More than two dozen members of the Texas Legislature are calling on Congress [1] to maintain the sales tax deduction for Texans on our federal income taxes. Unless Congress acts, we'll again lose this important protection.

For many years, only people living in states with income taxes could deduct their tax load from their federal burden -- effectively forcing Texans and the residents of eight other states to pay higher burdens. (An income tax is the worst possible revenue source for government, as every economist worth a warm cup of spit knows. Former Fed Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said as much in one of his final testimonies before Congress a few years ago.)

When sales tax deductibility was restored a few years ago, the Texas economy got an immediate, demonstrable boost, according to these members, with some $700 million staying in the Lone Star State.

(Read their letter.) [2]

Signing the letter were: Wayne Christian Ken paxton Bill Callegari Dan Flynn Linda Harper-Brown Leo Berman Frank Corte Dan Gattis Kelly Hancock Patricia Harless Will Hartnett Bryan Highes Phil King Geanie Morrison Corbin Van Arsdale Charlie Howard Jim Jackson Thomas Latham John Otto Dan Patrick David Swinford Jim Murphy Tan Parker Larry Taylor Beverly Wooley Bill Zedler John Zerwas