Government does not and must never have an unending claim to the fruits of Texans' labors. In order to increase freedom and personal responsibility, we must limit state government.

Texas current has a weak spending limit (Article VIII, Section 22 of the state constitution). Since the passage of the existing constitutional spending limit in 1978, state spending has risen about 500% while personal income has only grown about 400% and gross state product has grown 366%. State appropriations over the last thirty years have more than doubled every ten years.

Clearly, the existing constitutional spending limit is entirely ineffectual as proven by its inability to abate this increase in spending.

The flawed constitutional spending limit should be rewritten to limit growth of the state budget to population growth plus inflation. In using this measure, the state will be able to continue to provide necessary services to the population as it grows, but any budget growth above this will be constitutionally restricted.

Other necessary reforms to tax and spending policy include:

• Ensuring that constitutionally dedicated funds are used for their intended purpose or
  returned to taxpayers.
• Halving the rate of the new Gross Margins business tax.
• Ensuring that only profitable businesses pay the Gross Margins business tax.
• Returning surplus state revenues to taxpayers in the form of property tax rate reduction.
• Ending double taxation on phone bills and supporting the Public Utilities Commission recommendation on limiting the Universal Service Fund.