texas historic sites and courthouses would get $48 million from Proposition 4 for 2008-2009. That includes $17 million for needed repairs at 20 historic sites across Texas and $31 million to continue Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program matching grants for cities and towns statewide.

Proposition 4 would also improve statewide crime fighting by providing up to $200 million for 2008-2009 for the Department of Public Safety. This would pay for new and expanded crime labs serving law enforcement across Texas, which would speed up turnaround time for evidence analysis and prepare for caseload growth in the future. Most current crime labs are close to 30 years old with caseloads now up to eight times their original scope.

Proposition 4 would also fund a new Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (driving track) facility in Williamson County with driving training areas, classrooms and driving simulators to serve all Texas law enforcement agencies on a scheduled basis.

The proposition would also fund repair and renovation of mental health state schools and hospitals, critical deferred maintenance and asbestos abatement for state offices, construction of prison facilities (if needed), major maintenance projects at 14 Texas National Guard readiness centers and repairs at Camp Mabry in Austin, among other items.

Bonds such as those for Proposition 4 are like low-interest loans. The government sells bonds to investors, then pays them back with interest over time. Bonds are often used to fund deferred maintenance, which can prevent higher costs in the future.

A coalition of state agencies affected by Proposition 4 is working to help educate and inform voters, explaining how bond funds would be spent and how this would affect the public. State agencies are not advocating for or against the proposition, but they are urging citizens and state employees to get informed about Proposition 4 and exercise their right to vote.

On the Net:

http://www.proposition4.org

And the interest in which the loans are to be paid back, eh?

I see nothing in the prop that says all the money will be used as stated. Money will end up in General Fund and dispersed else where. Want to wait and see.

JP;
Thank you for the information ,it changes how I was going to vote. Where did you get the amounts,that is what worried me.

BINGO!!

Does the Proposition 4 ballot language specify how bond dollars will be spent?

"No, the ballot language voters will see in the voting booth is general."

Here's the list of projects that are supposed to be done with the money.

http://www.proposition4.org/projects.php

thx, fishlady...


I read the material and I'm not sure what the deal is. I think this has more to do with "prisons" than it does "parks."

The more I read I see how this is a dangerous proposition.Some spin doctor is trying to sell this off as something to do with "parks."

No.

Let me break it down.

refuse to fund the prisons already established-
take a loan out
build three new prisons
problem solved

but....

higher conviction rate
higher debt
higher taxes

Nice post JP. So. Where do you stand on this one?

I have to agree, this proposition seems to leave it wide open as to where the money "will" go and state what its "planned" for. Haven't we seen this before? TPWD doesn't get half the money that the govmnt said was "planned" for them. This feels like another bait and switch.

So we are to do nothing?
We certainly need the crime labs and prisons until there is no more crime. I know they are totally underfunded and the prisons are filled to capacity and more. I don't want criminals released on the street before their sentence is up,

As for the crime labs, I know they are way underfunded and understaffed.
I will vote for it, even though there is nothing allocated for Falcon lake. 8(

Why not just use the surplus they already have...
Instead they want to throw 3 billion at Mercke.....errr...ummm....sorry...I meant cancer research.

looks like just another big government rip-off to me.

Beware of any proposition that raises money for anything. There is a reason why the propositions are worded so as to be confusing. Its so you don't see the loopholes that allow the money to go elsewhere, usually to the state i.e. some politicians and lobbyists pockets. Nearly every bill or amendment that asks for money is authored and sponsored by legislators receiving contributions from industry lobbyists and/or special interest groups. Those folks have plenty of their own money to advance their interests without taking ours.

Gosh, do ya really think the politicians might actually promise one thing and do another? Got to remember that this is the State government that wants to build a transportation corridor from Mexico to Oklahoma 6 football field wide and give the construction contracts to over seas outfits and give ownership of the toll roads to some outfit from Spain. Not just hire the foreign out fits to run the toll roads, actually give them ownership (from what I hear). I don't pretend to know what the props are or what they are for, but I will probably vote no to all of them just out of hand unless some one an come up with a good reason not to.

I'm still waiting to see whatever happened to the extra $5 bucks each of us paid for our TX fishing license. Wasn't that money suppose to go to the parks?

Sorry. No can do. I have to vote against almost any state proposition that borrows money (i.e. sell bonds). The state should fund it's projects with income.

I believe that $5 was to go to rebuild hatcheries but I wonder if they ever got it.

This Prop would be a lot easier to vote for if they separated the parks portion from the rest. I'm still disgusted with the way they have diverted sporting goods tax dollars designated for Parks and wildlife to the general fund.

This reminds me of those TPWD license plates that they supposedly benefit from but the money actually goes into a general fund to be used for other projects that have nothing to do with the TPWD. The whole political process is scandalous IMO.

Every proposition passed. Amazing.