In Texas, those with the gold 'continue to make the rules'

MySA.com: Metro | State: "The effort to bring equity to appraisals of — and taxes on — residential and commercial properties in Texas died an inglorious death in the 79th session of the Legislature.

The effort — led by three Bexar County legislators — seemed to gain momentum last fall in the wake of a report here that across Texas the sales of upscale homes and high-dollar commercial properties were often not reported to county appraisal offices. The result: Those properties were routinely under-appraised and under-taxed, placing an unfair, inequitable tax burden on middle-class homeowners.

On learning of the inequity, irate Express-News readers contacted their state representatives and senators and urged them to take corrective action by making mandatory sale-price disclosure a priority in the 2005 legislative session."