Saturday, February 22, 1997

Farm Bureau president first to testify on Bush tax plan

By J.T. Smith / Farm Editor

The president of Texas' largest farm organization reaffirmed the support of farmers and ranchers for Gov. George W. Bush's property tax reform plan at an Austin hearing at mid-week.

Bob Stallman, president of the Texas Farm Bureau, was the first public witness to appear before a House Select Committee on Revenue and Public Education Funding on Wednesday.

The hearing was the first held by the select committee to take public testimony. It marked the beginning of work on House Bill 4.

This bill contains the plan proposed by Gov. Bush in his State-of-the-State address last month.

"We strong support the development and implementation of another form of funding for public school finance that will more closely track the economy of the State of Texas," Stallman said in his testimony.

The Texas Farm Bureau president said HB4 accomplishes that goal.

Property tax is inadequate for schools

Stallman said the property tax, the primary method of funding the state's public schools, is inadequate to meet the needs of school funding in the future.

"Property taxes have more than doubled in the past 10 years, while overall property tax values have declined 6 percent in the same period," Stallman said. "Yet, the Texas economy has grown significantly during the same period."

Stallman, a Columbus rice farmer, said tht retail sales increased 71 percent, and gross state product jumped 57 percent in the same 10-year period.

The Farm Bureau chief also pointed out that property taxes on agricultural land - though valued on productivity rather than market value - are still significantly higher than justified by agriculture's share of the gross state product.

"The loss of agricultural valuation would make property taxes almost confiscatory," Stallman cautioned legislators.

Stallman noted that agricultural land is not exempt from taxation. Qualifying agricultural land is valued according to its productive value.

Members questioned Stallman

Members of the committee questioned Stallman on sales tax exemptions for agriculture.

Stallman pointed out that these exemptions are the same as other industries receive on the cost of inputs or raw materials.

"Agriculture is - in reality - a manufacturing business," Stallman responded. "Our processes are biological rather than physical, but the principle is the same."

Stallman said the sales tax exemptions help the economy by boosting agriculture and other industries, and create jobs in the process.

The Farm Bureau leader pledged the support of Texas Farm Bureau in working with legislators and Gov. Bush to craft a plan that addresses the dual goals of meaningful property tax reform and quality education.

Bulls listed<

Santa Anna rancher Clay Pevehouse has two bulls liste in the 1997 Spring Sire Evaluation Report of the American Angus Association of St. Joseph, Mo.

The report is issued in the spring and fall and has the latest performance information available on 4,424 sires.

This information is in the form of expected progeny differences or "EPDs."

The EPDs are can help cattle producers predict performance of their animals.

Comanche ranch country soggy

With a week left to go in February, the sprawling ranch country in Comanche County is soaked with water over the dams of stock tanks, and creeks rolling.

"In the Comanche area, we had 3 to 4 inches in the Thursday rain," said John Dudley of Dudley Bros. Herefords, Comanche. "That brought us to 6 to 7 inches of rain just for February...so far."

John said that is quite a contrast to his weather records of February 1996.

"For last February, all I wrote was 'hot and dry' for the <I>entire<I> month," Dudley said. "Cool and wet is a nice switch."

Butch Albus of Parker Implement Company in Abilene tried to travel on a county road near Santa Anna on Thursday and found about 5 feet of water over the road near Burkett.

Albus covers a wide area and reports great optimism among farmers and ranchers for 1997. Serious inquiries for new farm machinery are clealy up this year over last.

Dan Childress in Callahan County reported 4.9 inches of rain at his place near Cottonwood for February up to this weekend.

Riley Deatherage of Tye says there is already is enough moisture to support the wheat crop through at least March.