TODAY’S FORECAST
HI: 72o LOW: 43o
AP Photo/Disney/Brockheimer Films, Peter Mountain, File
Zeke Osborn reviews blockbusters to come out thise summer like ‘Lone Ranger’
Chance of Rain:
50%
Senior journalists say goodbye to the Houstonian readers, staff :(
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Volume 123 / Issue 29
Destination Graduation: ROTC member gets military job
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Thursday, May 2, 2013
Drought leaves problems for dried up funds JAY R. JORDAN Senior Reporter The current near recordbreaking drought in Texas has brought concern to Walker County and the rest of the state as governments fight to preserve forests and water supplies. Over 650 of the state’s water systems, including Huntsville’s, are under mandatory water restrictions due to the three-yearlong drought. The Texas Legislature soaked up all hopes of allocating $2 billion worth of the state’s Rainy Day Fund to finance water projects by the Texas Water Development Board, in a vote on April 29. Gov. Rick Perry and House Republicans supported House Bill-11 and fought for weeks but failed to pass the legislation as Democrats pushed for the funds to be used for education.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
“The people of Texas expect their elected officials to address the water needs of our state, and we will do just that,” Perry said in response to the failed legislation. “This issue is too important to leave its fate uncertain, and I will work with lawmakers to ensure we address this need in a fiscally responsible manner.” According to The Texas Tribune, Perry said he would call for a special session of the Legislature if the water issue went unresolved. Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio) told NPR’s State Impact that similar additional legislation might not pass because of the small amount of time the legislature has left in session and the two party’s disagreements. “[A resolution] very well could push us into a special session this summer if we don’t reconcile that,” Larson said. While local government agencies are cooperating with their respective water restrictions, many of them have enacted their own burn ban policies in order to preserve property and forestry. A wildfire sparked in June 2011 north of Huntsville that charred over 3 thousand acres and temporarily displaced dozens of Huntsvillians. Walker County Judge Danny Pierce signed a burn ban that’s still in effect today
Jay Jordan | The Houstonian
CRACKED AND BROKEN. Two separate wildfires during September 2011 in Bastrop County and Montgomery County collectively destroyed over 1,700 homes and burned over 80 square miles of land.
on Nov. 26, 2012 in response to escalating drought conditions and depleting water supplies. Two separate wildfires during September 2011 in Bastrop County and Montgomery County collectively destroyed over 1,700 homes and burned over 80 square miles of land. Both counties had burn bans already in effect. Firefighters from all around southeast Texas fought all the blazes with unfavorable weather conditions due to the extensive drought and dry land. More of the state is suffering
from exceptional drought now than in April 2011. According to WatrNews, on April 16, about 13 percent of the state was experiencing exceptional drought while only about 10 percent was in April 2011. However, none of these statistics compare to those in October 2011 when the drought peaked and about 90 percent of the state suffered from exceptional drought. The battle isn’t over for water in Texas. A fight over the Red River between Texas and Oklahoma reached the Supreme Court in
late April. Texas wants to buy 150 billion gallons of water from Oklahoma, but the Sooner State is refusing to sell, citing a state law prohibiting the sale of water during times of drought. Another option for the Texas Legislature to take on the water issue is SJR 1, a joint resolution that allocates $800 million from the Rainy Day Fund to water, education and infrastructure if approved by Texans on a referendum in November.
Online sales tax could soon be reality in U.S. CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ Staff Reporter Online shoppers, prepare to pay higher prices for online products. The Senate voted 7420 in favor of the online salestax bill on April 22. Dubbed the “Marketplace Fairness Act,” this means that Amazon and other online retailer prices could change if this bill gets passed. This measure would require all online retailers with $1 million or more in annual out-ofstate sales to collect sales taxes on behalf of every state where they sell. As a result, large online retailers prices could go up. Edward Blackburne, Ph.D, chair of economics and international business, said that it won’t affect consumers much. “I don’t think 6 percent or 4 percent of sales tax, depending where you are, will deter you,” Blackburne said. He further evaluated why consumers will likely continue to buy products online regardless if the bill passes. “I think the reason people shop online is not just because of a possible sales tax exemption. I think they do it for a matter of
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convenience, selection and shipping,” Blackburne said. Currently, the only states that tax online retailers are those who have a physical presence. Otherwise the burden of the tax falls on customers when they file their state income tax. However since most Americans don’t report or pay these taxes, Amazon and other major online stores can enjoy a price advantage over brick and mortar firms such as Best Buy or Wal-Mart. Some states such as California and New York have pushed back against Amazon because they claim that their vast network of affiliate sellers qualifies as a physical presence. Currently Amazon collects sales tax in nine states that represents a little more than one-third of the U.S. population: Ariz., Calif., Kan., Ky., N.Y., N.D., Pa., Texas and Wash. The Marketplace Fairness Act has bustled through the legislative process with urgency rarely seen in the U.S. Senate. Two months ago, Senate lawmakers passed a non-binding resolution in support of the bill 74-25 in a rare show of genuine bi-partisan support, especially for tax regulation. Blackburne said the bill has received a lot of attention because of the imbalance in pricing between online stores and traditional stores. “The bill has received a lot of traction because of the unleveled playing field between brick & mortar firms and online stores,” Blackburne said. “People are coming into Best Buy for instance, looking at products [and] deciding what that they want, then turning around [and] not buying anything at Best Buy, [and then] going online to Amazon and buy from there.”
T
he electricity was knocked out for several businesses after a single-car crash on Sam Houston Ave. ripped down a powerline on Wednesday. A former Sam Houston State University student said he swerved to avoid another car when the right side of his car tore threw the pole. Traffic was diverted between Fatty’s Smoke Shop and Humphrey’s while the debris was cleared. Huntsville firefighters, Huntville police, and EMT were on the scene, as well as several Entergy vehicles. Several witnesses say they saw sparks and an explosion after the pole bounced off the ground several times. The driver of the vehicle that hit the pole was given a ticket. His car was towed. When the pole fell it also damaged the back-rear tire of a nearby car. Check out the Houstonian Facebook page for more pictures of the wreck. Stephen Green | The Houstonian