Monday, October 24, 2011
An Amendment to the Texas Constitution Worth Voting For.
Election Day is fast approaching for the proposed Constitutional Amendments of the Lone Star State. Among the ten is one particular amendment that I feel should be considered by all freedom loving Americans who value the efforts of brave men and woman who sacrifice everything for us.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, under the current Texas Constitution "military veterans who have been declared 100 percent disabled can receive a homestead exemption for tax purposes, but it does not transfer to their spouses when they die...." Proposition No. 1 (S.J.R. No. 14), if passed, will extend the homestead tax exemption to the surviving spouses of soldiers.
The Department of Veterans Affairs reported in their 2010 Texas State Summary that 297,319 Texans are disabled and currently receiving compensation. Disability compensation ranges from 10-100% based on the severity of the soldiers injuries sustained from their service. The summary does not provide exactly how many veterans are 100% disabled, but being a service member myself and understanding the VA's disability policies, I can assure you that the collective number given by the VA is exponentially larger than the totally disabled population (remember that only 100% disabled veterans are eligible for this exemption).
The reason that this amendment needs to pass is simple. Respect. As of the 2010 census, there are 25,145,561 people in the state of Texas, 1,701,675 are veterans of our Nations foreign wars representing 6.8% of the population and .54% of the Nations population. Of this small community, a much smaller group of wives and husbands have been caring for a broken soldier who bears the scars of war and literally cannot function without assistance. When the service member inevitably parishes, the spouse's efforts and commitment to the deceased are ignored and the collection of taxes ensues. Whether you consider yourself socially conservative, moderate, or liberal, this is the very definition of heartless.
We as a State and Nation owe it to the families of veterans who pay the ultimate sacrifices so we don't have to. To tax a surviving spouse of a disabled veteran is a cowardly act. The families of our vets bear the internal scars from countless deployments and forever changed wives and husbands. These family's are taxed enough.
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ReplyDeleteJosh Coffman, in his blog The Eyes of Texas, argues for a proposed amendment to the Texas constitution that would allow for the surviving spouses of 100% disabled veterans who have passed away, to continue to receive a homestead tax exemption. Currently the law extends to completely disabled veterans, but not to their spouses in the event of death. Coffman presents a convincing and moving argument that this courtesy should be extended to the spouses of our veterans as well: the wives and husbands that inevitably are faced with the care of their disabled veteran spouses, deserve all of the appreciation that we can bestow upon them and more. The argument he presents is simple and difficult to disagree with: ensuring that the spouse of a deceased disabled veteran continues to receive exemption from homestead taxes is the right thing to do, regardless of political stance.
How can this simple statement be contested? These disabled veterans, men and women, have given up months and years of their lives in service to our country and were rewarded with injuries that would haunt them the rest of their lives. Their spouses have raised children alone, worried about their wives and husbands at home alone, and unfortunately have had many of their worries realized as their husbands and wives have returned home injured and disabled. When these veterans return home, the spouses are the ones who continue to raise children alone, along with caring for and assisting their disabled spouse. These spouses - husbands and wives - are heroes and deserve every bit of our respect and appreciation. This is the least in probably a long list of things the state government should implement to ensure the care of veterans and their spouses and families and I, for one, fully support any steps in the right direction. The vote was cast on November 8th and the outcome should be announced shortly.
In Josh Coffman's original commentary, An Amendment to the Texas Constitution Worth Voting For, he writes about Proposition Number 1 coming up in the elections. If this proposition passes, it "will extend the homestead tax exemption to the surviving spouses of soldiers."
ReplyDeleteI feel that the author provided a very reasoned response as to why we as Texans, as humans, should have the heart to pass this proposition. The author clearly knows what he is talking about and it is evident that he researched the topic. I personally am astounded about the amount of disabled veterans in Texas and how strict the current tax exemption is for veterans.
I would like to applaud the author for this well written and thought out article.
This article written by Josh Coffman is literature that everyone, especially registered voters, should read. Mr. Coffman explains how this proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution would allow for a veteran who is 100% disabled to receive a homestead exemption for tax purposes that can be passed on to his/her spouse upon passing away ( Visit Eyes of Texas for complete article). Although this may seem arbitrary, the sheer good an amendment like this can have on a veteran's family is inmeasurable.
ReplyDeleteThe toll of caring for a disabled loved one is unknown to many, including myself. However, I can imagine the dedication and love necessary to make this feat a reality. Dealing with the tax issues that are allowed for presently isn't fair to the family who has just lost a family member. The least we can do as citizens to show our appreciation is to pass this amendment. Mr. Coffman points out how small the portion of the population this will actually affect, but one can imagine how greatly received it would be.
Choosing to place oneself in danger for the good of others is a task met daily by the men and women who serve in our military. It's time to say thank you and show the respect this type of courage earns. It's time to get this amendment passed.