The most nationally-famous example of political corruption in South Texas was in 1948 when Lyndon Baines Johnson was in a tight race with former Texas governor Coke Stevenson in a runoff election for Texas Senator. Luckily for LBJ, after a very close initial count, a recount revealed that 202 Mexican Americans (some of whom were dead or not even in the county on election day)had lined up in alphabetical order at precinct 13 in Jim Wells county and voted unanimously for LBJ.

LBJ won the race by what he jokingly referred to as an, “87-vote landslide.” He went on to become senate majority leader, vice-president, and upon JFK’s assination in — would you believe — Dallas, Texas,became President of the United States.

You think these politicians will part with their money? My bet is no.

Greg, you probably are aware of this somewhat related story, but here in Wisconsin, just North of Milwaukee, the Washington County Board of Supervisors voted in the fall of 2005 to provide Cabela’s Outfitters with a $4,000,000.00 tax deferment if they would locate their new store in West Bend (employing over 300 people!!).

Cabela’s agreed in less than 10 days. The massive new store was built. It has quickly become a tourist destination for sporting and camping enthusiasts, much like Bass Pro is in Springfield, Mo.

On May 8th of this year, the newly elected Board has decided to renege on the agreement the previous Board had inked with Cabela’s and NOT come through on their end of the agreement!!

They maintain the County cannot afford that type of tax abatement for private retailers and the previous Board could not speak for the new Board!! How crazy is that?

Power corrupts and these people lose sight of making any common sense!!

Good luck down in Texas, but don’t hold your breath, just go to a different location that will welcome the Winter Texans with open arms!!

This is clearly double taxation and has been outlawed since the founding of this country. These politicians need to read history and be reminded of why we fought in the revolution.

The state needs to enforce the laws that have been passed in the legislature and put the county officials in their place. It is obvious that there is little if any support for these actions and the state has the authority to step in with already approved legislation.

I would be intersted to see the reaction of every home owner in these 2 counties if they were forced to pay sales tax when they purchased their home and then had to pay annual tax as well. I bet these home owners would feel quite a bit differently about their officials then.

If these idiots are not stopped, they will do the same thing to boats, stock trailers, pickups with shells and who knows what else. Every one of these items is parked on property at some time in these counties and could be lived in.

The residents need to look at their officials closely. And they need to look at not only the lost revenue from snow-birds sales tax, but lost tax when all able bodied residents relocate to a with reasonable tax rates.

Clark McEwen
Executive Director
Texas RV Association

My guess is that like many gov’t money it all gets spent and for some reason politicians have a hard time cutting services and programs when it’s necessary.

Realistically, if you and I ran our houselholds like many local, state, and federal gov’t branches we’d have to go bankrupt.