Bettencourt Claims the Sky Is Falling ... Again

HoustonChronicle.com - Bettencourt warns of skyrocketing taxes

Harris County's most factually incorrect statitician is at it again, claiming that if things go unchecked, property taxes will double in 9 years. I'm curious why Bettencourt doesn't just be done with it, get to the heart of the matter, and try to get the Harris County Appraisal District abolished, with the assessment powers placed back in his office. Granted, that'd take away the boogeyman that Bettencourt so desparately needs.

If you're wondering where the HISD comparison is in the analysis, join the club. Bettencourt just kinda hides that for now. Also hidden in the analysis is an apples-to-apples comparison of homes over the time studied. It's one thing to look at the total property valuation and come up with an average, but it's another to miss out on the change attributed new construction. In the business world, retail companies offer a comparison of "same store sales" to give a better picture of growth. Bettencourt would be fairer to demonstrate such a comparison for homeowners. But when the electoral math presently pays off for the Chicken Little approach to politics, why bother?