Property taxes are part of but not all of the problem. That's not fair. There are ways to make the tax system in Texas more fair. A mildly progressive state income tax would counter the effect of the regressive taxes upon which we depend so heavily. Another way is to make the regressive taxes less harmful by employing what's called a circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers come in all shapes and sizes.
Of the 30 states that already use them, some use circuit breakers only for the elderly, while others apply them to all age groups. Twenty-three states cover renters as well as homeowners. The key dimension of a circuit breaker is the percentage of income designated as the point at which property tax payments stop. In this program, when your property tax bill is greater than a certain percentage of your income, you don't have to pay property tax beyond that percentage. The state makes up the difference to your local governments.