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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery |
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and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law on February 17, 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, This legislation will result in $787 billion of |
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stimulus spending by the federal government through state and local |
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units of government, and this extraordinary increase in spending |
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will burden future generations of Americans with unprecedented |
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levels of debt; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas has built its economic strength through low |
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taxation, a balanced budget, and a predictable regulatory climate; |
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as a result of its fiscally conservative approach, the state has |
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created 393,300 jobs over the past two years, which is 124,300 more |
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jobs than it is estimated that the federal stimulus spending will |
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create or save in Texas over the next two years; and |
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WHEREAS, The size of government in the state could grow by $16 |
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billion as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of |
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2009; this expansion is fundamentally at odds with the fiscally |
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sound approach that has made Texas the nation's largest creator of |
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private sector jobs and the nation's biggest exporter; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas can retain the strength of its economy by |
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ensuring that federal stimulus funds are not used to create new |
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government programs or expand existing programs; because federal |
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stimulus funds will not be available in future years, any new |
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programs that are created will eventually have to be funded by state |
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tax revenues that are needed for meeting constitutional obligations |
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and providing essential services; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby direct all state agencies to ensure that federal stimulus |
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funding is used only to finance one-time, non-recurring expenses |
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that do not require permanent changes to Texas law; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That counties, cities, school districts, and other |
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local governments that receive federal stimulus funds also ensure |
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that federal stimulus funding is used only to finance one-time, |
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non-recurring expenses that do not require permanent changes to |
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Texas law; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That federal stimulus funds received by the State |
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of Texas not impact the maintenance of effort required by any public |
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health, public education, or welfare program to attract federal |
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matching funds in the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward copies of |
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this resolution to the governor of the State of Texas, to every |
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agency of the state that is expected to receive federal stimulus |
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funding, and to every county, city, school district, and special |
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district that is currently authorized to levy a tax; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this resolution |
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be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to |
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the Congress of the United States of America. |