If the legislature really wanted to do something to benefit people if Central Texas, they could use less than half a billion to rebuild all of the dams on the Guadalupe River that have failed or about to fail.

I know that some of the $50 billion has been set aside for tax relief, but they still have over $30 billion to spend.

That is our money, I vote refund checks!

Any surplus at all should be returned to the taxpayers no matter how little. By prancing around bragging about a surplus all they are doing is showing us how much they over tax us to start with.

That's all true, but now they have it and they will NOT give it back. A bunch is going to end up in the "rainy day fund", and the rest wasted on pork barrel projects and good old boy contracts. It's happened before and it will happen this time too. The dams on the Guadalupe will benefit a lot of people. Rebuild the dams, repair the generators, and turn them over to a real river authority or electric co-op to operate. Cut GBRA completely out of the mix.

They have to keep some in reserve for sure but to just hand it back to the people would only be eat up by inflation as it would go up even more than it is already. Handing out to much $ is what got this inflation started to start with

How much of that money came from taxes on businesses such as oil companies? We don't have a state income tax and property tax money goes to local taxing authorities, not Austin. Other than sales taxes most of that surplus was not collected directly from taxpayers.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to get a check. I'm just talking about who got directly taxed in the first place.

I am with you, whoever paid too much ought to get it back. No new projects, no looking for somewhere to spend it, give it back to the people you stole it from! My wife and I, she a nurse practitioner and me a shop guy, end up living on about 1/2 of what we actually earn by the time we pay our tithing and taxes. Blessed beyond measure for the tithing part but the tax part just keeps getting worse. I am over the govt. who does nothing to earn a dime, stealing and wasting money!

Whoever paid it in should get it back.

WOW! Let's be very clear. What got us into this mess was NOT handing out SURPLUS money. What got us into this mess is HANDING OUT BORROWED money. Big, massive, huge, difference. The federal government is $32 trillion dollars short of having a $0.01 cent surplus. I agree we have to keep some in a rainy day fund. That is just sound money management. However, anything past the budgeted expenses and keeping the rainy day fund at a reasonable level should absolutely be returned to those that pay taxes. It doesn't have to be in the form of a check either. How about putting that excess money on next years budget to lower the absurd property taxes that we pay? I'm okay with a check to if that is easier. Make no mistake though, if you pay taxes that is your money. Anyone who says otherwise has their head in the sand.

Pay teachers more money too!!

I'm with Bill on this one. I actually wrote the Governor and Lt Governor on this very issue today. Been writing them for four years almost weekly, and have never had a response.

Ridiculous that the homeowners are having to increase their own property taxes to rebuild the dams. Lake Gonzales and Wood will never be built back because they don't have the tax base. These, with the exception of McQueeney, were public lakes with free public access.

Buy a billion dollars worth of gators, snakes and piranhas for the Rio Grande

Can I get enough back for a new boat??

well if we paid overone in Texas over 18 that would be about $2200 per person. What kind would you order?