Make Your VOTE Count
Many in and around the Spring-Klein Community do not live in the City of Houston and cannot, therefore, vote for any of their ballot items. It is tempting, then, to avoid voting altogether. There are many important propositions on this Nov 3 ballot that you can study at http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2009novballotlang.shtml as they do impact the community significantly.
Of particular interest to many in Houston, Harris County and the surrounding areas is Proposition 4 that deals with the University of Houston’s ability to become a Tier 1 research institution. For a variety of reasons many feel this benefits our region in economic development and our competitive position. Keep in mind that we will have a University of Houston location on SH 249 in just a few months as part of the new Lonestar College multi-institution complex. Below is a summary of Proposition 4.
To cast an informed vote, here are four things that are important to understand:
- Texas has only 3 Tier One universities while California has 9 and New York 7. Tier One institutions have tremendous economic impact, with research expenditures resulting in a 200 percent return on investment. Texas loses $3.7 billion a year – and thousands of our academically gifted high school students who leave for out-of-state colleges – because we do not have a comparable number of Tier One schools.
- Creation of the National Research University Fund (NRUF) does not call for any taxes to be levied or bonds to be issued. Money in the dormant Higher Education Fund – plus any money added in future years – will become the NRUF.
- To qualify for NRUF funding, the seven schools – UH, Texas Tech, UT-Arlington, UT-Dallas , UT-San Antonio, UT-El Paso and the University of North Texas – will each have to meet rigorous benchmarks determined by the Legislature and Higher Education Coordinating Board. Criteria include the amount of research expenditures, the number of Ph.D degrees awarded and endowment levels.
- The enabling legislation behind Proposition 4 received unanimous bipartisan support in the Texas Legislature and has been applauded by major newspapers (Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News) and civic leaders (former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and the Greater Houston Partnership).
! General Election Day November 3, 2009
For more information on voting and to locate your Harris County polling location go to: www.tax.co.harris.tx.us
click on Voter Registration
For a complete list of ALL Propositions Click Here
Categories: Community, Politics
Tags: SKCC Spring Klein News Spring Klein Harris County Votes
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