by Peggy Venable
2/2/05

Sunday, February 6, is the birthday of my political hero, Ronald Reagan. He set out to change the country and ended up changing the world. It was my privilege to serve in his administration and today I am committed help continue his vision.

As California governor, Reagan was father of the tax and expenditure limits, and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), which will be considered in the Texas legislature this session. Its time has come.

In 1973, Gov. Ronald Reagan introduced Prop l -- the nation's first tax and expenditure limitation (TEL), which was designed to restrain state government growth over time. Though Prop 1 was voted down at the polls in November 1973, Governor Reagan wrote in the pages of National Review: "We have lost a battle, but this struggle will go on. The people will find a way to bring big government under control, to put a reasonable limit on how much of their income government may take in taxes. This idea will become a reality."

Reagan was right. Tax and expenditure limits inspired by Prop.1 have become a reality. Prop. 1 led to a nationwide tax revolt that, four decades later, has resulted in the passage of 26 tax and expenditure limitations. Texas , for example, passed a TEL in 1978. However, for a variety of reasons, the Texas TEL has not effectively constrained the growth of government.

Americans for Prosperity-Texas is leading the charge with a number of other organizations, to enact a Taxpayer Bill of Rights which will limit growth of state government to the population increase and inflation. In good economic times, the budget surplus would be used to create a budget stabilization fund which would be available when the economy goes south. Then the additional surplus would be returned to taxpayers. Taxpayers would need to approve spending above the limits set by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It's appropriate to put the taxpayer in control. After all, Ronald Reagan often said government works for us, we don't work for government.

In his farewell speech Jan 11, 1999 , he said, “ Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: "We the people." "We the people" tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. "We the people" are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the people" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free."

He led a revolution and his legacy should live on in Texas. We deserve true tax and expenditure limitations in the form of a Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

We also have opportunity to honor this great American. Rep. Martha Wong (R-Houston) proposed naming the circle around the Capitol as The Ronald Reagan Circle in HB 110 and Rep. Kent Grusendorf (R-Arlington) has introduced HB 55 which would designate IH 20 inside Dallas and Tarrant Counties as the Ronald Reagan Highway .

Texans would be well served to honor, remember, and continue the Reagan Revolution.