Local News
Congressman talks taxpayers’ rights in Athens
U.S. Representative Jeb Hensarling met with members of the Athens Noon Kiwanis Club Tuesday to discuss an American Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
Hensarling said with the April 15 income tax filing deadline coming, Americans are feeling the bite of a federal government that over the past 50 years has taken an increasingly large chunk of the family income.
“The federal budget has outgrown the family budget over that period five to one. That’s unsustainable over time,” Hensarling said. “Conservatives believe if your budget is growing three or four percent why should the federal governments budget grow seven, eight or nine percent?” Hensarling said.
Hensarling said if Americans would pass a spending limitation amendment to the Constitution, Congress would be forced to make some hard decisions concerning where it spends the billions of dollars in tax revenues at its disposal each year.
“Out of the roughly 10,000 federal programs, spread over 600 agencies, we’ll start to make those decisions,” Hensarling said. Some of the programs funded today have outlived their usefulness, while others may have been conceived with good intentions but have failed to achieve their purpose, Hensarling said.
According to Hensarling, the taxpayer bill of rights has four points:
• Taxpayers have a right to have a federal government that does not grow beyond their ability to pay for it.
• Taxpayers have a right to receive back each dollar that they entrust to the government for their retirement.
• Taxpayers have a right to expect the government to balance the budget without having their taxes raised.
• Taxpayers have a right to a simple, fair tax code that they can understand.
- Local News
-
-
Three arrested on drug charges
Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt reports four recent arrests by west-end investigators that solved an Athens-area car burglary, and a Malakoff jewelry theft.
-
Hoofbeats pound pavement in the rain
Splash, splash, splash went the hoofbeats as New Hampshire native Bob Skelding’s horse-drawn wagon rolled through Henderson County Monday.
-
Highway 175 proves to be busy chase route
U.S. Highway 175 has been a busy strip of roadway lately with offenders attempting to outrun law officers in vehicle chases.
-
Preparations for March 2 primary elections in full swing
Preparations for the March 2 primary elections are in full swing at the Henderson County Election Center.
-
Cruising the seas
Ewald and Doris Albers take the Athens Daily Review with them on their cruise to Honduras and Mexico, aboard the Voyager of the Seas.
-
Time to get busy pruning
February is here and it is time to get busy, for fruit growers that is, pruning fruit trees in East Texas.
-
SAR honors a good corporate citizen
Athens Chapter Sons of the American Revolution President Charles Luna, right, presents First State Bank, Athens Vice President Michael Neill with the Community Service Award for funding its Eagle Scout Scholarship, the Jeff Austin, Senior Scholarship.
-
ETMC Auxiliary Report
To those of you who have considered joining our auxiliary but haven’t done it yet, I wish you could have been at the Feb. 3 meeting.
-
ETGS to focus on writing
The East Texas Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting on Saturday, February 13, at 2 p.m. in the Taylor Auditorium at the Tyler Public Library, 201 S. College, Tyler.
-
Financial gifts for your valentine
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so you’d better get going with the flowers and chocolates for your sweetie.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Three arrested on drug charges
