From the Austin American-Statesman:
Surge in property tax bills spurs push to reform tax appraisal process
On a recent evening, more than 300 homeowners who are worried about their rising property tax bills filled First Unitarian Universalist Church in North Austin for a town hall meeting. If something doesn’t change, many said, they will soon be priced out of their homes.Two nights later, a similar discussion played out in South Austin, where homeowners gathered at Grace United Methodist Church in Travis Heights to talk about what can be done to slow escalating residential tax values.
Emphasis mine. How can Gretchen fail to understand that for every park, library, school improvement, etc... there is a price and that price is borne by the tax-payers who get to 'enjoy' the benefits.
Light Rail is in a class by itself - several studies have shown that given the total cost of construction divided by the number of regular riders, it would be cheaper to buy each rider a Prius. Based on the annual maintenance cost, it would be cheaper to give each Prius owner $10,000/year for fuel and maintenance.