Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald September 9, 2007 

This month completes three years of Common Sense Columns in the Brownsville Herald, and it has been an exhilarating time. In the first two years I was amazed that my articles were accessed more than 60,000 times on my internet site; in just the last year the articles were re-read and reprinted more than 100,000 times. There is a regular readership from Germany, the Russian Federation, Sweden, France, Japan and China to name the most frequent visitors, in addition to the United States. 

It is very humbling to consider these statistics. My goal is that the columns put today’s world in a Common Sense perspective with a suggested solution for some of the ills, and then someone thinks about the issue and works toward a better result. It seems to be getting some attention. 

Among the most read articles are ones that examine our local taxes. The news in the last week or so have been full of this or that taxing authority reducing taxes with the exception of the City of Brownsville. 

On September 5, Cameron County was reported to have reduced the tax rate by $0.0011129 from a current rate of $0.034932 to $0.0338191 per $100 of valuation. It doesn’t quite look like a ½ of a penny cut to me. This would mean that a $75,000 house which may not exist anymore, would have been taxed an amount $261.99 and the same house if the appraisal has not been increased, also unlikely would require that the same modest house be taxed at $253.64 or a savings for one year of $8.35. However, if our taxpayer was like me, the value of his property was also appraised at an amount 10% higher than last year or $82,500. So our beleaguered taxpayer will still have to cough up $279.00 or an additional tax of $25.36. So instead of getting a free breakfast on the county the taxpayer of very modest means, will have to give up breakfast for three days. More likely the case would be the seasoned citizens in our area who live on fixed incomes who might just forgo the prescription this month.  More »