Magicians aren't the only ones playing tricks. Legislators are as well according to the Dallas Morning News editorial, "Lawmakers cover up financial woes with slick budget trick". The article asserts that legislators are implementing a "slight of hand" of sorts by appropriating taxes and fees for certain causes, but then using the funds for other matters when money gets tight. For example, one tax was created to equip emergency rooms and paramedic units, and yet only 53% of the funds collected was actually spent on the designated purpose.
According to the article, many lawmakers use the tax money that was supposed to be spent for certain endeavors, such as roads and animal shelters, to later bring out a "surplus of money" and appear as if they had balanced the suffering budget. In a sense, Texas lawmakers are using smoke and mirrors by moving money around instead of actually confronting the hard issue of shortfalls in the budget and tax structure.
This editorial represents the cry of Texans across the state. We don't want legislators to deceive us any longer and manipulate our perception of our state government's spending. We just want them to be honest. Of course, we don't expect the legislature to make everything perfect because, after all, we understand the poor economic times that have fallen on the entire country. Yet we do except them to not use any "slight of hand".
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