[Excerpt]
A surprising legislative success in 2021 is on track to be undone in 2023, unless a grass roots left-right coalition can block legislation and the forces behind it that are trying to go backward....
In the name of jobs and economic development, a 2012 tax code trick called Chapter 313 essentially funneled state money, via school district property tax breaks, to private companies doing new industrial construction. The school districts that granted tax breaks under Chapter 313 were reimbursed — and many still are being reimbursed — by the state, meaning we as taxpayers reimbursed them. It was the ultimate insider game of channeling public benefit to private companies.
The [Texas] Industrial Areas Foundation cleverly brought a man dressed as Dracula to its rally to dramatize how Chapter 313 unfairly drained school districts of funds and that reviving this bad economic development deal would be akin to raising the undead.
....The [right-wing Texas Public Policy] foundation astutely pointed out that “many politicians want (Chapter 313) restored because taking our money and handing it over to others buys them power, favors and campaign donations.”
And because it is corporate welfare rather than people welfare, the nonpartisan...coalition known as Texas Industrial Areas Foundation is also opposed.
Chapter 313 "Vampire Fund" Opponents Rally in Austin, Austin Journal [pdf]
Taylor: Like a Zombie, Texas Corporate Welfare Threatens to Rise from Its Grave to Plague Taxpayers, San Antonio Express-News [pdf]
Texas' Zombie Tax Break Is Baaa-aaack. But Is Chapter 313 Any Better? Houston Chronicle [pdf]
Valley Interfaith: Don't Suck Money Out of Public Education to Help Large Corporations, Rio Grande Guardian [audio]
Press Conference Footage, Texas IAF [video]
Death of a Vampire, Texas IAF [video]
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