Tax Return Preparation— Electronic Filing We are ready to help you with a broad range of tax needs including
* * * *
Form 1040— Personal Tax Return Business Returns —Corporate & Partnership Tax Planning & Projections Complimentary Electronic Filing for School Teachers, Peace Officers and Firefighters
VOL 6 No. 12
Sandersen Knox & Company, LLP 130 Industrial Blvd, Suite 130 Sugar Land, TX 77478 (281)242-3232 www.sktx.com; info@sktx.com Phone: 281-980-6745
ww www.fbindependent.com .fbindependent.com
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 , 2013
Old-fashioned Easter
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Area Legislators present rosy picture on budget, economy By SESHADRI KUMAR There is a budget surplus and there is money for education and healthcare. How sweet it is to hear these words, rare and almost non existent in Washington vocabulary. It rang true and real as Texas State Rep. John Zerwas and his Republican freshmen colleagues Rick Miller and Phil Stephenson from the Fort Bend area spoke about the 2013 Texas budget at the Spirit of Freedom Republican Women’s Club meeting in Sugar Land on March 15. Zerwas is the chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee. In the last biennium the state was $15 billion to $27 billion behind, with an available revenue of $78 billion, which made it difficult to balance the budget without raising taxes. This session, the Legislature has $92 billion in revenue, with a robust economy and the legislators have an additional $9 billion to work with, Zerwas said. The rainy day fund will be $12 billion, he said. “We have a surplus amount of revenue to do some things which we did not do last time,” Zerwas said. The legislature has already taken care of the $4.5 billion shortage in health and human services fund and another $1.6 billion to schools, deferred until now, since the last budget. The legislature is poised to tackle mega issues such
as education, transportation infrastructure, public safety and water, Zerwas said. (The 15 members of the Senate Finance Committee unanimously voted last week for a $195.5 billion two-year budget. The budget, which now heads to the full Senate, is 2.9 percent higher than the estimated size of the current two-year budget, which is $189.9 billion after factoring in extra spending lawmakers are expected to approve later this session. Senate Bill 1 spends $94.1 billion in general revenue, the portion of the budget lawmakers have the most control over. That’s an extra $6.7 billion over the current budget, a 7.7 percent increase.) Stephenson spoke about the bills he has filed in the 83rd Legislature. One of them, HCR 58, is captioned “God and Ten Commandments.” This concurrent resolution not only acknowledges, but supports the use of the word, “God”, at public gatherings as well as displays of the Ten Commandments in public educational institutions and other government buildings. Some have misinterpreted, some misguidedly, others deliberately, the notion of separation of church and state to mean that government should be hostile towards any expression of faith, according to Stephenson. Stephenson has also filed HB
2633 that allows surface rights owners to be compensated for loss of and crop value, as well as rental loss. HB 1331 related confidentiality of complaints to, and investigations by, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Miller has filed about 25 bills, some of which will tighten the voter registration process and help veterans vote electronically instead of mailing in their ballots. HB 3074 filed by Miller relates to the verification of citizenship of an applicant for voter registration. HB 2262 Relating to the procedure for early voting by mail says the secretary of state shall establish a secure system that will enable a voter to obtain the voter’s audit number without cost by telephone or over the Internet after verification of personal identifying information. HB 927 Relating to voter registration says a person commits an offense if the person is not a citizen of the United States and the person: submits an application for registration as a voter in this state or attempts to induce another to submit on the person’s behalf a registration application. An offense under this section is a state jail felony. Miller said he was concerned about the closure of the Sugar Land airport control tower following the sequestration and the state would find other means to help the airport keep the tower open.
Take a break from college basketball and experience a slam dunk of rousing sounds as the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra presents March Madness, a concert of the world’s best marches on Saturday, March 23. The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the B.F. Terry High School Graeber Auditorium, 5500 Avenue N in Rosenberg. FBSO musicians will perform more than a dozen marches Fort Bend Symphony musicians Marilyn Conger, Coleman Locke and Aimee Norris are ready for written in the 19th and 20th patriotic music and more as they join with fellow musicians to present March Madness, a concert of centuries, many made popular the world’s best marches, on Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at B.F. Terry High School in Rosenberg. in theatre and film. There’s the
light and jovial Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens and the delightful Funicula, Funiculi written to commemorate the opening of a cable railcar on Mount Vesuvius. Concertgoers will want to whistle along to Colonel Bogey March, made popular in the 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai. They may even chuckle as they think back to the endless parade of children meeting their teacher during March of the Siamese Children, a delightful melody from The King and I.
Of course, no concert of marches is complete without works from The March King John Philip Sousa and the great American composer John Williams. FBSO will perform Sousa’s Washington Post and Semper Fidelis and Williams’ Superman march, first introduced in the 1978 film by the same name. General admission tickets to March Madness are $10 each and are available online at fbso.org, by calling 281-2769642 or at the door.
Here comes Peter Cotton Tail, hopping all the way to the Ryon Home and Davis Mansion at the George Ranch on Saturday, March 30. This family-oriented day will be full of activities. Grab a spoon and get ready to race across the grass with your egg in the traditional 1830s Easter egg roll, just like the one held every year at the White House Lawn since the early 1800s.
Then, venture to the Ryon Prairie Home and bring out your inner artist while decorating eggs with natural dyes of the old-days, made from a combination of food products. Some of the items used to dye the eggs include: red cabbage, coffee, beet juice, onion skin and turmeric. After that, see how many Easter eggs you can find in
the Victorian Egg Hunt at the Davis Mansion. Egg hunts will be held at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Tickets for the annual Easter Brunch in the picturesque George Yard are $13.50 for adults (13 and older), $10 for children ages 5-12, and $4 for children 4 years old and younger. Please call (281) 343-0218 to make your reservations for the historic meal.
Slam dunk of sounds at March Madness
County’s Kitty Hollow Bark Park set to open Fort Bend County Officials and community leaders are inviting residents to join in celebrating the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the Kitty Hollow Bark Park, on Saturday March 23, from 10 a.m.to 12 noon. The Kitty Hollow Bark Park is located inside of Kitty
Hollow Park(across from Sienna Plantation), located at 9555 Highway 6, Missouri City, Texas 77459. This facility is Fort Bend’s first off-leash Park built exclusively for our four-legged family members. The Park is designed to accommodate both large and small breed dogs
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
www.fbindependent.com 281-980-6745
Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
with mirroring fenced in areas that include: swimming ponds, agility equipment, dog wash, shaded areas, lots of open space for pets to run, and a walking trail for their owners to enjoy. “I am glad the County had the foresight to create a Dog Park for families in Fort Bend County. This Dog Park is a welcomed addition to our growing Park system”, says Commissioner Grady Prestage. Fort Bend County residents have been patiently awaiting the opening of the Bark Park, n o w I t ’s F i n a l l y R e a d y ! Residents are encouraged to come out to enjoy the festivities and participate in the Pooch Parade, win prizes, enjoy giveaways, great music, and add to the family with Fort Bend County Adopt a Pet Program. Veterinarians will also be on site to provide pet screenings and answer questions.