Facts reported at a recent Dallas Women's Foundation forum. . .

Consider:

• Texas low-income households pay more in state/local taxes as a share of their income than do the rest of us.
• Texas operates the 5th most regressive tax system in the United States.
• Low per-capita state taxes (49th in the nation) limit Texas' ability to draw down federal dollars for health care, child care and many other human services.
• Households earning below $27,088 use 12.4% of their income on taxes.
• Households earning over $117,899 use 4.9% of their income on taxes.
• Medicaid in Texas covers only 1 out of 8 low-income working age women (2008).
• Texas doctors accept new Medicaid patients at these rates:  OB/GYN:  42%; Pediatrics:  42%; Family Medicine:  30%--shortage of doctors to serve the poor challenges the state and public health.
• 90% of direct care workers in the US are women.  In Texas, home care aides earned $7.05 an hour and home health aides earned $8.03 an hour (2008).
• Public school spending/investment per pupil in Texas:  $8,307.
• Texas ranks 50th in percent of females age 25+ with at least high school diploma.
• Texas school finance challenge is not just one of equity, but adequacy--2006 cut in property taxes created a $9 billion loss each biennium.
• Tuition increases in major Texas universities from 2003 to 2008 average 71%.
• Texas child care workers earn$7.82 per hour--41st in the US (2008).
• Texas ranks 46th in child care funding for low-income children.