I. Your Representatives

a. Who are the FIVE legislators that represent you -- your U. S. Congressperson, your two  U.S. Senators,
your Texas State Representative and your Texas State Senator? What are their political party affiliations?
Do they hold leadership positions/roles?  
The Almanac of American Politics 2010 at Library reference and EReserves is strongly recommended for the Congressional delegation and the U. S. Congress Votes Database.
What is the National Journal's "The Congressional Jigsaw"? Find your Congressperson and the two U. S.
Senators in the Jigsaw. What are the three representatives 2008 Vote Ratings? Please write no more than one
paragraph per legislator.

b. How many Democrats and Republicans are currently serving in the Texas legislature? in the Congress? 

c.    Regarding the Texas legislature:  Who are the Texas state representatives for Collin County? What is their
 party affiliation? What part of Collin County do they represent? What is the issue regarding the Texas
Speaker of the House and his authority? How was/is Rep. Brian McCall involved regarding the speakership?
Has your current Texas State Representative/Senator been ranked as one of the “best or worst” Texas
legislators by Texas Monthly magazine from 1999 to 2009 and at EReserves.  What do the articles say about 
your representatives?  According to Texas Monthly what are the traits of a “best” legislator?  (EReserves and online to Texas Monthly subscribers.)

The Best and Worst Legislators 2009

by Paul Burka and Patricia Kilday Hart, Texas Monthly, July 2009.

d.  Fill out Collin County Senator Shapiro's State Issues Survey at  www.ShapiroSurvey.com and Representative
Jerry Madden's constituent survey and compare your answers to the constituent results and attach your
response pages to your paper.

e.  Find the Fiscal Responsibility Index ratings for: the Texas Legislature, the House and Senate Democrats & Republicans, and  the Collin County legislative delegation (state senators & state representatives). What is
the group Texans for Fiscal Responsibility?

II.  Texas Taxes
              a. The sales tax
     How much is the total  sales tax levied in your Texas city? What is the state's portion? the city's portion? For what purposes does the city spend its sales tax? Is your city a member of DART? How is DART financed? How much is the sales tax in each state? Where do the Texas sales taxes rank among the states?
             b.  Your local property taxes calculation 

     Calculate your 2009 local property taxes as if you were a homeowner. Follow these instructions carefully.  Attach the one page of calculations to your paper. (You may submit your calculations to the professor in advance by email for checking and have a chance to correct any incorrect calculations.)
     Answer these questions regarding the property tax:  What is a property tax abatement?  What is the "Robin Hood effect? What Collin County school districts are property wealthy? How much money do they have to share and how do they share? Does Collin County have a hospital district  and property tax? How much money does Collin County owe Parkland hospital?

 See among other information: 
ISDs web sites
Laurie Fox, "High costs, flat funding strain school districts' budgets," Dallas Morning News, June 29, 2008.
Ed Housewright, "Collin County commissioners approve homestead exemption on property taxes," Dallas Morning News, June 28, 2008.
Kate Alexander, "Capitol stirring again with calls for bigger sales tax," Austin American-Statesman, June 24, 2008
Ed Housewright, "Collin is top hospital debtor," Dallas Morning News, October 6, 2007, 1B, 7B.
Editorial, "It ain't over yet," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 31, 2006
Katherine Cromer Brock, "Districts' payments smaller, but not much," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 29, 2006.  
Robin Hood Texas at Google
History of Robin Hood School Finance System Plano ISD
Why Texans Won't Kill Robin Hood
Newsroom, Equity Center
Texas Education Agency, School Finance
End Robin Hood Now.
  

II alternative (for my GOVT 2301 graduates only) -- Legislative Redistricting in the USA & Texas
     a. Play the Redistricting Game found here. Include your results in your paper and write a page/s about the major ideas and issues you learned in playing the game.