[Dooby]

Most of the poor rent. Taxes paid by rich property owners are pased on to their renters. Theoretically, reduced taxes would be passed on to renters as well. But that is by no means certain. Cost is based on what the market will bear, not on the amount of expenses.

I, personally, think they have the effect of a payroll tax backwards. Most jobs filled by the poor are those that are absolutely necessary to be performed by human hands and are jobs that are otherwise undesireable. Those jobs are not the type that can be eliminated without siginficant capital expedinture, if at all. I would disagree with that conclusion.

There is also no distinction made between rural and urban. A family farmer with 200 acres may have income of $500k a year, but live like someone making $30k a year to make ends meet and pay disproportionate taxes to their urban and suburban fellow texans, which is one of the purposes of the reform.

Frankly, I could care less about cigarette taxes which disproportionately affect the poor. Hell, tax 'em at $10 a pack.